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Individual Strawberry Rhubarb Buckle
By Katie Goodman
I think whoever made the decision that strawberries and rhubarb go together is an absolute genius. I love the sweetness of the strawberries with the tanginess of the rhubarb, and that's why it was an easy decision to plant both in my garden. Both are perennials (meaning they come back year after year) so it's a well done investment the first year.
The best time to plant rhubarb is during the early spring, but wait until the ground has thawed first. Rhubarb can be purchased as a plant at local nurseries, but is also available as roots. Rhubarb does best in full sun areas of the garden, but it can be grown in partial shade as well.
We didn't see many strawberries our first year gardening, which is typical, but we did see lots of rhubarb! Rhubarb is ripe and ready to harvest when the stalks are red at the base, with lots of red radiating up towards the top. You want it to be mostly red, with little green. Discard the leaves, though, because they're poisonous.
Extra rhubarb can be frozen for use during the winter months. Simply cut the rhubarb into the preferred size for baking, approximately ½" chunks, place on a cookie sheet, and freeze. After the rhubarb has frozen, remove it from the sheet and place it in a labeled freezer storage bag.
The distinction between a buckle and other fruit desserts (cobblers, crisps, crunches, etc.) is that the batter is on the bottom and it's topped with the fruit. The most commonly seen version is the Blueberry Buckle, but that doesn't mean you can't experiment with other fruits.
I like to make this dessert in individual ramekins, especially when entertaining, because it isn't something that dishes up especially pretty when it's baked in one large size. The presentation is so nice when done in an individual serving size, and they also cook faster this way.
For tips on growing strawberries, check out this great article.
Ingredients
Batter:
½ c butter
½ c granulated sugar
1 egg
1¼ flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ c buttermilk
1 Tbs vanilla
Fruit:
1¾ c rhubarb
1¾ c strawberries
¼ c granulated sugar
1 tsp grated orange rind
Topping:
¼ c butter
¼ flour
½ c brown sugar
Cinnamon, for garnish
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Directions
For the batter: Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Add sugar and egg, beating well. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk. Mix well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Divide evenly among 8 ramekins.
For the fruit: The rhubarb should be chopped into approximately ½" chunks so it's tender at the end of the cooking time. Hull and slice the strawberries. Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and zest. Stir until well mixed.
Divide evenly among the 8 ramekins, dishing the fruit on top of the batter.
For the topping: Combine the flour and sugar. Cut the butter into the mixture until crumbly. Divide the topping evenly among the 8 ramekins, sprinkling on top of the fruit mixture. Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on top of each.
Place the ramekins atop a baking sheet to catch any drips, overflows, or splatters. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.
About the Author:
Katie Goodman resides in New Mexico with her husband and two children (a 4-year-old boy and an 18-month-old girl). Learning in the kitchen, eating, trying new recipes, and sharing them with friends and loved ones are some of Katie's favorite things to do. She wholeheartedly believes that part of the goodness in life is enjoying good food with good friends and family, and goodLife {eats} is a place for her to share what she finds good in the kitchen.
