Imagine a seven-year-old Gemma, standing at the kitchen table rubbing butter and sugar between her fingers to make a topping for her mum’s rhubarb crumble. This was a very familiar scene in my youth, and as a quintessential Irish dessert, it was one of the first recipes my mum taught me. It’s so simple—you only need to cut up rhubarb and toss it with a little sugar. The sugar tames the tang of the rhubarb and the topping develops a nice crunchy, crumbly texture when it’s baked. After a recent visit back home, I noticed my mum still had the dish we always used to make this, and thanks to her, I’m now the proud owner of a well-worn, very retro Pyrex baking dish.
Makes 5 or 6 servings
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2 Put the rhubarb in a 9-inch baking dish. Add ⅓ cup (71 grams) of the sugar and stir to coat the rhubarb.
3 In a medium bowl, combine the flour and butter and, using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
4 Add the remaining ¼ cup (57 grams) sugar and stir to combine.
5 Spoon the crumble over the rhubarb in the baking dish and spread it out until the surface is even. Do not press the crumble down hard.
6 Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is browned and the rhubarb filling is bubbling.
7 Serve hot, with whipped cream. Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.