Rhubarb is a funny kind of vegetable, extremely sour yet mainly used in sweet dishes. Why does the tartness of Rhubarb work so well when paired with it’s sweet companions? Living in sunny Brisbane Rhubarb in the shops means ‘winter is here’ and what better way to enjoy this seasonal vegetable then a warm comforting crumble!

Rhubarb & Apple Crumble

An original creation by Myfoodobsession.com

Ingredients

• 900g (2lb) apples; peeled, cored and sliced into 1cm (1/2 inch) pieces
• 700g (1.5lb) Rhubarb, washed and sliced into 2cm (1inch) pieces
• 40g (1.5 oz) unsalted butter
• 185g (6.5 oz) caster sugar
• 1 cup of port
• 50ml (1.7 fl oz) water

For the crumble topping

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup hazelnut meal
• 125g plain sweet biscuits/cookies
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 40g (1.5 oz) unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 180c (360f). In a large saucepan, melt butter of medium low heat, add sliced apple and rhubarb and cook for 5-6 minutes.
2. Add sugar, port and water and continue cooking until the apple and rhubarb are tender but still hold their shape.
3. Remove fruit from saucepan with a slotted spoon, set aside.  Bring the liquid to boil and reduce down to a thickened sauce, until you have about 1/3 of the liquid left. Mix with the the fruit and place in a baking dish.
4. Make the crumble topping: Place the biscuits in a food processor and process, making sure to leave some small chunks of biscuits, place in a medium bowl with the remaining ingredients, mix to combine then sprinkle over the fruit mixture.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until warmed through and crumble topping browns slightly. Serve with ice-cream and/or warmed custard.