Brown Butter Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp for a Crowd – Recipe!

As we get closer to summertime crisps, cobblers and crumbles are on the forefront of my dessert menu and this Brown Butter Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp for a Crowd is a great way to kick off warm weather season.

Fresh or frozen fruit makes a great crisp.  In this recipe, I happen to have a large bag of frozen strawberries that needed a home, so I used frozen berries with rhubarb straight from the garden.  Rhubarb is a vegetable, not a fruit, but when sliced and added to a crisp, it certainly tastes like one.  The combination of strawberries and rhubarb are classic and I have made several desserts with this delightful combination.

The crisp topping is traditional as well — flour, sugar and oats with a big splash of brown butter create a delicious crust over the stewed fruit.  As the flavors meld in the oven over an hour’s time — they become sweet and sassy with a buttery finish.  I decided on a drizzle of cream over top, instead of ice cream or whipped cream, but you do you to complete the dish.

Ingredients

2 pound strawberries, fresh or frozen (not defrosted)

1 pound rhubarb, sliced

1/4 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cold butter

1/2 cup heavy cream for serving, optional

Topping

8 tablespoons butter, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup rolled oats

pinch of salt

(Serves 12)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, add strawberries, rhubarb, cornstarch and sugar, toss to combine.
2. Rub 3-quart casserole dish with butter and add tossed fruit.
3. In a skillet on the stove top, add 6 tablespoons butter and melt until frothy and golden brown around the edges, about 7 minutes.  Turn off heat.
4. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to brown butter, stir to melt.
5. In another bowl, add flour, sugars, rolled oats and salt.  Pour brown butter over top.  Stir with a spoon to combine and then, use hands to create clumps.
6. Sprinkle over top of fruit.  Bake for 1 hour in oven, or until fruit bubbles gently around edges.  Remove and cool for 1 hour before serving, or serve room temperature.
7. Spoon onto plates and pour a drizzle of cream over top before serving.  Enjoy!