Rhubarb & Lime Crumble with Custard Recipe

It’s cold here, really cold. I haven’t seen the outdoor thermometer go over -2 in over a week. The mornings are absolutely beautiful; the frost freezes all the bare branches of the trees turning them white so the whole valley looks like a winter wonderland. There is fresh snow on the ground from yesterday and now the skies are blue and the sun is back.

Cold weather = winter warming food. Andy is busy in the kitchen this week trying out the new winter menu for Chalet Cannelle but desserts aren’t up yet and I really fancied a proper old school pudding. The rhubarb plant has died back now but I stocked some in the freezer, perfect.

You may have been following this blog this summer and saw that I was determined not to let a stick of rhubarb go to waste. I didn’t do too badly although still room for improvement and new recipes next summer. Although I was really trying to be imaginative with the rhubarb, the classic crumble can’t be left out and it is one of my favourite desserts…although I admit this is largely because of the custard 🙂

Rhubarb & Lime Crumble

Crumble…this will make more than you need but the spare will keep really well in a sealed bag in the freezer

100g butter
175g plain flour
75g demerara or brown sugar
50g hazelnuts

• Pre heat the oven to 180°C
• Blitz the hazelnuts in a food processor and remove to a bowl
• Cut the butter into cubes and place in the food processor with the plain flour. Blitz for 20 seconds to mix together
• Remove to a bowl and add the sugar and the hazelnuts
• Using your fingers, rub the mixture together to form clumps
• On a large baking tray, place baking paper and spread the mixture over the tray
• Bake for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop the edges burning.

While the crumble is baking, prepare the rhubarb filling

500g raw rhubarb chopped into 2cm pieces
100g caster sugar
100ml creme de cassis
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 lime

• In a large saucepan place all the ingredients an bring to a simmer
• Cook for 10 minutes until the rhubarb is just tender
• Strain the liquid through a sieve and reserve the rhubarb in a bowl
• Pour the liquid back into the saucepan and reduce the liquid to a thin syrup then add the juice and grated zest of one lime
• Pour the syrup back into the rhubarb and mix.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and the star anise
• Place the rhubarb mixture into an oven proof dish, top with crumble mixture and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Real Custard

We included this recipe in our cookbook as we had had so many discussions with people that had never eaten homemade custard. It is a bit naughty but as a treat it is much better for you to make this than buy a premade version.

1 vanilla pod
250 ml full cream milk
250 ml single cream
6 egg yolks
80g caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour

• Split your vanilla pod and scrape out all the seeds. Add the seeds, the pod, the milk and cream into a sauce pan and bring to the boil.
• Take off the heat and allow the vanilla to infuse for 10 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, caster sugar and cornflour until fully combined.
• Remove the vanilla pod from the milk mixture and pour the milk into the egg yolk mixture whilst continuously stirring.
• Pour the milk and eggs back into a saucepan and place onto a low heat.
• Bring to 80°C and immediately remove from the heat and pour into a clean bowl.

Want more rhubarb recipes? How about Rhubarb Gin?