Minimally Invasive

adapted from The Houndstooth Gourmet and Simply Recipes

Depending on the juiciness of the fruit you use, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch may be too much or not enough. The strawberries I used were quite plump, so the liquid was a little thin after baking. It was delicious, just not terribly thick.

fruit base
4 1/2 cups rhubarb stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces (Discard any leaves from stalks and trim any stringy layers from thick stalks)
2 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

cobbler crust
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten

In a large bowl, mix rhubarb and strawberries with sugar. Macerate 10 minutes, then mix well with balsamic vinegar and cornstarch, and let sit for an additional 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of sugar, the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter in with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the egg and add enough milk until mixture is just moistened. This might be less than the 1/4 cup called for, so don’t add it all at once.

Pour fruit into a 2-quart casserole dish. Drop the batter on the fruit. Bake in a 350°F oven for 35 minutes until cobbler crust is golden brown.

Note for next time: Try slivered almonds in the topping and sprinkle with demerara sugar just before baking.

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