When I was a little girl, my friends and I would break off stalks of rhubarb and dip the raw ends into the sugar bowl, then bite off the sugary tip and squeal with delight over the overpowering tartness of the rhubarb. It was like biting into a lemon. That intense acidity mellows when rhubarb is cooked with a sweetener, but the characteristic tang remains, and it is what fans love about rhubarb. This cobbler brings out the best in rhubarb. Warm biscuit dough covers a rich-flavored, soupy filling, and is then topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
SERVES 6
FILLING
6 cups (about 1Вѕ pounds) diced rhubarb (ВЅ-inch dice)
1 cup honey
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Grated rind of 1 orange
Вј teaspoon cinnamon
Вј teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons butter
BISCUIT DOUGH
1Вѕ cups unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
Вј teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons chilled butter
в…” cup milk
1 beaten egg
Lightly sweetened whipped cream
- Preheat the oven to 375В°F.
- In a medium saucepan combine all of the ingredients for the filling. Simmer until the rhubarb is tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Pour into an 8— 8-inch cake pan.
- To make the biscuit topping: In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix well. Cut the butter into bits and add. Cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or work it in with the tips of your fingers until it resembles coarse meal. Add the milk and stir just to mix. Gather the dough into a ball. If it is too dry add a bit more milk.
- Knead the dough 3 or 4 times just to make it manageable. On a lightly floured surface roll it to fit the 8 Г— 8-inch pan. Cover the filling with the dough, and brush the top with some of the beaten egg.
- Bake for 30 minutes. If the dough is browned before the 30 minutes is up then cover lightly with a piece of foil to prevent further browning. Let cool somewhat before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream.
NOTE: To reheat, place into a 375В°F oven for 10 minutes, or just until evenly warm.
