Rhubarb Cobbler

rhubarbcobbler Tangy and fragrant spring rhubarb topped with fluffy oaty biscuits in this simple and delicious rhubarb cobbler. An everyday winner.

5 cups fresh rhubarb ,cut into ½" pieces (500 g)
1 cup demerara/turbinado sugar (200 g)
1 cup flour (140 g)
1½ tsp. baking powder
¼ cup demerara/turbinado sugar (50 g)
¼ tsp. sea salt
⅓ cup butter (113 g)
½ cup rolled oats, not instant (50g)
⅔ cup whole milk (150 mL)

To Serve:
vanilla ice cream, custard or whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5).

Put diced rhubarb in a 2 qt baking dish or a deep cast iron skillet and pour sugar over, stir to combine.

For the topping, mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly, then add oats and combine everything together, add milk and stir until just moistened.

Drop spoonfuls on the rhubarb mixture leaving spaces here and there. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes until the rhubarb is cooked and the top is golden and crusty.

Serve with ice cream, custard or whipped cream.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes:

Use forced rhubarb if you want to it to keep its colour after the rhubarb has been cooked. Forced rhubarb is deep coral colour. It is also sweeter and more tender than regular rhubarb. I wasn’t able to find it, so the rhubarb in the photos is not forced rhubarb.
I used raw Demerara sugar for its gorgeous caramel-like taste and large crystals. Use Turbinado sugar if you are in the US. You can substitute with light brown sugar.
I didn’t use flour or cornstarch to thicken the rhubarb but 1-2 Tbsp. could be added for a thicker filling.
To get the best texture from the cobbler topping, use cold butter and cut it in the flower with a pastry blender, the same way you would for a pie crust.
Don’t worry if your cobbler topping, or biscuits, are not perfectly shaped. It won’t make a difference once the cobbler has been baked.

Serving Suggestions:

It’s best to give cobbler at least 20-30 minutes to rest before serving. This will give the juices the chance to thicken so it will be less runny and will mean that the filling will be warm rather than scaldingly hot.
I will always recommend serving warm cobbler with cold ice cream. Vanilla is my preference, but get as creative as you like. Pistachio, perhaps? Whatever you choose, the contrast of warm and cold is divine.
If you have sensitive teeth, that contrast may not be as enjoyable. In this case, whipped cream will be delicious.

Storage and Leftovers:

A cobbler will keep for 2-3 days in a refrigerator. I enjoy them hot or cold, but if you prefer warmed up then a microwave will do the job.
A cobbler can also be frozen. Just let it completely cool, then wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil or a lid and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy it, let it defrost overnight in your fridge and then warm in an oven until it is hot throughout.

Baking with Rhubarb:

I quite often combine rhubarb with any type of berries I happen to have at the moment. What berries do is add a burst of beautiful colour to the crumble. Take a look at this rhubarb strawberry crisp for example.
This time however, I decided to use rhubarb alone to showcase its delicate flavour without strawberries or blackberries taking away from this gorgeous vegetable.
Rhubarb itself tends to lose its beautiful shade of pink when cooked but this doesn’t take away from its delicious flavour. If the colour is important to you, a small amount of pink food colouring can be added, but I don’t find this to be necessary.
Another option is to use forced rhubarb. This has been grown in such a way that photosynthesis doesn’t happen, which keeps a vivid pink colour in the stalks as well as a sweeter, more delicate flavour. It’s a great option if you can find it.