Blueberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Another favorite that Sam makes.  Fortunately, Whole Foods carries frozen rhubarb, so we can enjoy this year-round.  But it is the best when the rhubarb is fresh (DC area: April-July).

I absolutely love pie, but it is often too sweet for my tastes.  I concocted this recipe several years ago as an alternative to the traditional, oogy-sweet Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie.  It incorporates the tartness of rhubarb, with the sweetness of brown sugar and blueberries.  The Rose Water
subtly enhances the flavor of the berries and the lemon juice adds a refreshing crispness.

It’s a lot of fun watching people try to figure out what exactly is in this pie- so deceiving!

Sam’s Blueberry-Rhubarb Crumble

2 1/2 cups flour
2 sticks of salted butter, cold
10 oz frozen rhubarb (or 4-5 chopped stalks of fresh)
10 oz frozen blueberries
1 tsp Rose Water
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/4 cup ice-cold water
1 pie tin or pie dish

Filling

Combine rhubarb, blueberries, Rose Water, lemon juice, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.  Mix well and set aside at room temperature to macerate for about 30 minutes.

Dough

Add 2 cups of flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to your food processor and pulse until well mixed.  Next, add in 2 sticks of very cold, diced butter.  Pulse, and add in 1 1/4 cup of ice water a little at a time, until the mixture is crumbly.  You do not want a ball of dough.

Once you have the right consistency, take out the contents out onto a floured cutting board.  Take half of the mixture, roll it into a ball, wrap with Saran Wrap and put into the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Take the other half of the crumble mix and gently add to a bowl, cover with Saran Wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Once the dough is cold, take out the half you rolled into a ball and covered with Saran Wrap.  Roll out on a well-floured cutting board until it’s about 1/8 of an inch thick.  Drape over the greased pie tin or pie dish.  Gently form into a the mold, and cut away any excess from the edge.

Add the blueberry-rhubarb filling into the pie, and spread evenly.  Make sure not to add too much of the excess liquid (no one likes a soupy pie!).  Top the pie with the remaining crumbly dough (the one in the bowl), I aim for about 90% coverage.

Put the pie on a cookie sheet (in case of spillage), and slide into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until the topping is golden and bubbly.