Rhubarb, Apple and Coconut Crisp

When I saw some nice fresh rhubarb in the market, I immediately grabbed a few stalks. I didn’t have a clear idea of what to do with it, but also didn’t want to let it stand for too long. My solution was to make a version of my “usual” fruit crisp (recipe can be found HERE) with it.A crisp, or a crumble, is ideal for a last minute type of dessert. It can be assembled quickly, and placed in the oven while dinner is prepared. By the time you’re done with dinner, the crisp will be ready to be served.
In most crisps, the crumbs mixture is used only as a topping for the fruits, but I prefer to divide the mixture and use half of it for the base. This not only makes for easier serving, but also adds another layer of texture and flavor to the dish.
In the version I have here, I substituted half of the semolina with desiccated unsweetened coconut. This small change made a huge difference – the aroma from the coconut and butter while baking was wonderful, and the roasted coconut added lots of flavor. No doubt I’ll be using this “trick” again. Try it and enjoy.

Notes:
* The crisp is at its best when freshly baked and served warm.
* If you can’t find fresh rhubarb, red plums, cherries, a mix of berries, or any other soft fruit, can be used instead.
* I prefer to use less sugar in the crisp, but if you like it sweeter, you can increase the overall sugar amount up to two cups.

Makes: 12
Prep time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
For the crisp layer:
1 stick (115 grams) butter, cold, cut into large cubes
1 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar (see notes)
½ cup desiccated unsweetened coconut
½ cup fine semolina
¼ tsp salt
For the fruit layer:
3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb (from 4 stalks, leaves part removed)
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, coarsely grated
½ cup brown sugar (see notes)
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 360F(180C). Line 9”X11”(22.5X28cm) baking pan with baking paper.
2. In a food processor, fitted with the metal blade, briefly process the butter, flour, sugar, coconut, semolina and salt, to form a crumbly mixture.
3. Spread half of the mixture over the baking paper and flatten it with a spatula.

4. In a large bowl, mix the sliced rhubarb, grated apples, sugar and vanilla. Spread evenly over the crumbs mixture in the pan. Top loosely with the rest of the crumbs mixture.

5. Bake for 50 minutes, until the top layer is golden. Keep in a warm place until ready to serve. Serve warm.