Rhubarb & Strawberry Crisp

Crumbles and crisps are one of my favorite desserts. They involve healthy doses of bubbling fruits and a sweet crisp layer of topping that complements the saucy fruits. In my mind, I find these to be slightly healthier substitutes to the usual cakes and pastries, because of all the fruits in them! In addition, I cut down on the refined flour that the topping usually requires and substitute it with some almond meal - healthy, crunchy, and more flavorful. Of course, all these justifications are just in my mind - to appease myself.

I skimped on the sugar, and regretted it. The tart rhubarbs really need the sugar. So go ahead and add all the quantities I have listed below. In case your rhubarbs are unseasonably sweet, you can cut down on some of the sugar, but don't skip the honey!

The bubbly fruits have beautifully colored and bordered the crisp!

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

For the fruit filling:

1. 3 rhubarb stalks, peeled and diced
2. 2 cups sliced strawberries
3. 1/2 cup honey
4. 1/4 cup sugar (brown sugar, if possible)
5. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom powder

For the crumble/crisp topping:

1. 1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
2. 1/2 cup oats
3. 1/2 cup sugar (brown sugar, if possible)
4. 1 stick cold, unsalted butter, diced

Preparation:

1. Mix the rhubarbs, strawberries, honey, sugar, and cardamom powder in a mixing bowl. Let everything rest for 15-20 minutes. the strawberries release their juices and become soft. 
2. Prepare the topping in the meanwhile. Mix together the almond meal, oats and brown sugar. Then, add the butter and mix everything with a fork or your hand (hand works better) to incorporate the butter into the mix. Keep mixing until the butter is strewn around the mixture like small peas. Everything should look crumbly - hence it's called a crumble.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spread the fruit filling onto a baking pan (7 by 11 pan works). And evenly pack the crumble topping on top. Do not sprinkle, pack the crumble down in chunks. This ensures a much more crispier top.
4. Bake for 30 minutes until the top is browned and crispy, and the fruit filling is bubbly.

Serve when warm, along with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. A plain serving is good too!