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    Home / Desserts / Crisps & Cobblers

    5 from 2 reviews

    Rhubarb Buckle

    By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on Apr 17, 2012 (updated Feb 3, 2020) / 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    close up of delicious rhubarb buckle

    In Italy, a buckle can be offensive. If you get into someone's car and fasten your seat belt, you're essentially saying, "You're a crap driver; I don't trust you not to get into an accident." Rather than keeping you safe, as promised in the States, the seatbelt fastening action will merely enrage your driver, causing him (let's face it, this only applies to guys) to drive with even more crazed aggression and flagrant disregard of traffic laws.

    (Or so I was told while buckling up in a friend's car in Lecce 10 years ago. Hopefully, things have changed.)

    close up of rhubarb
    In any case, "buckling up" in your kitchen should neither offend anyone nor put your life in danger. (You may offend a few vegans, but, asAnthony Bourdain put it, "They don't eat enough animal protein to get really angry." So you're probably safe.)

    sugar poured onto rhubarb
    A buckle is a sturdy cake-like batter topped with an extraordinary amount of fruit; as it bakes, the cake "buckles" up through the fruit as the fruit breaks down and sinks into the batter, which sops up its juices.I made Deb's (of Smitten Kitchen) vanilla brown butter peach buckle a couple years ago with much success, and had been wanting to try something similar with rhubarb (which is technically not a fruit, but is baked with as if it were). I took a stab at one last year, but found its cardboardy texture offensive.

    rhubarb stirred in a bowl
    When I read through this recipe in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living while waiting to check out at the co-op, I felt certain that it would be a winner. Being too cheap to buy the whole magazine,I thought I would be sneaky and use Jay's camera phone to snap a photo of the recipe. Jay chided me, "I'm sure that's considered uncool." But I flagrantly disregarded etiquette and clicked away.

    However, my sneaky rudeness turned out to be unnecessary as I found the recipeon-linethe next day.

    bowl of ingredients
    After a childhood devoid of rhubarb, I've embraced this "fruit" heartily. My tastebuds have always favored the tart end of the flavor spectrum – vinegar, citrus, cultured dairy – so rhubarb was a shoo-in. I look forward to its bright color and flavor every spring after a bleak winter of roots and pomes. (Ok, California's winters aren't exactly "bleak.")Rhubarb is usually brimming from tubs at the market this time of year, but I have yet to see it for sale.

    buckle mix spread into pan
    I was beginning to wonder where all the fresh rhubarb was hiding when we went to visit Jay's folks in Santa Cruz last weekend. And it turns out that all the rhubarb is hiding in Jay's mom's yard. Jay picked about 10 pounds of the red-and-green stalks, some weighing almost a full pound and feeling as fat and hefty as baseball bats.I'm quite thankful to Jay's mom's generosity, green thumb, and backyard that happens to have the perfect micro-climate for rhubarb-growing. I've been in rhubarb heaven for the past week (and, subsequently, Pinterest heaven – check out my pinboard, Rhubarb Love, for further rhubarb "pinspiration"). I've already turned two pounds of rhubarb into a crisp, half a pound into sorbet, and two more pounds into two batches of this delightful buckle.

    rhubarb slices poured into a dish
    As the full batch would have made 32 squares of buckle, I halved it, and made a few small tweaks: I upped the rhubarb quantity just a bit, increased the lemon zest, used 1 egg and 1 yolk (in place of what would have been 1 1/2 eggs due to halving the recipe), and subbed yogurt and heavy cream for the sour cream since that's what I had on hand. The streusel seemed dry when I mixed it up, so I added a bit more butter and brown sugar. Slight changes.

    chopped rhubarb
    As you spread the small amount of batter into the pan, you will think that something is amiss. Ditto for when you add an obscene amount of macerated rhubarb and its copious juices, and seemingly inadequate amount of streusel. But when you cut the first slice, all the components will have magically realigned themselves into perfect proportions, the cake having risen in the oven and the fruit losing much of its volume in the form of steam and cooking into almost a chunky jam. With bit of sturdy cake, an ample layer of rhubarb, and a flutter of crisp streusel, these buckle squares fall somewhere between a coffeecake and a crumb bar. They're easy to eat out of hand at a party or a picnic, durable enough to stack and transport long distances. And they stay delectable for several days.

    top down shot of buckle
    I know there are rhubarb haters out there, but I'm confidant that this recipe could sway the staunchest opposers. I'm guessing most rhubarb trauma has to do with once eating rhubarb that was either too sweet, too tart, or overcooked and therefore too gloppy. The rhubarb here is thinly sliced and tossed with sugar, where it hangs out while you prepare the batter and streusel. After a long, slow bake, it becomes tender in the heat of the oven while the sturdy batter absorbs the excess liquid, leaving the sliced stalks soft as ripe berries, but still holding their shape. The amount of sugar eliminates that astringent pucker while leaving a pleasant tartness, its delicate, floral notes enhanced by meyer lemon zest and vanilla.

    So I encourage you to buckle down and bake a batch of buckle. And if you're a rhubarb hater, buck up: at least you're not buckled into a car being driven by a mad Italian.

    square of rhubarb buckle

    More Rhubarb Recipes:

    • Rhubarb Crumb Bars
    • Rhubarb Chèvre Galettes
    • Strawberry Rhubarb Rose Galettes {gluten-free}
    • Rhubarb Streusel Coffeecake

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this rhubarb buckle recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    5 from 2 reviews

    Rhubarb Buckle

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    A delicious way to use up your rhubarb!
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
    Total: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16 2" squares.

    Ingredients

    The fruit:

    • 1 pound trimmed rhubarb, halved if wider than 1 inch, sliced 1/4 inch thick (4 cups)
    • 1/2 cup sugar

    The cake:

    • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • zest of 1 large (meyer) lemon
    • 1 egg
    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup flour
    • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1/4 cup sour cream (or 2 tablespoons each plain yogurt and heavy cream)

    The streusel:

    • 1/2 cup flour
    • 3 tablespoons soft light brown sugar
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt
    • 3 tablespoons butter, melted

    Instructions

    • Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350º. Grease a 9x9" square pan, then line it with two crossing pieces of parchment paper, leaving a 1" overhang on each side.
    • In a non-reactive (read: stainless steel, glass or ceramibowl, toss the rhubarb with 1/2 cup of the sugar. Let sit while you prepare the batter and streusel, tossing a few more times. The sugar will dissolve, and the rhubarb will release some juices and soften slightly.

    Make the cake batter:

    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and zest on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Add the yolk, then the egg, and beat to combine. Stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, stir in half of the flour mixture, then all of the sour cream, then the rest of the flour, mixing until just combined after each addition. Remove the bowl and paddle, and give the dough a final mix with a sturdy rubber spatula to make sure it is homogeneous.

    Make the streusel:

    • Stir together the flour, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until moist and clumpy.

    Bake the buckle:

    • Spread the batter into a thin, even layer in the lined pan. Top with the rhubarb and its juices; spread the slices into an even layer. Break the streusel into hazelnut-sized clumps and scatter them evenly over the rhubarb.
    • Bake the buckle until lightly golden on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65 to 85 minutes. Let cool completely, then lift the buckle out of the pan using the parchment handles. Remove the parchment, and cut the buckle into 16 squares.
    • The buckle is best the day it's baked when the streusel is crisp, but it will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature.

    Notes

    Adapted from Martha Stewart Living.
    Do be sure to cut all signs of leaf from the rhubarb stalk, as they are toxic. (The stalk is perfectly safe.) No need to peel the rhubarb; the macerating and long baking time turn it absolutely tender, and the skin contains the prettiest pigments.
    Nutritional values are based on one of sixteen squares.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 157mgPotassium: 125mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 280IUVitamin C: 2.4mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 0.7mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    Rhubarb Buckle

    Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

    Do be sure to cut all signs of leaf from the rhubarb stalk, as they are toxic. (The stalk is perfectly safe.) No need to peel the rhubarb; the macerating and long baking time turn it absolutely tender, and the skin contains the prettiest pigments.

    Makes sixteen 2" squares

    The fruit:
    1 pound trimmed rhubarb, halved if wider than 1 inch, sliced 1/4 inch thick (4 cups)
    1/2 cup sugar

    The cake:
    6 tablespoons butter, softened
    1/2 cup sugar
    zest of 1 large (meyer) lemon
    1 egg
    1 egg yolk
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 cup flour
    3/4 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
    1/4 cup sour cream (or 2 tablespoons each plain yogurt and heavy cream)

    The streusel:
    1/2 cup flour
    3 tablespoons soft light brown sugar
    1/8 teaspoon salt
    3 tablespoons butter, melted

    Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350º. Grease a 9x9" square pan, then line it with two crossing pieces of parchment paper, leaving a 1" overhang on each side.

    In a non-reactive (read: stainless steel, glass or ceramic) bowl, toss the rhubarb with 1/2 cup of the sugar. Let sit while you prepare the batter and streusel, tossing a few more times. The sugar will dissolve, and the rhubarb will release some juices and soften slightly.

    Make the cake batter:
    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and zest on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Add the yolk, then the egg, and beat to combine. Stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, stir in half of the flour mixture, then all of the sour cream, then the rest of the flour, mixing until just combined after each addition. Remove the bowl and paddle, and give the dough a final mix with a sturdy rubber spatula to make sure it is homogeneous.

    Make the streusel:
    Stir together the flour, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until moist and clumpy.

    Bake the buckle:
    Spread the batter into a thin, even layer in the lined pan. Top with the rhubarb and its juices; spread the slices into an even layer. Break the streusel into hazelnut-sized clumps and scatter them evenly over the rhubarb.

    Bake the buckle until lightly golden on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65 to 85 minutes. Let cool completely, then lift the buckle out of the pan using the parchment handles. Remove the parchment, and cut the buckle into 16 squares.

    The buckle is best the day it's baked when the streusel is crisp, but it will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature.

    slices of buckle

    You might also like...

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    the cover of the award-winning cookbook, Alternative Baker

    Hungry for more?

    Alternative Baker celebrates the unique tastes and textures of 14 gluten-free flours, from buckwheat flour to almond flour to sorghum and coconut! This cookbook will fill your kitchen with sweet treats that burst with flavor every month of the year.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amelia says

      April 19, 2012 at 5:06 am

      I suddenly feel a desperate need for Jay's mom's rhubarb. I live in Santa Cruz. Any chance I can buy some from her?

      Reply
    2. Alanna says

      April 19, 2012 at 6:04 pm

      You'll have to fight me for it! ; )

      Reply

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