Rhubarb Apple Crisp

There are very few things in the world that I still use a recipe for.  Any time I try to replicate one of my mom’s recipes, though, I ALWAYS consult her recipe first.

It helps that a few years ago for my birthday my mom gave me the best present ever- a binder full of her best recipes.  Her fruit crisp was one of them, which seems to always become a favorite amongst my various roommates.

Rewind to 6 months ago when I introduced my newest roommate, Becca, to rhubarb.  I was beyond excited when she loved it – sans sugar – as much as I do.  I bought a ton of rhubarb at the end of the season and have been keeping it in the freezer ever since.

Periodically throughout the semester we have talked about making crisp, but we’re always missing the most crucial ingredient, margarine.  This is where the problem arises.  My worst habit is oleo.  I think it’s because that’s what I grew up with and it’s always super cheap.  Every time I go to the grocery store I stand in the butter/margarine section and try to go for butter but am always stopped by an invisible force field of hydrogenated oil.  Becca, on the other hand, has a staunch aversion to hydrogenated oils and trans fat.  Butter is also out of the question because of her extreme lactose intolerance.  In most baking, we substitute vegetable oil for the butter/margarine, but that doesn’t work very well when making a crsip.  So, when I came home today and she said she had a surprise for me, I was pretty excited when she pulled out Becca-friendly margarine!  AND she got it 50% off on a manager’s special!  We’ve been rubbing off on each other all semester 🙂

So, fast forward about an hour and here we are, watching tv and relishing in our tart rhubarb apple crisp.  Here’s the recipe:

-fill a 9 x 9 baking pan half full with your fruit of choice (in our case we did ~2 cups rhubarb and 1 large apple
-in another bowl, mix 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 4 tablespoons softened margarine, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg.
-pour the mixture over the fruit and divide a 1 tablespoon pat of margarine over the mixture
-bake at 375 degrees F for 30-45 minutes

I noticed that the Earth Balance margarine Becca bought didn’t make the crisp very crispy, but honestly it tasted exactly the same.

I used my Saigon cinnamon for this recipe (I only bust it out on special occasions), and it made a difference to me.

I also think that because we used the apple it made the crips much more able to hold its own without any added white sugar. (EDIT: I realize the mistake but am keeping it there because it makes me giggle)

This crisp was definitely the highlight of my night and I am soooooo happy Becca made it possible  🙂