Preparation
- Toss the rhubarb with the sugar, vanilla extract and cornflour in a bowl and leave to macerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional).
- For the crumble, rub the flour, custard powder, butter and salt together with your fingertips into coarse crumbs, then stir in both sugars.
- Spread the rhubarb evenly in a baking dish and scatter the crumble over it so the rhubarb is completely covered.
- Bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the crumble is golden brown and the juice is bubbling at the edges.
- Leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving, and eat lukewarm with vanilla ice cream, vanilla custard or cream.
Drink with it
Sweet wine · excellent match
Riesling Auslese
The lively acidity of the Riesling keeps pace with the tart rhubarb, and its sweetness matches that of the crumble.
Which wine goes with dessert? Comparing sweetness deliberatelySweet wine · excellent match
Moscato d'Asti, well chilled
Low alcohol, peach and blossom aromas and a fine fizz make the warm, buttery dessert feel lighter.
Floral gin · excellent match
Floral gin (rhubarb gin works well) with tonic, a twist of lemon and plenty of ice
Rhubarb is the gin fruit par excellence in Britain: citrus and blossom in the gin pick up the acidity, while the bitter tonic provides a counterpoint to the butter crumble and vanilla.
Gin styles: London Dry, Old Tom, Navy Strength, and moreSparkling wine · good match
Sekt, medium dry (demi-sec)
The residual sugar stands up to the acidity of the rhubarb, and the bubbles loosen the buttery crumble.
Sparkling wine, Champagne, and Prosecco: what's the difference?Fruit liqueur · good match
Orange liqueur (triple sec) on ice with a twist of orange
Orange fruit and sweetness round off the rhubarb acidity, and the ice keeps the liqueur fresh next to the warm crumble.
Why it pairs well
A gin and tonic and an orange liqueur are unusual dessert companions; they work through citrus, bitterness and cold set against sweetness and acidity.