Ditchin’ The Cheese
I had planned on talking about cheese this week. You can never go wrong with cheese. But then, sometimes life throws you a curveball. Since it’s now March, everywhere you look things have gone green in anticipation of St. Patrick’s Day. And, of course, I immediately think “Cheese!” (I know. My friends and family have long since stopped trying to understand my thought processes.)

However, over the weekend, I made something that was just so good I couldn’t stop myself from writing about it. The cheese will have to wait…

My in-laws were in town so I had everyone over for a lovely salmon dinner with roasted asparagus. It was while picking out the asparagus that I was enticed by the gorgeous rhubarb in all of its deep red glory that was calling my name from the shelf above. To me, rhubarb is a sign of hope that we are in fact leaving winter, and its cabbages and root vegetables, behind to usher in the new and more interesting produce that arrives with spring. My entire family loves rhubarb so there was no question. I was not leaving the store without it. But what to make?

When it comes to rhubarb recipes, I like to keep it simple. I love a good crisp—or even just roasting it by itself to put in yogurt. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is always a hit. But, the strawberries aren’t that great yet so I will leave that to when it weather is warmer. I chose this recipe for Raspberry Rhubarb Cobbler because it was fairly quick, and something about the twist of the raspberries just appealed to me.

I have never seen a dessert disappear so fast. It might be because the flavors were so bright and different from what we’ve been eating in the last few months. But, this one, my friends, is a definite keeper. The color was stunning and I think the biscuits on top will be how I do all my cobblers going forward.

I did make some changes to the original recipe. For one, I added more cornstarch. The filling was a little too loose for my tastes. I also bumped up the sugar just a bit. Although, you could add some honey if you prefer.

Raspberry Rhubarb Cobbler Recipe 

Yields 8 servings
Adapted from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients
For the rhubarb filling
2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces about 6 cups
12 oz. fresh raspberries
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
zest from one small lemon or lime, optional

For the biscuits
1 cup all-purpose flour, more as necessary
2/3 cup fine cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2/3 cup heavy cream, more for brushing
Sugar for garnish (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 ºF.

Make the rhubarb filling
In a large bowl, toss together the rhubarb, raspberries, sugar, and cornstarch. Allow the mixture to stand while preparing the biscuit dough.

Make the biscuit dough
Place the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Pour in the cream and continue pulsing until the dough starts to come together, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

(If you are not using a food processor, whisk together the dry ingredients and cut in the butter using two knives. Stir with a heavy wooden spoon until the dough comes together.)

Form the biscuits
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it together.

Divide it equally into 8 balls, then flatten them slightly into thick rounds. Biscuit dough can be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated, covered, until needed.

Assemble the cobbler
Scrape the rhubarb filling and accumulated juices into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange the biscuits on top of filling and brush them with the cream. Sprinkle the biscuits with sugar if using.

Bake the cobbler
Bake the cobbler until the filling is bubbling and the biscuits are golden brown (about 40 to 45 minutes).

Allow the cobbler stand and cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.