...to add water to my rhubarb and apple crumble....

[bonkers20]

...after it has been in the oven for about 1/2hr and is very dry?

I think I was meant to stew the rhubarb first or something, or put more crumble on top so the fruit is more sealed and can cook in its own juices.

Sigh. Oh well, the children aren't fussy!

[ObiWan]

Custard is your friend, or ice cream.

[AgentZigzag]

at friendly custard.

Stewing rhubarb then straining off the fruit gives a gorgeous drink, needs lots of sugar though

[juicyfruitqueen]

Hmm...

Custard would be perfect.

[pink4ever]

I always add a couple of tbsp of water to my fruit mixture after I have sprinkled it with sugar as makes a nice caramel sauce. Just have your crumble with lots of cream or custard and am sure it will be fine.

[PigletJohn]

when you cook rhubarb, it goes soft and a lot of juice runs out. It is, and ZZ says, quite acid.

If you simmer it before putting it in the crumble pan, the juice makes teh crumble go soggy, unless you strain (most of it) off.

It takes longer making it with raw chopped rhubard sprinkled with sugar, then the crumble mixture on top, but probably goes less soggy than if you didn't strain stewed rhubarb. I like a good thick layer.

Rhubarb Crumble is one of my signature dishes. Have you tried making the crumble with brown sugar, and subsitution rolled oats for part of the flour? A crumble made with butter and sugar is very sweet, so it counteracts teh acidity of the rhubarb. If you're using other fruits, I think you need to go for something quite acid. Cooking apples are good, so is raspberry.

I put custard on Rhubarb crumble, or cream or vanilla ice cream, but some of the sweeter fruits are better with Creme Fraiche or buttermilk, or something less sweet.

[Punkatheart]

You can cook custard in the crumble - tried it with freshly made custard - yummy. Or put orange juice in it....

[mackerella]

Custard or cream sounds like a good idea. But YABU for putting apple in your rhubarb crumble!

[lurkerspeaks]

I tried a variant with apple crumble that I gleaned from one of those cans of ready caramalised condensed milk (ie. the cheats way to make bannoffee pie).

Chop your apples, layer some of the caramalised condensed milk on top then top with your usual crumble mix. Mine invariably contains a mixture of flour & oats with brown sugar.

It is really good.

If it doesn't work - custard, ice cream or (my personal favourite) low fat greek yogurt.

[bonkers20]

Thanks all. It turned out OK in the end. I think I just didn't have enough crumble so not all the rhubarb was covered. Lashings of custard masked any problems though and looking at the tiny portion which is left, it certainly went down well.

I've often meant to try oats and a few nuts but have never done so.

mackerella nowt wrong with apples with my rhubarb!

[Punkatheart]

And where is my portion?

[PigletJohn]

we ate it while you were out.

[Punkatheart]

Oh Piglet, how could you.

By the way I went to a dinner party once and the lady had proudly said that 'You can crumble anything' - as she handed me a banana crumble.

I still have nightmares.

[bonkers20]

Oh and DS(12) has taken the leftovers in a little pot for his break time snack at school. Huzzah!

[Punkatheart]

...what...there are leftovers! Piglet lied to me!

[bonkers20]

yeah...we're ganging up on you. Ner ner ner ner. I've got some Cadbury Mini Rolls though. Any good?

[Punkatheart]

Not the same but.....oh gimme a couple...

(stuffs in mouth whole, spraying chocolate crumbs over the cat)

Still, now I want a crumble. Banana anyone? (vomit)