Raspberry & Rhubarb Crumble Slice
We’re coming to the end of winter which for me is a truly terrible concept. We’ve been luck here in the Outback this year. It’s been a relatively mid winter with the occasional frosty morning here and there. These seemed to come about in the most inopportune moments of course. For a week we had to treat some of our sheep for lice which required the use of a hand sprayer fitted with four horizontal nozzles. The aim is to douse the infected sheep with enough chemical to hopefully send the lice packing.
Of course, the coldest mornings just so happened to be during that same week which in turn froze the water in both the hand sprayers and from about 1 meter up the connecting hose. It sounds like a relatively simple problem to have but it still took upwards of an hour to deconstruct everything to remove the ice. Although, let me admit that it was satisfying to see the ice “noodle” shoot out of the disconnected hose end when we’d finally pulled everything apart.
I made a mental note to myself that day - remember this feeling of wearing what felt like 100 layers of jackets and socks. The cherry being an outrageously too big pair of protective plastic pants borderline making me look like an infant who’s just dropped a rather large “whoopsies” to the bottom of their crotch… I told myself - remember how lovely the sun is feeling because in less than what I predict to be 4 weeks, the sunshine will be back to apocalyptic and I’ll become a hermit again.
All this to say, I’m trying to embrace the last sliver of winter we have. Although it’s lovely to see the barren trees in the garden starting to bud up again, it won't be long before conversations sway more into the “by-gee is bloody hot today” territory rather than the “I'm moving to the tropics” zone.
So as a slight last hoorah to winter I wanted to bring in those rich reds and earthy flavours from the raspberries and rhubarb to this recipe. I wanted a warm, buttery base and crumb to complement it all and lastly I wanted a creamy middle of cream cheese. This was purely selfish at the time, mainly due to my craving for both cheesecake and crumble so - why not both?
Alas, this Raspberry and Rhubarb Crumble Slice was born!
Raspberry & Rhubarb Crumble Slice
Ingredients
- 125g (3-5 stalks) rhubarb cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 70g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp corn flour
- 400g frozen raspberries
- 225g unsalted butter - melted and cooled
- 250g plain flour
- 200g caster sugar
- pinch salt
- 4 tbsp rolled oats
- 500g cream cheese - room temperature
- 120ml thickened cream
- 200g caster sugar
- 2 tbsp corn flour
- 2tsp vanilla extract
- zest of 2 medium lemons
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Place the rhubarb, sugar and cornflour into a heavy bottomed large saucepan set over low-medium heat. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally until the rhubarb has started to break down, become jammy and has released some of its liquid – about 5 minutes.
- Add the raspberries and continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. When the mixture is thick and jammy – about 8-10 minutes, remove from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve to remove raspberry seeds. You may need to push the pulp through with a wooden spoon.
- Set aside to completely come to room temperature while you continue with the next steps.
- Pre-heat oven to 180 and line a 9x13inch lamington tin with baking paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix together with a fork the plain flour, sugar and salt. Gradually drizzle in the melted butter until the mixture comes together as large clumps.
- Tip two-thirds of the crumble mix into the bottom of the prepared tin. Use a spoon to compact it to the edges of the tin and to press it evenly across the entire bottom. Prick the base all over with a fork and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until it’s starting to lightly brown. Remove from the oven to cook while you proceed with the next steps.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese until it’s free of any lumps. To this, add the eggs one at a time – beating well between additions. Next, add the cream, caster sugar, corn flour, vanilla and zest. Beat well until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the cooled base. Dollop large spoonfuls of the jam across the surface of the cheesecake. To make a marbled effect, use a toothpick or small knife to run little “figure 8s” across the surface. Sprinkle the top with the remaining one-third of the base mixture and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crumble on top has started to lightly brown. It’s okay if the centre is still a little wobbly – it will set once the slice has been chilled.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge overnight to completely set.
- Slice into squares or bars and serve either cold or at room temperature.
Notes
- This slice will last up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- It can be served cold but I find It's best served at a cool room temperature - it gives the cheesecake filling to soften slightly for a delicious creamy centre.
- Feel free to change the raspberries to strawberries or any other type of jammy berry of choice.