Rhubarb Ripple

Rhubarb ripple is a prairie-kitchen favorite: a loose cobbler-meets-biscuit dessert that leans into rhubarb’s natural tartness instead of masking it. The rhubarb bakes first with sugar, a whole cinnamon stick, and a splash of water so the stalks soften and release their juices into a deep pink syrup.

The topping is what sets this apart from a standard crisp. It is a soft biscuit dough cut with shortening and studded with pecans, rolled out and cut into wedges that go on top of the hot fruit like petals. A quick brush of egg wash gives the biscuit a glossy bronze finish.

Don’t overwork the biscuit dough. Twelve gentle kneads is enough to bring it together. More than that and the wedges turn tough instead of tender and flaky.

Pro Tips

• Use fresh pink rhubarb stalks, the color bakes brighter than the green ones and the food coloring becomes optional.
• Leave the cinnamon stick in during baking but remove before serving for a cleaner infusion than ground cinnamon.
• Pat the biscuit dough instead of rolling, it keeps the crumb lighter.
• Serve warm with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, the temperature contrast is the whole point.

Variations

• Swap half the rhubarb for sliced strawberries for a classic pairing.
• Use walnuts or almonds in place of pecans.
• Add a half teaspoon of orange zest to the biscuit dough for a citrus lift.