Treat mom right this weekend with a mouth-watering Mother’s Day recipe loaded with fresh fruit

While not a statutory holiday, Mother’s Day is one of the Hallmark holidays I’ll actually get behind. Unfortunately mums can be taken for granted at times. I know that I’ve acted that way with my Mum, and I try hard to make sure that she knows how much she means to me. I roll my eyes at her silly techy questions, I get frustrated with queries she asks countless times, and I’ll get upset if she doesn’t take the time away from her life to give me what I believe is necessary attention. I’m a needy daughter, I get that.

All the practices, games, races, school events, life events, stressed out phone calls, and soggy tear-stained shirts she has laundered are proof of how much she cares. I’ve asked her to be there and my Mum has never disappointed me. I can’t thank her enough for that. So for this weekend, I’ll be heading home and cooking up a Mother’s Day recipe for my special mother and also my sister. 

I can’t exactly ask my two-year-old nephew to take on some of the cooking responsibilities in putting together this Mother’s Day recipe, but his entertainment will be enough to distract them from any culinary mishaps. Spring is also rhubarb season, my Mum’s favourite. In honour of Mother’s Day weekend I wanted to share one of her favourite desserts: Rhubarb and strawberry crumble. A bit lighter on the calories than a pie, this dessert will satisfy any one with a sweet tooth. The natural sweetness from the strawberries, paired with the delicious crumble makes me salivate at the thought of it. So this weekend, celebrate your Mum and the other mothers in your life. They deserve it.

Mother’s Day Recipe: Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

INGREDIENTS: 

For the crumble topping:

– 100g flour

– 100g butter, chilled and diced

– 100g sugar

– 100g finely chopped almonds, or old fashioned oats

– optional: sliced almonds for garnish

For the filling:

– about 450g trimmed rhubarb stems, peeled and chopped

– about 200g strawberries, hulled

– 1 tbsp brown sugar

– 1 tbsp water or lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and set a large ovenproof baking dish aside (about 1.5L).

2. For the crumble topping: mix the flour and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and either using a round bladed knife, or your fingers, rub the mixture together until it resembles course crumbs. Set aside.

3. For the filling: Rinse and chop the rhubarb into two centimetre chunks. Hull the strawberries and chop into big pieces (quarter large strawberries, half the medium sized ones, and leave any small ones whole). Mix the fruit with the sugar, and place into the baking dish. Sprinkle the water over top of the fruit, then scatter the crumble topping over top without compacting the crumbs. Garnish with sliced almonds if desired.

4. Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 mins until the top is golden brown and the fruit juices start to bubble.

5. Leave to stand for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with custard or ice cream.