Cherry Rhubarb Crumble

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

3-4 cups diced rhubarb, mine was fresh from my neighbor Eileen

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 cup water

1 tsp. almond extract

1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl combine the following: oats, brown sugar, flour and salt.  Stir well.

Add butter.  If I were a true baker I would have a pastry blender, but I didn't... I used a fork and my Pampered Chef Meat Chopper - it worked - eventually but if I made something like this more often I would pick up a pastry blender for sure!

Work the butter in until it is crumbly.  

Then, into a greased 9x13 pan pat 2 cups of the mixture in.  Be sure to press the mixture down into the pan as this is your crust.

Add rhubarb in an even layer.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch.  

Stir in the water. And continue to stir on a medium/high heat.

Cook until mixture is thick and clear.

Stir in extract and cherry pie filling.

Spoon the cherry mixture over the rhubarb.  

If you are adding the walnuts, at this point add the nuts to the remaining oat mixture. Then sprinkle the oat mixture over the cherry mixture.

Bake until filling is bubbly and topping is lightly browned, about 40-45 minutes.  If desired, serve with ice cream.

Right out of the oven this was a sloppy mess but I couldn't wait.  The next day it was setup a bit more, but still not a bar you could pick up and eat - this is for sure a plate/fork dessert.