Rhubarb Crumble Cocktails

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This current, a million day lockdown, has pushed and inspired many of us, to try and do different things. Bushwalking, exercising more than usual, attempting long put-off home maintenance tasks, dabbling in watercolours, growing green gardeny type stuff,  kitcheny cooking experimentation, attempting home schooling like you know what you are doing, working from home like a boss and pretending you know how to cut hair.
I have tried many of the above but what I’ve enjoyed most (please keep your judgement to yourself) is my journey of discovery into the wonderful world of cocktails. 
I have been inspired by using my love of fruit/spices and turning them into something a tad boozy and delicious. Even better, I’ve really enjoyed connecting to all of you who saw my mixology ramblings on other social media platforms. The fun, ideas, jokes and Joie de Vivre during this lockdown has been a real blessing. I feel more grounded when I can take action. (Action really does mean traction.)
Rhubarb crumble is a dessert loved by many in my family circle. Hence, The Rhubarb Crumble. Inspired by this delicious dessert and existing cocktails in the ‘drink hemisphere.’
This is tart, a dash spicy and a bit sweet but mostly, deeply satisfying. Enjoy!
 
Rhubarb Crumble Cocktail 
Cocktail Ingredients
2 tbl caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 oz vodka
1 oz rhubarb ginger liqueur (Edinburgh Gin Distillery)
1 oz rhubarb syrup (recipe below)
1 oz Lemon juice
What to do
Prepare your chosen glass by mixing cinnamon and sugar on a flat plate.

Wet the glass rim with a lemon wedge then dip the glass rim into the sugar mixture.

Place the vodka, rhubarb liqueur, rhubarb syrup and lemon juice into cocktail shaker with ice.

Shake well then strain and pour into your glass of choice.
Drink it. It’s tasty.
Rhubarb syrup
450g rhubarb chopped
300 g caster sugar
300ml water
Juice of one lemon
Juice one orange
What to do
Chuck all the ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer stirring occasionally, let it simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep and cool down. Sieve the mixture through a fine sieve into a sterile container, you will have a lovely ruby coloured rhubarb syrup. And keep in fridge. ( I used the leftover rhubarb pulp in muffins. I hate waste.)
Cheergerm recipe based on my brainbox and other cocktail recipes
 
 
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Gluten free rhubarb and berry bumble

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Kid 1 is a crumble maniac, it all started at an early age. Back when he was a wee lad, he was unable to say ‘crumble’, instead it came out as ‘bumble’. His fave combo’s are rhubarb and apple or rhubarb and pear. However, he won’t say nay to the odd berry mix either. Usually I make two different crumble topping mixtures. One containing oats for Kid 1 and myself and a gluten free topping for the Yak.

Gluten free bumble toppings in the past have contained various combinations of buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, almond meal, quinoa flour (gag) and teff flour (yum but hard to get.) It’s always a bit of ‘let’s see what happens this time’ scenario.

Anyhoo, today was a day of ‘I can’t be, ummmm…bothered with two different toppings’. So I went hardcore on just the one gluten free bumble. I was curious to see if Kid 1 missed the texture that the oats provide.

Turned out to be a happy experiment, yes indeedy. This tart rhubarb and raspberry bumble, combined with the earthy buckwheat and almond flours, the crunch of the nuts and the warmth of the spices is bloody delicious.

The only sound heard from Kid 1’s direction was that of a 9 year old boy eating with his mouth open. Chomp, chomp, gobble, swallow. ‘More please Mum?’. This mean old mumma said ‘No sorry, not tonight’. The kid replied with ‘Go on, its not gluten free, so only you and I can eat it anyway.’

Oh, you poor misinformed and cheated wee bairn. Mission accomplished, sorry kiddo but it is GF and the Yak will probably fight you to the death for the leftovers.

We take our bumble seriously in this household.

YOU NEED

1 bunch rhubarb, chopped into 2cm lengths
2 tbls coconut sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 cup raspberries (frozen or fresh, blueberries are yummy too)
Crumble topping:
100g buckwheat flour
50g almond meal/flour
60g cold butter, chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180 C.
Place the rhubarb, coconut sugar and vanilla paste in a medium size saucepan, add a few splashes of water. Cook on low to medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the rhubarb starts to collapse. Stir regularly to avoid the rhubarb sticking. Add a bit more water if needed.
Once the rhubarb is cooked, stir in the raspberries and place into a buttered 1 litre ovenproof dish.
Mix the buckwheat flour and almond meal in a medium size bowl.
Rub the butter through the flour mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles pea sized chunks.
Mix the coconut sugar, baking powder, spices and walnuts in a small bowl.
Add the sugar mixture to the flour mixture, stir and sprinkle over the fruit.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with a big dollop of yoghurt, ice-cream or cream. This also makes a great breakfast dish served with yoghurt.

An original Cheergerm recipe