Rhubarb rose strawberry bake with scone topping
This cobbler recipe brings together lots of things I love: tart rhubarb, scented rose and sweet strawberries, topped with scone dough and served with clotted cream. Like a cream tea but in pudding form, which frankly is all the motivation I ever need to make this recipe!
Ingredients
For the base
- 1 vanilla pod
- 250g/9oz frozen or fresh rhubarb
- 400g/14oz strawberries, halved
- 2 drops rose extract or 1 tsp rosewater (see recipe tip)
- 1–3 organic roses, petals only, plus extra for decoration (optional)
For the scones
- 225g/8oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- pinch of salt
- 4 cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed
- 55g/2oz cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
- 25g/1oz caster sugar
- 125ml/4fl oz full-fat milk
- 1 free-range egg, beaten, for glazing
- 2–3 tbsp demerara sugar, for sprinkling
To serve
- handful pistachios, shelled and chopped
- clotted cream
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/170C Fan/Gas 4. Lightly grease a round roasting dish (approx. 25cm/10in diameter).
To make the base, split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds into the dish. Add the rhubarb, strawberries, rose extract and 2 tablespoons water if using fresh rhubarb (it's not needed if using frozen rhubarb). Mix well.
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and stir in the rose petals (if using). Increase the oven temperature to 190C/180C Fan/Gas 5.
Meanwhile, make the scone mixture. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the salt, cardamom seeds, butter and sugar. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre and add the milk. Using your hands, just bring the dough together (do not overwork the dough or the scone topping will be tough and chewy).
On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to a circle roughly 23–25cm/9–10in diameter and cut into six equal triangles. Place on top of the rhubarb mixture (there should be gaps in the scone topping to allow steam from the filling to escape). Brush the top of each triangle with beaten egg and sprinkle generously with the demerara.
Return to the oven for 20–25 minutes (cover with kitchen foil if the top of the scones start to brown too quickly). When ready to serve, sprinkle with pistachios and rose petals (if using) and serve with clotted cream.
Recipe Tips
Rose extract is stronger in flavour than rosewater, but even then brands do differ in intensity, so taste a little and use your judgement.
