To cook or not to cook the rhubarb

Question

I'm making a kuchen: yeasted sweet dough crust with a sour-cream custard and fruit topping.  I want to use rhubarb for the fruit but wonder if I should cook it first or macerate it in sugar before baking.  Or should I simply cut it up, mix w/sugar and use it raw? I'm worried that it will give up too much liquid and make the filling runny.

Amanda H. · Accepted Answer

If you're worried about it weeping, try cooking it with sugar and few teaspoons flour before adding it to the batter. Or, you could slice it and toss it with sugar and a little flour -- as you would when making pie. Depends on your comfort level. Option one will guarantee no weeping.

petitbleu · Answer

I've made several rhubarb coffee cakes recently, and I simply chop up the fruit and add it to the batter. However, I imagine that roasting the rhubarb would be really lovely, as it would concentrate the flavor and do away with some of the liquid.

Shoshanadh · Answer

Thank you!

To cook or not to cook the rhubarb

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