Rhubarb, a fleeting springtime darling that’s often a sidekick to strawberries, deserves to be celebrated all on its own for its unique tangy flavor. This recipe for rhubarb shortcakes does this vegetable-masquerading-as-a-fruit justice.
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Weeknight cooking inspiration, curated and written by longtime ATK author and editor (and avid home cook) Jack Bishop.
Raw rhubarb is tough and stringy, but it breaks down quickly (and loses some of its astringency) when cooked. You can certainly cook it on the stovetop, but then you run the risk of it breaking all the way down and turning to jam.
To keep some texture, toss the rhubarb with sugar and gently bake it in a 325-degree oven. This method produces intact rhubarb pieces suspended in a sweet syrup—just right for a shortcake.
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Buy NowShortcakes are rustic, lightly sweetened biscuits. Using generous amounts of butter and buttermilk in the dough ensures that they are rich. A little extra sugar in and on top of the shortcakes balances rhubarb’s sweet-sour notes.
To minimize waste, cut the biscuits into squares, which will puff up beautifully with minimal trimming (cutting round biscuits leaves you with lots more dough scraps).
To enhance the tanginess of the dessert, bolster the classic whipped cream topping with buttermilk (and omit the traditional vanilla to allow the buttermilk’s flavor to shine).
Rhubarb Shortcakes with Buttermilk Whipped Cream
The tangy stalks take center stage in this alluringly sweet-tart dessert.
Get the RecipeThese rhubarb shortcakes taste great all season long and give rhubarb its due. If you really miss the strawberry-rhubarb combo, try the variation, which includes strawberry jam and is teased up a notch with elderflower liqueur.
