I love a good dessert. In fact, I would happily pay good money for a high quality dessert, even if it’s the same price as a main meal. Cheap, nasty tasting desserts just don’t satisfy my very sweet tooth. Since I’m trying to lose some belly fat I decided to create a healthy-er version of one of my favourite desserts – Rhubarb & Strawberry Cobbler. It’s healthy-er because I’ve a made a few substitutions to the traditional recipe in order to cut down on the processed ingredients and also to save myself a few calories. Here’s what I substituted: agave nectar instead of processed white sugar, wholemeal flour and rolled oats instead of white flour, and homemade buttermilk instead of single cream. But I still wouldn’t recommend giving yourself double helpings of this rhubarb and strawberry cobbler just because it’s a bit healthier; no matter how healthy a sweet treat is, it should only be eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet. I once had a relative tell me that they ate a bunch of bananas every day in order to be healthy, but my relative hadn’t considered the high sugar content in each banana! It was no surprise that this person struggled to lose weight.
It took me about 4 attempts before I had a rhubarb and strawberry cobbler worth sharing with the world. I confess that my initial attempts ended up in the bin and left me feeling quite deflated. I once tried using coconut oil instead of butter but my cobbler looked like a hot, oily mess – it was super ugly! I now have a newfound respect for people who come up with recipes from scratch; you really have to persist despite failing and believe in your end goal. Despite my failed attempts, I triumphed in the end. In fact, my history of failure made my success even sweeter! It’s Easter this weekend, so consider making this dessert and sharing it with your family and friends. Have a look at the recipe below and feel free to tweak it to your taste.
Happy Easter…..may you eat chocolate eggs with abandon and celebrate life!
♣ ♣ ♣
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Serves 6 
Prep: 15mins, Cook: 30 -40 mins 
Difficulty level: Super Easy
Ingredients:
- 400 grams rhubarb, washed and ends trimmed. Cut into 2 cm pieces.
- 4o0 grams strawberries. Cut into halves.
- 1/2 cup agave nectar
- 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tsp water
For the topping:
- 95 grams plain wholemeal flour
- 50 grams rolled oats
- 1/4 cup (or 60 mls) agave nectar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/3rd cup (or 80 mls) homemade buttermilk (Place 1/2 tsp of distilled vinegar in a measuring jug and top up to 80mls with semi-skimmed milk. Let this stand for at least 5 minutes so that the milk curdles)
- 55 grams unsalted butter
- 2 handfuls of flaked almonds
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 170 C.
- Placed the cut rhubarb and strawberries in a baking dish (mine was approximately 26.5cm x 20cm). Pour over the agave nectar.
- In a small bowl mix the cornflour with water until smooth, then add to the fruit and mix well.
- Use a food processor to make the topping. Place the wholemeal flour, rolled oats, baking powder, and unsalted butter into the food processor and pulse until the mixture is well combined. It will still look a bit lumpy but this is OK.
- Add the agave nectar and buttermilk. Process until well combined.
- Spoon topping onto the fruit in little clumps. It doesn’t have to be perfect and it won’t completely cover the fruit – this is what gives the dessert a cobbled appearance.
- Sprinkle 2 large handfuls of flaked almonds on top then bake for 30-40 mins, until the topping is a nice brown colour and the rhubarb is soft when poked with a fork.
- Serve with ice cream or custard; or just eat it on its own.
♣ ♣ ♣
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