I made this dessert for Saturday night.  And I was luckily able to try it!  We were at Chad’s brother’s house with his whole extended family, and while the women went to the park with the kids, the men dug into the dessert! Luckily the kids had ice cream sandwiches earlier!  I made some modifications from the original recipe based on some reviews, and I think it was a great success! I’m not always a fan of rhubarb, but I’m happy to have a recipe that I love that will help me utilize my hearty rhubarb plant in the backyard!

Rhubarb Cherry Crisp

1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cold water
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling (I used “lite”)
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups chopped fresh rhubarb

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cup rolled oats
1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the cornstarch and sugar. Stir in the water. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Stir in the cherry pie filling and almond extract. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar and salt. Cut in margarine until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Press 2 cups of this mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread the rhubarb over the crust, then spread the cherry mixture over the rhubarb. Stir the chopped nuts into the remaining crumb mixture, and sprinkle over the top of the fruit.
4. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is crisp and golden. Serve warm topped with ice cream or whipped topping.