1 tsp butter, softened, plus 8 ½ pound firm fresh rhubarb, trimmed,
T butter, cut into ¼-inch bits washed and finely chopped (about
1 T plus 2 c flour 1 cup)
2 T sugar 3 medium-sized tart cooking apples,
2 tsp double-acting baking powder peeled, cored and finely chopped
1 tsp salt (about 2 cups)
2/3 c milk 1 c light brown sugar
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Preheat the oven to 350°. With a pastry brush, spread the teaspoon of
softened butter over the bottom of a 10½-by-15½-inch jelly-roll pan.
Sprinkle the tablespoon of flour over the butter and tip the pan to
distribute it evenly. Invert the pan and rap it to remove the excess flour.Combine the remaining 2 cups of flour, the sugar, baking powder and salt and sift them into a deep bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter bits and, with your fingertips, rub the flour and fat together until they resemble flakes of coarse meal. Pour in the milk and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is smooth and can be gathered into a compact ball.
Place the ball on a lightly floured surface and knead by pushing the dough down with the heels of your hand, pressing it forward and folding it back on itself. Repeat for about 1 minute, then roll the dough out into a rectangle 14 inches long, 11 inches wide and about 1/8 inch thick.
Toss the rhubarb and apples together in a bowl. When they are well blended, spread the fruit evenly over the dough rectangle to within about 1 inch of the outer edges. Scatter the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter bits over the fruit and sprinkle the brown sugar on top.
Fold the shorter, 11-inch, sides of the dough rectangle over the fruit mixture. Then, starting at one narrow end, roll the rectangle up lengthwise to create a thick tight cylinder about 9 inches long. Carefully transfer the roll, seam side down, to the floured, buttered pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until it is golden brown.
Serve the rhubarb and apple roly-poly while it is still hot, accompanied if you like with a bowl of unsweetened whipped cream. Serves 8 to 10.
