Rhubarb

Summer of Rhubarb: Rhubarb Custard Pie

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Rhubarb Custard Pie (Recipe & Photo from Food Network Kitchen)

Rhubarb Custard Pie
As previously discussed I am not a huge cake fan. For most of my life I either had dairy queen ice cream cakes or cheesecake as my birthday cakes. It should come as no surprise that I decided to not bake a cake for my birthday. Instead I decided to bake a pie.
Specifically a rhubarb custard pie since I had exactly 4.5 cups of rhubarb left in my fridge to use up from my first harvest. I find that using rhubarb fresh is much easier than previously frozen as you don’t have to deal with draining excess fluid or adding more flour or corn starch to thicken it.
This pie is delish and super easy to make. I ended up eating 1/4 of the pie for my birthday.
 Ingredients

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Fit the pie dough into a 9-inch pie plate, fluting the edges, and chill until set, about 15 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork, and then line the crust with aluminum foil.
  • Fill with pie weights or dried beans and bake until the edges of the crust are just golden, 20 minutes.
  • Remove the foil with the pie weights and continue to bake until the bottom of the crust is dry and lightly browned, another 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely.
  • Toss the rhubarb with 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the lemon juice until well combined. Transfer to the crust and spread to form an even layer. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet.
  • Whisk the eggs with the evaporated milk, flour and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar until smooth, and then pour over the rhubarb.
  • Line with edges of the pie with aluminum foil to prevent over browning.
  • Bake until the pie is lightly browned, puffed and no longer wet in the center, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Before serving, lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Summer of Rhubarb: Rhubarb Pudding Cake

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I am very picky about cake. I will almost always pass on a store bought cake or even a cake baked by someone and brought into work. You’d think I would bake a lot of cakes but I don’t do that either. Most cakes are only good for a day or two (at most 4 days), so then I am stuck with a large amount of cake not eaten or I have to bring it to work.

With it being summer and my rhubarb in full swing, I decided to try a rhubarb pudding cake. I actually enjoyed it although I preferred the rhubarb blondies I made previously. I did end up bringing 1/2 the cake to work and it disappeared. Everyone loved it so give this recipe a try.

 

Rhubarb Pudding Cake (recipe from common sense home)

Ingredients
  • 2 cups chopped rhubarb
  • 1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk (I used evaporated milk)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup sifted flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2/3 cup boiling water

Instructions

  1. Cover the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch square pan with fruit. (I used a glass pie plate.)
  2. Mix 3/4 cup sugar, butter, baking powder, salt, extracts, milk and flour together (add a little more milk if it is too thick to pour); pour over fruit. Mix remaining sugar and cornstarch; sprinkle over mixture in pan. Pour boiling water over the top.
  3. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes

 

Summer of Rhubarb: Rhubarb Blondies

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One thing you can always count on is your rhubarb coming to life in the summer. It’s a short window when everyone in Minnesota bakes their hearts out with this beloved vegetable. Most people call it a fruit due to the way it is used in desserts but it’s actually a vegetable.

It is one of my favorites in the summer season. I love being able to bake or cook with what is fresh during the seasons so harvesting and baking up my rhubarb is no exception. I try to make new dishes every year (as well as the classic ones we love), so I decided to give a blondie recipe a try. These bars are delicious. So buttery and caramel-like in flavor from all the brown sugar. I’ve already made two batches of these bars this year so it’s quickly become a new favorite rhubarb recipe of mine.

Rhubarb & White Chocolate Blondies (recipe from goodness gracious)

INGREDIENTS
  • 8 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups diced rhubarb
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray or grease with butter.
  2. Pour the melted butter into a large bowl.
  3. Whisk in brown sugar until smooth.
  4. Add the egg and vanilla extract, whisk again until combined.
  5. Add the flour and mix until no lumps are visible.
  6. Fold in the diced rhubarb and chocolate chips.
  7. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread it out to make even.
  8. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
  9. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

50 States, 50 Cookies: North Dakota

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I loved the concept of these cookies but unfortunately mine didn’t turn out that well. The shortbread was too thick & resulted in too much cookie & not enough filling. I might try to adapt these in the future to use up my garden fresh rhubarb.

Rhubarb Linzer Cookies (from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp almond
  • 3 cups flour
  • 10 tbsp rhubarb jam
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºf and line two cookie sheets with parchment.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and extracts. Gradually mix in the flour until combined.
  3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. (alternatively you can wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 2 days before proceeding to the next step.) Roll out the dough until it’s 1/4-inch thick.
  4. Cut out 3-inch circles using a cookie or biscuit cutter. Place half of the cookies on the baking sheet 1 inch apart. Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut out a shape from the center of the remaining cookies. Place those on the cookie sheet 1 inch apart (you may have to bake in batches).
  5. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies turn slightly golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
  6. Once cooled, place about 2 tsp of jam in the center of a cookie and then squish into a sandwich with one of the cutout cookies. Repeat with remaining cookies and then let set overnight.
  7. Dust with powdered sugar before serving and enjoy!

Summer of Rhubarb: Rhubarb Meringue Dessert

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I made this awhile ago with my first harvest of rhubarb from this summer. Summer came & went super quickly. I won’t complain. Fall is my favorite time of year. The majority of people in Minnesota would agree with me. Fall is the best season with the cooler weather, leaves changing, pumpkins, Halloween, etc. Other people would add football to the list and I suppose I will too. Not because I like watching it but because I like making food for other people and using that Sunday time to bake. A time for me to relax in the kitchen & try new things. While I am exited for the pumpkins, squash, & root veggies to take over, I have to say I will miss being able to go pick fresh rhubarb from the garden. Gardening is the main thing I enjoy about summer. At least I have a little stockpile in the freezer which I will probably use to make this dish again. It may just be my new favorite rhubarb recipe.

Rhubarb Meringue Dessert (from Betty Crocker)

  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup half & half or whipping cream
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup flaked coconut

Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix butter, 1 cup flour and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press evenly in ungreased square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Bake 10 minutes.

Mix egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, the salt and half-and-half in large bowl. Stir in rhubarb. Pour over hot crust. Bake 45 minutes.

Beat egg whites in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Beat in vanilla. Spread over rhubarb mixture; sprinkle with coconut. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown; cool about 30 minutes. Cut into about 3-inch squares.

Summer of Rhubarb: Rhubarb Drop Scones

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The summer of rhubarb has begun! Rhubarb screams summer and Minnesota cooking to me. I have grown up with rhubarb & have always loved it (no berry mixing required). These drop scones are not like your traditional scone in texture but are perfect for breakfast or with a coffee or tea.

 

Rhubarb Drop Scones

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
1 egg yolk

1 cup sour milk ( 1 tbsp lemon juice with 1 cup milk & let stand for 5 min)
raw sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter pieces and, using a pastry blender & your hands, mash it all up until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the butter is worked throughout. Add the rhubarb.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk and sour milk. Add this to the flour-fruit mixture. Stir until combined.

Drop large spoonfuls of the dough onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pat them down slightly until they are a uniform thickness (about 1/2 – 3/4 inch). Sprinkle the tops with raw sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes (a little less if you opt for smaller scones) or until the scones are golden and the edges beginning to brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.

 

Summer of Rhubarb: Vanilla Pudding with Rhubarb Sauce

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My guy asked me the other day if I quit blogging. It’s not so much that I quit it’s just that it’s been hard to try and actually write. I made this dish earlier in the summer when my rhubarb was fresh and never got around to posting it. Now all I can think about is the fact that my cat Oedipus loved this dish and he is no longer with us. Which brings me to my point of why it’s hard to write.

I started a post a few weeks after his death and have not been able to bring myself to finish it. It’s called Saddle Thrombus. Enough said. Now every time I try to blog I get teary eyed. In fact I’m crying a bit right now.

It’s been over 2 months and yes I am doing better but every now and then I still get incredibly sad. I have quit reliving that terrible day in my head and have started to just think of all the good things he brought to my life and the fond memories I have of him, but I still get sad here and there.

Most people out there are thinking…’what the hell? He was just a cat’. Well you people are wrong. He wasn’t just a cat. I’ve had other pets before and still have other pets but it’s not the same. He was special. I’ve had other pets pass before and yes I was sad but it wasn’t a debilitating sadness that consumed me when my honeybun passed.

He was the most personable animal I ever knew. Some cats are stupid and ditzy

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& others are more wise and exhibit more human traits.

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The blank page ones or ones that aren’t as aware aren’t any less lovable but I loved Oedipus the most. He was my baby boy. I know he wasn’t a real child but he acted like one. I treated him more like one. That’s why his death has been so hard. He was the closest thing I will ever have to an actual child as children are not in the cards for me.

There will never be another one like him. One of his favorite things was dairy products. He loved all things dairy…cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream, milk (he especially loved it when you ate cereal so he could get a few laps of the leftover milk in your bowl), ice cream, etc. He loved it all.

I made this vanilla pudding and he could smell the dairy in it. He’d sit right beside you begging for some. Obviously he wanted nothing to do with the rhubarb sauce but he liked the pudding part.

Vanilla Pudding with Rhubarb Sauce

Rhubarb Sauce

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 1/2 cups rhubarb (if using frozen make sure it is thawed & drain out excess liquid)
  • lemon juice to taste

In a small saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil. Add the rhubarb. Cook and stir for 5-10 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice to taste.

Vanila Pudding

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp corn starch
  • 3 cups milk (I used 2%)
  • 3 beaten egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a medium heavy saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Add milk. Cook and gently stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Gradually stir 1 cup of the milk mixture into egg yolks.
Slowly whisk egg yolk mixture back into milk mixture in saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in butter & vanilla. Pour pudding into 4 individual serving bowls. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap. Chill in fridge for 1 hour or up to 24 hrs before serving.

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Top with rhubarb sauce if desired.

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Rhubarb Muffins

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It took me years to be able to eat breakfast in the morning. In junior high and high school I lived off of slimfasts for breakfast because I just couldn’t bring myself to eat food. I didn’t have an appetite until I had been up for a few hours. Slowly over the years I have trained myself to eat actual food. Not a lot, but enough to get me going and last until lunch. My guy however, is still unable to eat in the morning. He likes to wait. The only problem with this is that he waits and then has no food to eat because he is at work. Consequently he ends up waiting until lunch. This is simply unacceptable in my opinion.  When he told me he wasn’t eating I decided to make muffins. They are perfect for a grab-n-go breakfast. And what a great way to use up more of my rhubarb.

Rhubarb Muffins (makes 12)

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cups sugar (I did half granulated sugar & half brown sugar)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup chopped rhubarb
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients, mixing only until moist. Fold in rhubarb and walnuts. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

 

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Summer of Rhubarb: Rhubarb Torte

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It has been a long time since I have had time for anything let alone time to bake. This is my first creation on my first Baking Sunday in a long time. The reason I have been absent is because I was busy planning a wedding and European honeymoon. I love planning. I always say that if I weren’t a chemist that I would be an event planner.

Our wedding was small but that doesn’t mean I had any less work to do. The only thing I didn’t have to deal with was the processional and music that coincides with that as well as bridesmaids dresses or bridesmaid flowers since I didn’t have any of those (honestly bridesmaid flowers are super easy because you just make them similar to the bride’s bouquet but have less flowers or simpler flowers). My flowers I spent a lot of time designing. I had a florist do the final arrangement but I gave specific flowers with colors and just told her (Kim from Artemisia) to arrange them.

flowers

Everything else I had to plan and I even had to write an entire ceremony since we did not have a church wedding which is not very easy to do. In addition, finding a venue for a small wedding (50 or less) is very difficult. All venues hold 100-300 so finding one with charm is not an easy task.

We ended up finding W.A. Frost which turned out to be absolutely amazing. It’s a small restaurant in historic St. Paul full of charm & beauty.

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It is gorgeous inside and no decorations were needed.

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The two rooms we rented held 57 max so it was perfect. We went there for lunch before we picked it and I tried the bouillabaisse and my guy got a cheeseburger. We figured that if they could cook a high-end dish and a simple cheeseburger that no matter what we ordered for the reception would be fantastic. We weren’t disappointed. Everything was delicious. For the night of we went with a walleye dish, a pork dish, as well as a bistro steak. I had the steak the night of and it was incredible. For our cake we went with tiramisu for our top layer and strawberry lemon for the bottom layer from Buttercream. Buttercream is expensive but it is worth it. They really are the best for wedding cakes in Minnesota.

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I should also mention that my photographer (Angela from Angela Divine Photography) was absolutely amazing and all my wedding photos are from her. I told her we only needed a few hours of coverage and she did better than I could have imagined. I knew I wanted her once I saw her portfolio as she did many small weddings, and with our wedding being under 50 it was a perfect match.

I could talk about all the other details of event planning but this post would go on forever. Needless to say it takes a lot of time to research options for every single item for a wedding and a European trip. There is a lot to consider but just take it one thing at a time while always thinking about the next 20 tasks coming up if that makes any sense. I guess that’s why I am good at planning. I’m great at multitasking & thinking about the future while enjoying & living in the present.

As of now, my rhubarb is growing like crazy. I will have plenty of things to make rhubarb-wise in the future so prepare yourself. Maybe I could actually remember to take a decent photograph of my baked goods before they all get eaten.

Rhubarb Torte

For the crust

  • 1 1/2 C flour
  • 7 T sugar
  • 1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into cubes

Heat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Cut in the butter as if you’re making a pie crust. Press the dough into a 9- by 13-inch pan.

For the custard

  •  2 eggs
  • 3/4 C granulated sugar
  • 3/4 C brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 C flour
  • 3/4 t baking soda
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 3 C fresh rhubarb (I used the red variety)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until combined. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking soda, & salt. Stir in the rhubarb. Let sit for 30 minutes. Pour the custard into the crust, and bake for 35–45 minutes, until the torte is set and slightly golden, not toasty brown. Store any leftovers, covered, at room temperature.

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Summer of Rhubarb: Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

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It’s that time of year again…Summer of Rhubarb time. There is a period of time where you could sit outside and literally watch your rhubarb grow. It happens that quickly. I actually made this last year but never got around to posting it. I was busy planning a wedding and a european honeymoon so I didn’t have much free time or ambition for anything else.

This cake seems ambitious but is really very easy. Every time I go to invert an upside-down cake I am fearful that it won’t come out. That it will remain stuck in the pan and I will have a crumbled cake mess. Every time, however, it slides out beautifully and I have a moment of pure satisfaction & baker’s bliss.

Upside-Down Rhubarb Cake

  • 3 tbsp butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 cup fresh or frozen* rhubarb, diced (I used 1 3/4 cup red rhubarb and 3/4 cup green rhubarb)
  • 1.5 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 6 tbsp butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup milk

*Note that if you are using frozen rhubarb thaw completely first and drain off excess liquid.

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9in round cake pan with butter. Line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper with butter.

In a small bowl combine the melted butter and brown sugar. Spread over the greased parchment paper. Place rhubarb over sugar mixture. Sprinkles granulated sugar over rhubarb.

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In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined. Add the milk. Mix until combined.

In a medium bowl beat egg whites and tartar until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter gently. Pour over rhubarb.

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Bake for 55 minutes or until top is golden and lightly springs back when touched or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

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Invert the cake.

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Be proud. Be happy. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

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