Summer of Rhubarb: Pound Cake with Rhubarb Sauce

by almost_rosey // 16Jun2015 // No Comments

In for a penny, in for a pound.

A phrase I am not too familiar with. I am not that type of a person. I don’t have an all or nothing mentality. I am fine with moderation. I am content with not taking high-stakes risks. Although sometimes you do have to take them. There are moments when the world presents you with opportunities which are all or nothing.

That’s what happened to me 2 years ago. I went ice fishing up north with my guy and said that I wanted to move there. He agreed. We wanted to leave the cities, the constant rushing around, the rat-race as they say. I jokingly began looking for jobs and realized that there were opportunities for me as a chemist in this small town in Almost Canada.

Then I got the job offer. Now things were real. It wasn’t just a dream or fantasy any longer. My guy and I had to make a choice. Do we do it? Get up and move? Change everything? Risk losing everything?

For me the risks were not that great. I had a job offer. I could easily pack up and move. My guy, however, had a house and job in the cities. He had to be willing to lose everything. We both knew that it was now or never and decided to go for it. It was time to hit the reset button.

This was easier for me. I accepted the job. I took a pay cut. I cashed out my 401K. I bought a house. I started over. My guy had a lot to lose. He did end up losing his job. And now the prospect of losing his house and credit is very real.

That was a risk he was willing to take. A risk that is becoming reality. Everything that he spent his whole life working for is disappearing.

We both went all in…In for a penny, in for a pound. I cannot thank him enough. I appreciate everything he has done. The reset button for me was fairly quick and painless. For him it has been a slow process and is still on-going. He was willing to lose everything to slow things down and move to Almost Canada with me. To actually enjoy more of life. I know when it is all said and done, by losing all these things we both are gaining so much more.

Pound Cake

1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light & fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). Mix in the eggs one at a time scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder all at once. Mix until combined. Add the whipping cream and mix until just incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Pour into a buttered & lightly floured loaf pan. Place in a cold oven. Set the oven to 325F and bake for 80 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Rhubarb Sauce

3 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp corn starch
ginger and/or cinnamon

Place the fruit (I used frozen) and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir together the sugar & corn starch. Stir the mixture into the fruit. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in ginger and/or cinnamon if desired (I did a few dashes of both).

Note that this recipe makes a lot of sauce. Use as a topping for ice cream or in other baked goods such as Oatmeal Rhubarb Bars which is what I did with mine.

Whipped Cream

2 tbsp sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Place bowl and metal whisk in freezer for 10-15 minutes. Place sugar, cream, and vanilla in bowl. Whisk until mixture forms stiff peaks. Use immediately or place in the fridge.

Summer of Rhubarb: Rhubarb-Raspberry Pie

by almost_rosey // 25May2015 // No Comments

Memorial Weekend is the kick-off to summer. Fishing, gardening, barbecues, and fruit pies. In Minnesota, rhubarb pies are very common and for me, summer is also about rhubarb. It was a no-brainer that for my Baking Sunday this memorial weekend I decided to make a Rhubarb-Raspberry Pie using some frozen rhubarb that I had from last summer.

What a great way to kick-off the Summer of Rhubarb.

Rhubarb-Raspberry Pie

For the crust… (use store-bought or your favorite recipe. This is my quick go-to cause I always have these ingredients in my pantry)
- 1 1/4 cups all-pupose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup shortening
- cold water
For the filling…
- 4 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb
- 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup flour
For the crumb topping…
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tbsp cold butter

Crust: Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is in pea-size chunks. Add cold water a tablespoon at a time, pushing the moistened dough to the sides. Add enough water until the dough is moist enough to hold a ball shape. Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the dough to be 1/8 in thick. Line a 9in pie plate with pastry. Crimp edge as desired.

Filling: Stir together the sugar, flour, & cinnamon. Add the fruit. Gently toss until coated (if using frozen fruit let stand for 45 minutes until the fruit is partially thawed but still icy).

Crumb topping: Stir together the flour & sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Assembly: Pour the prepared filling into the pastry lined pie plate. Top with crumb topping. Line edge of pie plate with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake in a 375F oven for 25 minutes (50 minutes if using frozen fruit). Remove foil and bake for another 30-40 minutes until crust & topping are golden and filling is bubbly). Let cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hrs (this will prevent your pie from running all over the place). Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Summer of Rhubarb: Oatmeal Rhubarb Bars

by almost_rosey // 13Aug2014 // 2 Comments

Seeing as how I had leftover Rhubarb Sauce from my Mustard Sage Pork Roast, I knew another dessert was in order. Since I had made coffee cake & a crisp, I decided I would more or less combine the two recipes & make oatmeal bars. These are great! They can be eaten plain or with ice cream. Also, they can be made with whatever filling you desire. Any fruit will do. Use the same amount of sugar for raspberries, but if using peaches, blueberries, or strawberries only use 1/4 cup sugar.

Oatmeal Rhubarb Bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
few dashes cinnamon
dash or two nutmeg
dash all-spice
dash cloves
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
approx. 2 cups rhubarb sauce (2 cups rhubarb & 1/4 cup water brought to a boil & simmered for 5 minutes. Add 1/3 cup sugar & two tbsp. corn starch & cook for 2 more minutes)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine all the ingredients except the butter & rhubarb sauce in to a medium sized bowl & stir to combine. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture. Press the rest into a 9x9x2in baking pan. Top with rhubarb sauce & sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

Summer of Rhubarb: Mustard & Sage Pork Roast with Rhubarb Sauce

by almost_rosey // 13Aug2014 // 1 Comment

When deciding on how to use my summer supply of rhubarb I knew I wanted to make a sauce. Perhaps for a cheesecake or perhaps for a meat. I decided that it would go nicely with a pork roast. I love pork roasts. They are so easy & so delicious. This one is a mustard-sage roast as I had fresh sage from my garden. Serve it with sweet potatoes & a salad or some other vegetable of your choice. It’s sort of a fall inspired dish but it will be wonderful no matter when you have it.

Mustard & Sage Pork Roast with Rhubarb Sauce

3-4tbsp whole grain mustard
1/2 tsp minced garlic
dash of salt & pepper
1 tbsp fresh sage (hopefully from your garden), chopped. You can sub 1 tsp dried sage if needed.
1.5-2 lb pork roast
2 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb (If frozen let thaw but do not drain off liquid. Also if your rhubarb is on the greener side, add a handful of raspberries for extra color).
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp corn starch

Preheat the oven to 375F. Mix the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Coat the roast entirely and place in a shallow baking dish. Roast for 60 minutes & let stand for 10 minutes (covered) before slicing.
Place the rhubarb in a small pot with the water. Bring to a boil & then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes. Stir the sugar & corn starch together. Add to the rhubarb. Cook for another 2 minutes until thick & bubbly.
Serve the sauce* with the roast

*This sauce is almost more of a glaze. I wanted it thick because I knew I would use it for other recipes & this makes too much sauce for just a roast. If you prefer it thinner, use only 1-2 tsp corn starch. Use the leftovers in oatmeal for breakfast, as an ice cream topping, or make a dessert out of it. I made Oatmeal Rhubarb Bars

Summer of Rhubarb: Rhubarb-Raspberry Crisp

by almost_rosey // 13Jul2014 // No Comments

Cobbler, crumble, or crisp? What is the difference? I am still not clear. Depending on who you ask you get different answers. Everyone agrees that a cobbler has a biscuit type topping. A batter dropped in small spoonfuls giving the appearance of a cobbled road. When it comes to crisps & crumbles the answer is not so easy. Some say it depends on whether you live in the US or in Britain. Some say it has to do with whether or not the topping has oats in it. However, people do not agree on which baked good contains the oats. Some say the crumble has the oats while others say the crisps contain the oats. For my purposes, a crisp has a topping of flour, butter, nuts & oats. The oats crisp up while baking, hence the crisp. That is how I learned it so that’s how it shall be for me.

With that in mind, I decided to continue my summer of rhubarb with a crisp. They are so simple & quick. Plus, I had vanilla ice cream in the freezer I wanted to eat up so I thought it was a perfect combination.

Rhubarb-Raspberry Crisp

3 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-pupose flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash or two of nutmeg
1/4 cup cold butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375F. Thaw fruit if frozen but do not drain. Place fruit in a 2 qt baking dish. Stir in the granulated sugar.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, & spices. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the nuts. Sprinkle topping over fruit.
Bake for 30-35 minutes (40 minutes for thawed fruit) or until fruit is tender & topping is golden. Serve warm with ice cream.

Summer of Rhubarb: Rhubarb-Strawberry Coffee Cake

by almost_rosey // 29Jun2014 // No Comments

Here in Minnesota, and many other places as well, summer means rhubarb. Everything rhubarb. I grew up eating the beloved strawberry-rhubarb pie which my grandmother would make every summer using fresh rhubarb from her garden. As I grew older, I realized how amazing & versatile rhubarb can be.

I love all things rhubarb. Pies, crisps & crumbles, tarts, sauces for dessert or for savory dishes. There are so many options for how to use it. When a co-worker asked me if I wanted any rhubarb I jumped at getting as much as I could until I start growing it. She gave me 14 cups which I separated into various quantities & stored in the freezer so I could just pull it out & cook with it when I wanted.

I began my summer of rhubarb on Sunday with a coffee cake from my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Coffee Cake:

3/4 cup fresh or frozen rhubarb cut into 1in pieces
3/4 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk (alternatively use 1 tbsp lemon juice & fill with milk to 8oz & let stand 5 minutes)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter

For filling, in a medium saucepan combine fruit & water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat & simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes or until fruit is tender. Combine the 1/4 cup sugar & corn starch. Stir into the fruit. Cook & stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened & bubbly.
In a medium bowl combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder & baking soda. Cut in the 1/4 cup butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center.
In another bowl combine the egg, buttermilk, & vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture & stir until just moistened. Batter will be lumpy.
Spread half the batter into an ungreased 8x8x2in baking pan. Spread filling over batter. Drop remaining batter in small mounds onto filling.
In a small bowl stir together the 1/4 flour & 1/4 sugar. Cut in the 2 tbsp butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the coffee cake. Bake in a 350F oven for 40-45minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

Feeling Almost Rosey

Put Those Glasses On

Rhubarb