Classic Rhubarb Crisp with Buttery Crumble Topping

 

Warm weather is the perfect time for cool and refreshing desserts and if you enjoy rhubarb as much as I do, here is an easy and delicious dessert to put together.  I usually like to try at least one new rhubarb recipe when my rhubarb is ready for picking.  Seeing an instagram friend's @2020kcmd post was the initial inspiration for making rhubarb crisp. If you have a friend or neighbor that asks if you want some rhubarb, take it and make this! 

The rhubarb crisp recipe I chose was originally shared by a dear friend who sadly passed away not long ago, Barbara from Moveable Feasts.  She loved rhubarb as I do and shared many great recipes, including this one, which comes from Mark Bittman.  The crumble topping, however, comes from my blogging friend and fellow garden lover of over 20 years, Monique at La Table de Nana.  She shared an apple crisp with crumble topping from this French site.  It is a delicious, buttery, crunchy topping that holds up beautifully to the moisture in the rhubarb.  

This is a lightly sweetened, pure rhubarb dessert with orange or lemon zest and juice added for a bit of citrus brightness. The sweet crumble topping adds the rest of the sweetness to the dessert.   

A large scoop or two of vanilla ice cream gives the whole dish a creaminess that is irresistible!  Enjoy! 

Classic Rhubarb Crisp

Printable Recipe

Serves 6 to 8

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing pan
2-1/2 to 3 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 5 to 6 cups)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice

Topping:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, cut into cubes

In a bowl, mix all of the topping ingredients with a fork until well combined and refrigerate for while making the rhubarb filling.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. degrees. Butter a 8 or 9 inch baking dish (I used a 11 x 7 inch glass baking dish). Toss rhubarb with white sugar, orange or lemon zest and just pour out into the baking dish, leveling it as best as possible.

Sprinkle crumble topping over rhubarb as evenly as possible. You may have extra, which can be refrigerated for a future crumble topping dessert.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until top is golden and beginning to brown and rhubarb is bubbling. Remove from oven and allow to cool. This is best eaten while slightly warm but may be made in the morning and refrigerated. Take out of refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving or warm slightly in a 350 for about 20 minutes.

Serve with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.

Rhubarb Butter - An Easy Way to Preserve Your Rhubarb

Not too sweet, not too sour, this rhubarb butter is something that you would love on your toast or pancakes in the morning or on a scone with tea in the afternoon.

The weather has been on everyone's mind lately!  Our spring has been rainy and mostly chilly with an occasional seasonal day thrown in to keep us hoping.  My rhubarb plant, on the other hand, is very happy with the chilly weather and is keeping me supplied with plentiful stalks.  I don't always want to make a cake, pie or other sweet dessert every week to use my rhubarb and was delighted when I found this delicious and easy recipe for Rhubarb Butter in our local newspaper.

The scones above I saw in a Instagram post on my friend's Monique's feed.  She found the recipe here and it originally came from here.  The dough is folded over and over to create those lovely, flaky layers you see.  Sooooo good!  And, ever better with a dollop of rhubarb butter.  I'm sharing the recipe I converted below to make it a little easier for my American followers to make.

Other than growing prolific rhubarb, here are a few snippets of what has been keeping me busy the past few weeks.  The Mid June Garden!

Rhubarb Butter

Printable Recipe

Makes 1 pint

1 pound rhubarb stalks, cut into pieces
1 large apple, chopped and cored
½ cup sugar
pinch salt
½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped (I used 1/2 teaspoon cardamom)

In a food processor, blend rhubarb, apple, sugar and salt until as smooth as possible.

In a heavy, not aluminum, saucepan, heat fruit over medium-low heat until simmering. Add scraped vanilla bean seeds and the pod (or cardamom). Stir frequently and cook until thick and spreadable, about 20 minutes.

Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a week or freeze indefinitely.

Adapted from this recipe.

Flaky Scones

Printable Recipe

3-1/3 cup all purpose unbleached white flour
2 scant Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
11 Tablespoons (1 stick, plus 3 Tablespoons) butter, frozen until firm
1-1/8 cup buttermilk
Finely grated zest of one lemon
1 egg, beaten, for glazing

A very sharp knife is necessary to as not to depress the dough when cutting into triangles for baking.  Otherwise, they will not rise properly.

Preheat oven to 400 ° F.

In a small bowl, mix together buttermilk and lemon zest. Refrigerate until needed.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Remove the butter from the freezer and, using a box grater, grate the butter quickly and coarsely onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Refreeze briefly, if it has become soft again, then add the butter to the flour mixture and blend the butter into the flour with a fork or pastry cutter. 

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour/butter mixture and mix together until the ingredients are just barely blended together. Do not over-mix.

Flour a work surface and turn out the dough. Using your hands, gently flatten it to form a rectangle.

With a rolling pin, roll out dough to half an inch thick, keeping the rectangular shape. Fold dough in half and rotate 90 degrees and repeat these last two steps twice again.

Roll the dough one last time to obtain a rectangle of 18 "x 9".

Taking the shorter ends, make an 'envelope fold', folding one short end to the center and then the other short end over that fold (into thirds). You now have a 6 "x 9" rectangle.

Using a VERY sharp knife or dough cutter, cut a thin layer of dough on each side of your rectangle. This step will make those nice layers during cooking.

Cut 6 square 3" x 3" scones...then cut each square in half on the diagonal to form triangles.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper spaced three inches apart.  Brush lightly with egg wash.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown.

Adapted from this recipe.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Coffee Cake

Do you love rhubarb as much as I do?  Growing up in Wisconsin, it was a rite of spring for my mother to bake rhubarb pie or serve fresh rhubarb sauce.  My father used to call rhubarb the "Pie Plant".  Rhubarb thrives during the cool first months of spring and is one of the first food crops to be harvested. Our May has been unusually cool and wet so it is very happy this year!  Once summer begins, it's usually time to stop harvesting rhubarb to allow it to save it's strength for next year's growing season.  

Did you know that rhubarb is actually a vegetable?  

Each year, I like to try at least two new rhubarb recipes.  This year, the first recipe on my 'list' was this rhubarb-strawberry coffee cake. While it was a little more cake-like because of the pan I baked it in, you could use a wider pan to have less cake-to-filling ratio in each serving.  Go ahead and have a bite!

Or two!  It's delicious and just the kind of cake I love with a streusel topping and no frosting.  

I've mentioned how our weather here has been chilly and rainy this month and my The Lilies of the Valley were battered from the storms, wind and rain, but they still smell divine!  Just like the leaves of the rhubarb plant, they are also poisonous so don't let little ones put them in their mouth.

In spite of our weather, it's been a fun-filled May! I had a wonderful Mother's Day at daughter's home and, over Memorial Day, we were able to attend a Brewers baseball game with one of our grandsons and our daughter ♥  3 Home runs and a win for the Brewers last Sunday! A great game to see.

And, on a recent trip downtown, I spied these adorable swan paddleboats sitting empty in the lagoon near Lake Michigan.  Soon, it will be June and hopefully, sunny and warm again, so this sweet flock will be paddling all around making people smile.    

Here's to June and warmer weather!! 

Rhubarb-Strawberry Coffee Cake

Makes 8 Servings

Printable Recipe

Filling (cook and cool before proceeding with cake):

1/3 cup sugar 

1/8 cup + 1 Tablespoon cornstarch 

1 cup chopped fresh rhubarb 

1 cup chopped fresh strawberries  

Cake:

1-1/2 cups flour 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 cup (1 sticks) cold butter 

1 eggs 

1/2 cup buttermilk 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

Topping:

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1/4 cup all-purpose flour 

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1-1/2 tablespoons cold butter

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 or 9 non-stick springform pan. You may also use an 8 or 9-inch square Pyrex baking dish. If you are using an aluminum pan that doesn't have a non-stick coating, line the pan with parchment paper or the rhubarb will turn gray. 

In saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch. Stir in rhubarb and strawberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. In another bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir quickly into flour mixture until just combined. Don't over-mix. Spoon about 2/3 of cake batter into prepared pan. Top with fruit mixture. Cover with remaining batter. 

Mix together topping ingredients and blend with a fork or your fingers until crumbling.  Sprinkle over top of batter. 

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes (depending on your oven and the depth of your pan), or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean and cake top is golden brown. 

Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove cake from pan and cook completely.

Dairy Royal Rhubarb Cake

Where, oh where did June go?  One week left and I can hardly believe it.  It's been a hectic, somewhat stressful time here at Savoring Time but not in an awful way...unless you count jury duty as awful :-)  Yes, I was summoned to appear at the Milwaukee County Courthouse for jury duty last week on the first nice day we had in almost a week.  Each time a list of 30 names was called for a jury panel, I held my breath.  Eventually, I made it through the long day without being called and had fulfilled my obligation.  But, not without coming down with the most awful chest cold I've had in several years.  Down.For.The.Count sick for several days and am still not quite 100% but getting there.  

If you ever get summoned for jury duty, please be sure to have a movie or two downloaded on your device, if you have one.  Or, at least bring a book or two to read.  The day can be very long and boring if you aren't called for a panel.  

In addition, my husband and I bought a very small investment home at the beginning of June.  This means I am the paint color, flooring, cabinets, countertops, appliances, light fixtures, and (just about everything else we need to purchase for the house) researcher and selector!

That is why this recipe has been in draft mode since June 3!  

Although it may not be the prettiest rhubarb cake, it makes up for it's humble appearance many times over in the taste department! It has a very moist crumb due to the sour cream used in the batter.  Topped with a plain cinnamon sugar, I made quick work of several pieces during and after taking these photos  :)

This recipe was given to me by my niece, who got it from a fellow teacher who shared it in the teacher's lunch room.  

Did you know that the earliest recorded rhubarb cultivation was in 2700 BC China?  It was originally use for medicinal purposes only (a purgative).  The word spread through Marco Polo and the first European cultivation was in Italy in the early 1600s and then about 30 years later in England, where it was also first used medicinally.  In the late 1700s there was the first recorded instance of rhubarb used as a food in Europe, mainly as a filling for pies and tarts.  Around 1800, the first American rhubarb was cultivated by a gardener in Maine who obtained root stock from Europe.  He introduced it to other growers in Maine.  Rhubarb spread quickly throughout the Northeast and Midwest as sugar became increasingly available.  

In the last 3 weeks, things have come and gone in the garden...although I am still able to pick rhubarb :)

The containers are finally starting to fill out.  Yellow, Purple, and Blue are definitely the colors of summer here.  

Enjoy!

Dairy Royal Rhubarb Cake

Printable Recipe

Note: I reduced the original recipe by about one-third and used a 9 x 9 inch pan. My amounts are in parentheses. If you make the full recipe, please use a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. 

2 1/3 (1-1/2) cups flour 
1 (1/2 + 1/4) teaspoon salt 
1 (1/2 + 1/4) teaspoon baking soda 
1-1/2 (1) cup brown sugar 
1/4 cup (2-1/2 tablespoons) butter, softened 
1 (2/3) cup sour cream 
1 (2 tablespoons + 1-1/2 teaspoons) egg... (take one small egg and break it into a cup, whisk and then measure)
1 (1/2 + 1/4) teaspoon vanilla 
4 (2-2/3) cup. fresh rhubarb cut in 1/4 inch slices 
3/4 (1/2) cup sugar 
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I used cinnamon) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In large mixing bowl, sift flour, salt and soda. Add brown sugar, butter, sour cream, egg and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Fold in rhubarb. Pour into 9 x 13 (9 x 9) greased cake pan (I use Bakers Joy).

Combine sugar and nutmeg (or cinnamon) and sprinkle over top of cake batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cool and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Tart with Sweet Walnut Crust

Many of you may have seen all of the new privacy policies flooding into your inbox lately regarding the new European Union guidelines.  If you are a visitor from a European Union country, please see my updated Privacy Policy at the top of the page under my title and photo header.  My privacy policy is meant to comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulations called GDPR.  If you disagree with the guidelines you may always opt out of receiving my subscription emails by using the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the my 'new post' emails at any time in the future.  I deeply value my subscribers and viewers and want you to have a pleasant experience when you visit.  

I have also finally converted my blog to https which is more secure.  It took a long while to figure out where the hidden http links were in my template and remove them, but I think I have it finally figured out and uploading is much faster now.  

Now that I have that piece of business out of the way, let's talk about this delicious strawberry-rhubarb tart, and the amazing sweet walnut pastry crust!

This beautiful spring-time tart was almost a disaster as the original recipe only called for 2 tablespoons of potato or cornstarch to bind it together (it didn't happen), but a little tweaking with the addition of unflavored gelatin, it turned into a tart that held together beautifully and tasted wonderful!

The best way to serve this tart is with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream.  You can find my post on how to make your own homemade crème fraîche (which is a lot cheaper than store bought!) by clicking here.

The sweet walnut crust alone is worth trying, even if you don't care for rhubarb desserts.  I can imagine so many delicious fillings in this pastry!  Chocolate would be my first choice :)  I think I foresee a post on that coming up!

It was an unusually hot Memorial Day weekend for the Midwest...90's farenheit with even hotter 'feels like' factor!  I seems like we went from winter, to monsoon season and then to mid summer in the month of May! Many of my early spring irises and Lily of the Valley flowers were roasted during the heat and sadly didn't last too long.  How has your weather been?

Strawberry-Rhubarb Tart in a Sweet Walnut Crust

Printable Recipe

Makes one 9-1/2 to 10-inch tart

Sweet Walnut Pastry (recipe below)

¾ cup sugar
Juice and grated zest of 1 large or 2 small oranges (4 tablespoons zest)
1 pound fresh rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
2 tablespoons potato starch (I used corn starch)
2 pints red ripe, strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 packages unflavored gelatin, sprinkled over 1/3 cup cranberry or apple juice (or water)
½ cup strawberry preserves, heated until barely runny and strained
Crème fraîche or sour cream for garnish

For the walnut crust:

2 oz. (1/2 cup) finely chopped walnuts (food processor), toasted
6 oz. (12 Tbs.) butter, slightly softened
2 oz. (1/2 cup) confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg
7-3/4 oz. (1-3/4 cups) flour

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg; mix to combine. Lower the speed to slow and add the flour, mixing until barely combined. Add the walnuts and continue mixing, scraping the sides of the bowl, until the dough comes together. Divide the dough. Wrap the half you’ll be using in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Wrap the other half well in plastic and then in foil and freeze for future use.

Lightly oil a 9-1/2-inch tart pan or use a non-stick tart pan.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a round about 1/8 inch thick. Arrange it in the tart pan, trimming to fit. Line the crust with foil or kitchen parchment and weight with beans, pie weights or a smaller oven-safe pan that will fit inside.

Bake until the edge is light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove the beans and foil and bake until the bottom is dry and light brown, about another 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

To Make the Filling:

Bring sugar, orange juice and zest to a boil in medium, heavy-bottomed non-reactive pot. Add rhubarb and return to a boil, shaking occasionally so rhubarb cooks evenly, but without stirring, which will break it up. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, or until rhubarb is soft. Add butter and shake to combine.

Whisk together liqueur and potato starch until smooth and stir into boiling liquid. Cook until mixture is clear and thickened, about 2 minutes. Fold in half the strawberries, remove pan from heat.

In a glass measuring cup, add 1/3 cup fruit juice or water. Sprinkle the 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin over the top of the liquid and allow to sit for 1 minutes. Then microwave the gelatin mixture on high for about 30-40 seconds, stirring once. Then pour the hot gelatin over the hot fruit mixture and carefully fold the gelatin mixture and fruit mixture together until well combined. Allow to cool slightly.

Spoon filling into crust and top with remaining strawberries. Brush strawberries with preserves to make a shiny glaze and chill tart until set, about 2 hours. If you have leftover filling, you can put it in a small dish and refrigerate and enjoy on its own.

Serve topped with crème fraîche or sour cream.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Pie with Almonds

Hello! How's your summer going?  My little rhubarb patch has been going strong since spring (probably due to all the cool, rainy days we've had) and I may be able to get a few more stalks before I need to give it a rest for the remainder of the summer so it comes back next spring in good health.  A good rule of thumb is that when the stalks start getting thin you should stop picking.

I adapted this recipe from my ages-old Betty Crocker cookbook.  It's the very first cookbook I owned and was given to me by my late sister ♥  I added some strawberries and decided to sprinkle the top of the pie with sliced almonds and a little Swedish Pearl Sugar before baking - a delicious combination!  I love the added crunch the almonds give to the pie.

Sadly, rhubarb season and my peas may be ending but Clematis season in my garden is at its peak. Tomatoes and zucchini will be arriving soon, if it ever stops raining. Has anyone else been getting tons of rain this summer? We had almost 2" or rain last night into this morning!

Rhubarb-Strawberry Pie with Almonds

Printable Recipe
Makes one 9" pie (amounts for 8" pie in parentheses)

Rhubarb-Strawberry Filling

1-1/3 (1) cups sugar
1/3 (1/4) cup all-purpose flour
4 (3) cups diced fresh rhubarb
1 (1/2) cups diced fresh strawberries
1-1/2 (1) tablespoons butter

3 (2) tablespoons sliced almonds, for garnish
Swedish Pearl Sugar or regular baking sugar, for garnish

2 crust pastry (recipe follows) or you may use store-bought refrigerated pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425F

Place rhubarb in a large bowl. Mix sugar and flour together and add to rhubarb in bowl. Toss together with rhubarb.

Pour rhubarb mixture into a pastry-lined pie plate and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and make slits in dough. Flute crust edge with your fingers or score with a fork to seal. Sprinkle top with almonds and sugar.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until crust is nicely browned and juice begins to bubble through slits. Cover edge of pastry with strips of aluminum or use a silicone pie crust shield during the last 20 minutes to prevent burning.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pastry for a 9" Two Crust Pie (8" pie amounts in parentheses)

2 cups (1-1/2) cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (3/4) teaspoon salt
2/3 (1/2) cups shortening (such as Crisco)
1/4 (3 tablespoons) cold water, more or less

Measure flour by dip and level method and place in large bowl. Add salt and blend. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the consistency is like small peas.

Sprinkle flour mixture with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix with a fork until all flour is moistened. Bring dough together with your hands and press into a ball. Cut into two pieces and form into discs.

On a lightly floured surface roll out dough, one piece at a time, covering unrolled piece with plastic wrap until ready to roll out. Roll pastry about 1-inch larger than the pie plate's largest diameter, about 1/8-inch thick. Fold pastry in half and transfer to pie plate. Unfold and press into place. Fill and cover pie with second piece of rolled dough and follow directions above finishing and baking.

Adapted from "Rhubarb Pie' in my vintage Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Oat Squares

Here is another delicious rhubarb recipe for those of you lucky enough to obtain fresh or frozen rhubarb! It's still rhubarb season here and, if you haven't already noticed, I love rhubarb.

I adapted this recipe from several different oat bar recipes, using what I thought were the best parts of each. Mine has a delicious, crumbly oat crust and topping and is filled with a thickened rhubarb and strawberry compote.  Chopped almonds are added to the oat mixture to give the oats a delightful crunch.

The oat 'crust' and topping are so tasty and you could any filling you prefer such as blueberries, just strawberries, raspberries - or even a jar of preserves or canned pie filling. 

Best of course the day they are made, but I kept them in the refrigerator overnight and they were still delicious the second and even third day after allowing them to come to room temperature.

These squares would be perfect to bring to a picnic or summer pot luck buffet!  They can be eaten with your fingers so no need for a fork.

Can you believe it's officially summer next week? I can't believe the first two week of June are almost over.  Whoa!

Rhubarb-Strawberry Oat Bars

Printable Recipe

Makes 16

For Rhubarb-Strawberry Filling:

1-1/2 cups diced rhubarb (you may use frozen rhubarb in this recipe)

3/4 cup diced strawberries
3/4 brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

5 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water to make a slurry

For Oat Crust and Topping Mixture:

3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces (diced)

Tip: To finely 'chop' almonds, place them in a plastic zipper bag and crush them with a large, flat object such as a meat mallet. 

Line an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.  Cut 2, 8 x 16 inch pieces of parchment paper and press to fit pan, leaving an overhang on both sides to use and handles for lifting (or you may use a non-stick spray). 

To make the Rhubarb-Strawberry Filling:

Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, water and lemon juice in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until rhubarb is tender. Add the cornstarch/water mixture to the rhubarb-strawberry mixture and cook while stirring for about 2 more minutes or until nicely thickened.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F

Combine the oats, flour, sugars, chopped almonds, salt and baking soda in a large bowl and stir to combine.  Add the diced butter and mix into the oats mixture with your fingers until entire mixture is crumbly and well blended. 

Press half of the oat mixture into prepared pan.  Top with rhubarb-strawberry mixture.  Sprinkle the rest of the oat mixture over the top and press down lightly.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely and remove from pan with parchment 'handles' and cut into squares (cut in half, then in half again on each side). Or ,cut squares in pan and remove individually. 
 

Adapted from Taste of Home and America's Test Kitchen

Strawberry-Rhubarb Puff Pastry Braid

If you love the combination of strawberries and rhubarb, I have a treat for you. The almond frangipane on the inside and sliced almonds on top make this a triple-delicious dessert any time of day. Easier than pie since you don't have to make a crust when you use store-bought puff pastry dough.

The puff pastry dough is braided over the top of the filling, although it's difficult to see with the almonds and confectioners sugar sprinkled on top. Here is a very good tutorial on how to braid puff pastry: 

Don't worry if you aren't a perfect 'braider', the almonds and powdered sugar can hide any flaws :)

I loved this so much that I could honestly say it's one of my top 3 favorite rhubarb desserts! I had never made frangipane before but it was super easy using a food processor.  If you don't have time to make homemade frangipane you could also substitute almond paste, which is found in the baking aisle near the canned pie fillings.  I added a splash of Aperol to the rhubarb and strawberry filling, but any concentrated fruit juice or fruit liqueur would taste good.  I usually have Aperol on hand to make Aperol Spritz with Prosecco in the summer and rhubarb is actually one of the ingredients in Aperol!

Along with a lot of rain, May has brought many wonderful moments in the garden and with family! Planting is 99% finished and the weeds are still winning a million to one! 

Happy Memorial Day to all who are celebrating this weekend and heartfelt condolences to Manchester.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Puff Pastry Braid

Printable Recipe

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight

Filling Ingredients:

3/4 cup diced rhubarb
3/4 cup diced strawberries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Aperol, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec liqueur (any fruit-flavored alcohol will do)
1 egg used for egg wash
1 tablespoon sliced almonds for sprinkling on top
Confectioners sugar for garnish after pastry has cooled

Frangipane ingredients:

1 cup sliced almonds

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup AP flour

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350F.

To make frangipane:

In the work bowl of a food processor, add the flour, almonds and sugar and pulse to a course powder. Add the butter and pulse until just incorporated.  Add the eggs and almond extract and process until smooth, about 1 minute.  Pour mixture into a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make filling:

Combine the diced rhubarb and strawberries in a bowl with the sugar, cinnamon and liqueur of choice. Set aside.

To assemble:

On a well-floured surface, roll out the pastry to an approximately 15x9" rectangle. Gently transfer rolled pastry to a parchment or silicone mat-lined baking sheet.

Spoon the frangipane down the middle of the pastry, lengthwise. Spoon the fruit filling over the top of the frangipane, being careful not to 'over fill'.  

Make inch-wide, diagonal incisions on either side of the filling, stopping an inch short of the filling. Fold the cuts across the fruit on a slight angle, pulling gently to cover the filling, first folding one side over and then the other, creating a braid, pressing down gently.  See this tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd3PMaMt4j4

Using egg wash to seal ends, tucking them under then egg wash the entire pastry. Sprinkle top with almond slices.

Bake until pastry is golden brown, about 35-40 minutes, depending on your oven.  Start checking after 25 minutes and every 5 minutes thereafter. 

Cool completely and then dust with confectioner's sugar, if desired. 

Inspired by The Lemon Apron and David Tanis

Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

Doesn't it feel great to be outdoors again?  I call it my 3G season - Garden, Golf and Grandchildren!

The garden is bursting with early spring blooms (and many weeds which need pulling) but my biggest planting chores are yet to come.  The containers and bedding plants will hopefully be planted in the next week or so, weather permitting.

At a recent sleepover at our home, we taught our grandsons how to play Crazy Eights and they each had a turn 'driving' the garden tractor with their Papa. We love spending time with those boys ♥

I'm excited to bring you this delicious rhubarb muffin recipe for those of you who are rhubarb lovers out there, as I am!  A few years ago I planted my little rhubarb patch and have never regretted that decision. 

This Rhubarb Streusel Muffin recipe combines brown sugar in the batter and also a little mixed with butter and cinnamon for a tasty streusel topping.  I've made this recipe twice in the past two weeks as they have made a rhubarb convert out of my husband. 

Happy May and Happy Mother's Day!

Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

Printable Recipe

Makes about 24, depending on how full the muffin cups are filled. 

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Streusel Toppping:

1 tablespoon melted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Spray 12 cup muffin pans with non stick baking spray (with flour added - such as Bakers Joy) or line with paper liners.

In a 3 cup bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat the brown sugar, oil, egg, vanilla and buttermilk with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix by hand just until blended. Stir in the rhubarb and chopped pecans.

In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until blended together.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, filling almost to the top, and then sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon or so of the streusel mixture. 

Bake in the preheated oven until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before removing.

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Rhubarb-Cassis Sauce with Homemade Crème Fraîche

Ah, rhubarb! Although not quite as fleeting in the garden as peonies, it should be enjoyed as soon as it's ready to pick and enjoyed often. I grew up eating rhubarb sauce that my mother made from her garden rhubarb patch.  I don't know of any better way to turn a vegetable into dessert. That's right, rhubarb is actually a vegetable!

This rhubarb sauce recipe was inspired by Jacques Pepin's newest cookbook Heart and Soul in the Kitchen. I love Jacques Pepin and used to enjoy watching him cook together with Julia Child on their PBS television series "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home" in 1999-2000. Did you know, besides his culinary expertise, that he is also a wonderful artist?

Jacques' version of rhubarb sauce is made with honey and Creme de Cassis, which is a liqueur made from black currants.  I always have a bottle of Creme de Cassis in the refrigerator and love a half teaspoon or so in a glass of white wine or champagne in the summer (Kir and Kir Royale, respectively).  It's also delicious poured over vanilla ice cream or a dish of fruit. Great reasons to own a bottle of Creme de Cassis!

His recipe is served with a sweetened, sour cream and yogurt sauce but my version is served with my own, homemade crème fraîche. It's ridiculously easy and so, so good. It's slightly tart, but not as tart as sour cream, thick and creamy.  If you've ever shopped for crème fraîche in the store you'll know why it pays to make your own as it's quite expensive for a small container.

The past few weeks I've actually tried two different recipes for crème fraîche after seeing a few of my blogging friends recommend making your own, such as Madonna at Make Mine Lemon.  I had also done a little research and found another recipe from What's Cooking America that mentions using sour cream instead of buttermilk to thicken and activate the heavy cream used to make crème fraîche.  I liked the sour cream version slightly more the the buttermilk version and I seem to have sour cream in my home more often than buttermilk so I'm glad I tried it! 

The rhubarb sauce is delicious and I was surprised how wonderful it tasted with the homemade crème fraîche.  Try it!

In the garden, all my favorite clematis are blooming now! Betty Corning, Warsaw Nike, Perrin's Pride make a lovely corner on the fence. Ashva, Madame Julia Correvon, Piilu and Arabella are the beautiful ladies on the bottom.  Don't you love the names?

I hope you are enjoying the start of summer as much as I am! Bon appetit!

Rhubarb-Cassis Sauce

Printable Recipe

1 pound rhubarb stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup honey, or agave nectar
1/4 cup Creme de Cassis, or any sweet, fruity liqueur

Place all ingredients into a heavy saucepan and stir together over medium heat.Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, cover and reduce the heat to low.

Cook for approximately 10-12 minutes, or until the rhubarb has softened. Allow to cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

To serve, place about 1 cup of rhubarb sauce in a pretty glass serving dish and top with a generous spoonful of homemade crème fraîche. Garnish with berries or mint.

Note: I had a few fresh raspberries in the refrigerator so I added them to the chilled sauce.

Adapted from Heart and Soul in the Kitchen by Jacques Pepin

Homemade Crème Fraîche

Printable Recipe

Please note that you will have to start the crème fraîche at least 30 hours before you need to use it. It needs 24 hours to thicken to the right consistency plus 6 hours of chilling time.

8 ounces/1 cup heavy (whipping) cream (Do not use ultra pasteurized)
4 ounces/1/2 cup regular sour cream, at room temperature, or, 1 tablespoon Buttermilk
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar (optional). (Use if you prefer a slightly sweeter version for dessert use, omit for a more savory version)

Place all ingredients into a glass jar with lid and shake thoroughly to blend. Remove the lid and cover the jar with a small cloth or piece of paper toweling secured with a rubber band or twine.

Leave on the kitchen counter at room temperature for 24 hours, stirring once or twice.

After the mixture has thickened sufficiently (it will thicken faster in a warm room), stir, cover tightly and refrigerate for another 6 hours before using.

Adapted from What's Cooking America

Raspberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars

The garden is growing and supplying me with plentiful rhubarb. I thank the English settlers who brought rhubarb to the United States in the 1820s! How swiftly it spread in popularity across our country where it thrived.

Each year, I try to find at least 2-3 new rhubarb recipes to try.  Some are absolute winners and some...not so much.  This one is an absolute winner!  Sliced rhubarb is mixed with raspberries rather than the traditional strawberries.  I loved the combination. 

A nutty, shortbread base and a creamy, cheesecake-like topping make this recipe easy to make a day ahead.  We had friends for dinner this weekend and this was the dessert I offered. Thumbs up all around the table!  Although this doesn't need anything else to make it delicious, we added a scoop of lemon-flavored ice cream and a few extra raspberries.  Hello, sunshine! 

In the garden, the peonies are blooming.  Much like Lilies of the Valley, peonies have a fragrance that is incomparable.

Raspberry-Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars

Adapted from Southern Living, May 2015

Printable Recipe

Note: I adapted this recipe for an 8 x 8 pan - half of the original recipe.  My measurements are in parentheses.

CRUST

2 cups (1 C) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1/4 C) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon (1/4 tsp) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (1/8 tsp) table salt
3/4 cup cold butter (6 tablespoons), cubed
3/4 cup (1/4 + 1/8 cup) toasted slivered almonds, coarsely chopped
Parchment paper and cooking spray to prepare the baking pan

RHUBARB-RASPBERRY FILLING

3/4 cup (1/4 + 1/8 cup) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1/8 C) cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon (1/8 tsp) table salt
1 pound rhubarb or 1-lb package frozen rhubarb, thawed, (1/2 lb or about 2 cups fresh) cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 6-ounce (1 6-oz) containers fresh raspberries
1 teaspoon (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract

CREAM CHEESE BATTER

2 8-ounce (1 8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (1/4 + 1/8 C) granulated sugar
2 (1) large eggs
1 teaspoon (1/2 tsp) lemon zest
1 tablespoon (1 tsp + 1/2 tsp) fresh lemon juice

Optional garnishes:  Powdered sugar, fresh raspberries or lemon ice cream

To prepare the crust: Preheat oven to 350°.  Toast the almonds in a small frying pan over medium heat, stirring every few minutes, until golden. Coarsely chop the almonds and set aside. Spray an 13 x 9 (8 x 8 for half recipe) inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray.  Cut a piece of parchment paper the size of the bottom of the pan by outlining it on a piece of parchment and cut to fit. Place the parchment in the bottom of the pay and spray the parchment with baking spray. Stir together flour, powdered sugar and baking soda in a large bowl.  Cut the cubed butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in the toasted almonds. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack until ready to use.

To prepare the filling: Stir together the granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large heavy saucepan.  Stir in rhubarb and 1 (1/2) container raspberries. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and remaining raspberries.

To prepare the cream cheese batter: Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat just until blended after each addition. Add lemon zest and juice, beating well.

Spread Rhubarb-Raspberry Filling over Crust. Gently spread Cream Cheese Batter over filling.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until set (mine took about 40 minutes). The center should have risen to the same height as the outsides. Cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour.

Cover and chill 4 to 8 hours. Cut into bars and serve with fresh raspberries or lemon ice cream.