The Rural Voice, 1993-05, Page 42Rhubarb gives zesty flavour to sweets
BY BONNIE GROPP
One of the earliest tastes of the
season's fresh harvest comes with
rhubarb. The leafstalks of this
garden plant adds a special
tartness to the typically sweet
flavour of desserts, jams and jellies.
A special treat at our house is
homebaked rhubarb muffins from a
recipe given to me by my mother-in-
law.
RHUBARB MUFFINS
1/4 cup margarine or oil
1 egg
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup rhubarb
1/2 cup milk
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup flour
Mix and put into muffin pans. Top
with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3/4 tsp
cinnamon. Sprinkle on top. Bake at
375 degrees for 20 minutes.
RHUBARB -SAUCED
STRAWBERRY CAKE
1 pkg strawberry cake mix
3/4 cup watcr
1/2 cup orange juice
3 large eggs
1/3 cup oil
6 slices rhubarb
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and
flour 15-1/2x 10-1/2x 1 -inch jelly roll
pan.
Place dry cake mix, water, orange
juice, eggs and oil in large mixer
bowl. Mix cake as directed on
package. Turn batter into pan and
spread evenly.
Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes
or until toothpick inserted in centre
comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack.
For rhubarb sauce, combine rhu-
barb, sugar, orange peel, cinnamon
and nutmeg in 2 -quart saucepan.
Cook over high heat until mixture
boils; reduce heat to low and simmer
covered 5 to 7 minutes or until
rhubarb is tender; cool.
To serve, cut cake into squares and
spoon sauce over cake.
38 THE RURAL VOICE
Rural
Livin
r r„ !HP distinctive country life g
Rhubarb
provides
the first tangy
taste
of spring
GLAZED STRAWBERRY -
RHUBARB PIE
Pastry for 2 crust pie
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup flour
2 cups fresh strawberries
2 cups (1" pieces) fresh rhubarb
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 tbsp sugar
Combine 1 1/4 cup sugar, salt and
flour. Arrange half of strawberries
and rhubarb in pastry -lined 9" pie
pan. Sprinkle with half of sugar
mixture. Repeat with remaining fruit
and sugar mixture; dot with butter.
Adjust top crust and flute edges.
Brush top with cold water and sprink-
le with 1 tbsp sugar. Cut steam vents.
Bake in hot oven (425°F) 40 to 50
minutes or until rhubarb is tender and
crust is browned.
RHUBARB CUSTARD PIE
Unbaked 9" pie shell
Filling:
1-1/2 lbs rhubarb (about 4 cups)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
Topping:
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp sugar
Filling: In bowl, combine rhubarb,
cut into 1/4" slices, sugar, flour.
lemon juice and salt. Toss to mix and
turn into pie shell. Bake in hot oven
(400°F) 20 minutes.
Topping: Beat eggs slightly in
bowl; stir in cream, butter and nut-
meg to blend. Pour over hot rhubarb
in pie shell.
Bake 10 minutes; sprinkle with
sugar. Bake 10 minutes more or until
pie top is browned. Cool on rack
before cutting.
RHUBARB COBBLER
To 4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1"
pieces, add 1 cup sugar and 2 tbsp
cornstarch, mixed together.
Add 1 tbsp water and bring to a
boil. Cook and stir about a minute.
Add 2 tbsp water. Pour into 8" round
baking dish. Dot with 1-1,2 tbsp
butter.
Add cobbler topping to hot
rhubarb as directed.
Bake in hot oven (400°F) 20
minutes or until crust is browned.
Serve with cream or vanilla ice
cream. Makes 6 servings
Cobbler Topping:
Sift together 1 cup flour, 1 tbsp
sugar, 1-1/2 tsp baking powder and
1/4 tsp salt. Add 2 tsp grated orange