Category Archives: rhubarb

Zesty Banana Orange Bread


I was lucky enough to receive a special delivery of produce from my grandfather yesterday. My mom and dad drove down to my husband and I’s house for a home cooked dinner. I was pleasantly blown away by the two large boxes of goodies from his garden and orchard.

One of the treasures my grandpa gave me was his very last batch of rhubarb for the season, which inspired me to pick my last batch. As pictured below. 


Needless to say with all this beautiful Rhubard I am also making our most requested  jam. Today I am trialing it in the slow cooker. 
This recipe yields 4 mini loaves 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon of ground pie spice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cup of very ripe mashed bananas (approximately 3 large)

1 teaspoon of fresh orange zest (1 medium orange)

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup honey

2 eggs

1 cup chopped rhubarb

Prework & Tools for the job

  • Stoneware Mini bread loaf pan
  • Cooking spray the pan with canola oil spray
  • Preheat oven 350 degrees

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, pie spice, and baking powder. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl hand whisk together mashed bananas, orange zest, vanilla,& honey. Add one egg at a time and caution not to over mix. Lastly fold in the rhubard. 

3. Place scant 1 cup into each bread vessel. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes. Test the bread using toothpick method. 

4. Allow the bread to cool for 5 minutes in pan and then gently remove loaves from pan and allow to cool on wire rack. 

This bread is super moist you will not believe there is no oil or butter. 



Orange Rhubarb Streusel Bread

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We finally picked our last harvest of rhubarb. Boy it is so beautiful! One of the stalks cut equaled 1.5 cups so it is rather large as well. This year our garden did not do very well; however, our peppers and rhubarb excelled! I am always making new rhubarb recipes. As many of you already know ! I just found out last week that I won 1st place for my rhubarb spiced coffee cake. It will be featured in TOH magazine May/June 2016 edition! I am so excited!

I love making mini loaves of bread! I feel like you can share them with so many more people than just the traditional 8 by 4 loaf or 9 by 5 loaf. My way of spreading the love around.

If you try this recipe you will not be disappointed! My husband said “it is the best breakfast loaf recipe you have ever made”! Wow that is a complement since I make a great many of recipes!

 

This recipe yields 4 mini loaves and one standard 8 by 4 inch loaf

Pre directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cooking spray your mini bread vessels.

 

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour ( I am in love with Bob’s Red Mill)

2 Cups of AP flour

2 Tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 cup unsweetened Applesauce

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup egg white subsitute

2 whole large eggs

2/3 cup 100% Orange Juice

1.5 cups of granulated sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3 cups of finely chopped rhubarb (6 regular sized stalks but like I said mine one stalk yield 1.5 cups)

 

Streusal topping & filling

8 TB raw sugar

2 TB Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

2 TB melted coconut oil (melted)

1 TB Vietnamese ground cinnamon

 

Streusel Directions:

  1. Mix with spoon all the streusel ingredients in a medium to small bowl.

 

Bread Directions:

  1. In a large bowl mix with whisk both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside
  2. In a medium bowl mix canola oil, applesauce, flaxseed, egg, egg substitute, vanilla, sugar, and orange juice. Whisk together to fully incorporate.
  3. Pour the wet ingredient batter into the dry ingredients and whisk together and using a spatula make sure all the dry residue is incorporated. I like to use a clear glass bowl for this so that I can look on the bottom of the dish and see if any dry residue remains.
  4. Fold in chopped rhubarb and make sure rhubarb is incorporated throughout.
  5. If you are using mini loaves take 3/4 cup of the batter and place into the greased pan.
  6. Now take 1.5 tsp of the streusel mixture and spread it evenly on the top of the batter. Then take 1/2 of the bread batter and place on top of the streusel layer. Finish with another 1.5-2 tsp of streusel layer spreading evenly on the top to guarantee cinnamon in each bite. Repeat with all mini loafs. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out of center of the loaf clean.
  7. For the standard loaf take half of the remaining batter and place in greased 8 by 4 inch bread pan and take half of the remaining streusel topping and place evenly on-top of the bottom layer. Finish with placing the remaining bread batter on top of the streusel crumble. Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out of the center clean.
  8. Allow the loaves to sit in the pans for 5 minutes on a wire rack. They do have a tendency to stick. I recommend going around the edges with a plastic knife.  Remove from the pans and allow to cool completely on wire rack (if you can wait). My husband couldn’t!
  9. Enjoy!

 

Rhubarb Vanilla Cinnamon Muffins

 
Today we are at the Vintage Grand Prix and I wanted to make a breakfast for the track team. These are very moist and kid friendly.
Pre directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and paper line and spray with cooking spray standard muffin tins.

This recipe yields 17 muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 cup chopped rhurbarb ( frozen will work make sure to measure when frozen) then allow to thaw and place in strainer to remove extra moisture. 

2 TB ground flaxseed 

2 eggs

1/2 cup reduced fat reduced fat sour cream

1/4 canola oil 3/4 tsp ground vietenssee  cinnamon 

1 2/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions:

1. Place flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, & flaxseed in a large bowl and whisk to incorporate.

2. In a separate bowl mix canola oil, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and eggs into medium bowl. 

3. Add dry ingredients into wet and whisk to incorporate. Once no dry residue remains fold in rhubarb.

4. Scoop batter with ice cream scoop into muffin tin. Bake for 10 minutes and rotate muffins in oven and bake for 13 more minutes. Or until tooth pick comes out clean.

  

Rhubarb Pie

  

We have oodles of rhubarb and I have been very antsy to try a whole pie made of rhubarb.   This was a home run. I made it for my husband’s Grammy. She just moved into a new house and I wanted to make it as a house warming gift. Plus I found out it was also her birthday! She told me once when she was a child her mother would make her rhurbarb pie and it was her favorite. She always makes everyone pie but she never makes her favorite so this one is for you Grammy Ulam! 

Ingredients:

5 cups of chopped frozen rhubarb thawed

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

3 TB flour

1 tsp quick tapioca 

1 egg (lightly beaten)

1-2 TB skim milk 

1 TB unsalted butter

Pie crust for a double crust 9 inch pie (either use your favorite or try this one)

I used joy of baking crust and it was a good recipe for this pie. I like that it weighed everything out. 

Directions:

1. If you are using frozen rhubarb thaw it in a colander and allow for excess water to drain. Once excess water has been removed place rhubarb in sugar, cinnamon, tapioca, flour mixture and mix to incorporate.

2. Allow the rhubarb to set for 15 minutes in sugar spice bath.  Add in egg and mix to incorporate. In meantime preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

3. Place prepared pie crust in pie dish. Pour rhubarb mixture in prepared pie dish. 

4. Cut pieces of butter and spread evenly on top of rhubarb. Cover pie with second pie dough. 

6. Trim and seal dough as you wish. Make sure to cut slits in dough to allow steam to release. Lightly brush pie with milk. 

7. Bake pie at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then decease the tempature to 350 degrees and bake for 45 to 50 additional minutes. Or until crust is golden brown and filling starts to bubble.

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack.

Mini Pineapple Rhubarb  Upsidedown Cake

  
Today is my husband and I’s 8 year anniversary and one of his favorite desserts is pineapple upsidedown cake. When I asked him what dessert he wanted for our anniversary (which I already knew the answer)  he requested pineapple upsidedown cake. I am not fond of making the same recipe twice, so of course I had to take the original recipe up a notch and add some homegrown rhubarb and whole wheat flour. Since it was just us two today, I made a mini 6 inch cake for sharing. 

Yields 4 pieces 

Ingredients:

Top ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)

2 TB melted unsalted butter 

1 (8 oz can crushed pineapple) juice removed and saved for something else) keep 1 TB 

2 fresh stalks of rhubarb (cut down the center) and as desired to fit into cake pan

Cake batter ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 TB canola oil

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp kosher salt 

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper in cake pan. Set aside. 

2. Melt butter in glass bowl, add brown sugar and whisk. Place evenly on the bottom of the baking pan. Lay the rhubarb down first on top of butter mixture ( I regretfully didn’t do this but will next time). I was hoping to have the rhubarb shine though in the end result but as you see above it is a hidden jem.

  
Place crushed pineapple on top the rhubarb evenly and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together allspice, flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, sugar, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk. 

Add in dry mix of ingredients into the wet and use spatula to incorporate.  

Pour batter over top the rhubarb and bake for 25 to 28 minutes. Or until toothpick comes out clean from the center. 

Allow to cool on wire rack for 5 minutes in the pan. After the time has elapsed remove from pan into dish. 
  

Enjoy!

   

Rhubarb Custard Bars

 

Today I picked my first batch of rhubarb. I have been wanting to make these bars for a while but didn’t have quite enough rhubarb in the freezer. So once my rhubarb was ready to harvest this was the first recipe I had to try. The original is on taste of home, I couldn’t leave well enough alone as my mom would say so I had to cut down on the saturated fats by swapping out some of the heavy cream, eggs, and butter. I also decreased sugar, & added whole grain to the crust.

 

This recipe yields 36 bars 


Ingredients:

Crust Ingredients:

1 cup ap flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

6 TB unsalted butter (cold) cubed

1/4 cup sugar

Custard ingredients:

1 3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup fat free half and half 

5 cups chopped rhubarb

1 Tsp vanilla pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup egg substitute 

Cream Cheese Topping

1 (8 oz block of reduced fat cream cheese)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup fat free half and half

1/2 cup whip cream 

Directions:

Mix with hands mix butter, sugar and flour. Until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Press the mixture into 9 by 13 glass pan (sprayed with cooking spray). Bake for 10 minutes. 

Take out of oven and set aside.
    

In the meantime mix half and half, cream, egg substitute, sugar, & vanilla. Add in rhubarb mix to combine.

  
 Pour over crust. 

 
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
  

Set aside and allow to cool. In the meantime whip up cream and fat free half and half until thickened. Mix on high speed in a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment until thick. Place in refrigerator . In a separate bowl beat cream cream, sugar, and vanilla. Fold in cream mixture. 
 

Spread over cooled bars.  

Enjoy!

   

Rhubarb Strawberry Coffee Cake

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Recipes yields 16 pieces!

 

We made this for the Mother’s Day brunch. My mom saw the basic recipe in the local newspaper back home. I wanted to use up some rhubarb and try to decrease some of the fat in the recipe. I don’t think it will be missed. Not to mention there was not a piece left ! No joke…

May 2016 UPDATE: 

This recipe was also featured in Taste Of Home Magazine April/ May 2016. I made it again for our 2nd Annual Mother’s Day Brunch May 7th. Taste of Home suggested freezing this cake, if you want to make it in advance. This year I did, I made the cake a few days before the brunch. Once the cake cooled completely out of the oven, I wrapped the entire cake (still in the springform pan) with plastic wrap and placed it in the deep freezer. I took it out 3 hours before our event, and allowed it to cool at room temperature, it was still very cold and firm similar to a cheesecake. Which was okay, but if you want to thaw the cake out completely I recommend taking the cake out the night before and letting it thaw in the refrigerator.

 

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The Mother’s Day Menu for this year 2016 was:

Rhubarb Coffee Cake (recipe below)

Yogurt Bar with Greek Vanilla Yogurt, Homemade Maple Granola, Fresh Raspberries, Blackberries, and Strawberries, Fresh Cantaloupe & Freshly Whipped Whipped Cream

Caramelized Onion, Bacon & Kale Strada made with Homemade Bread

Hash brown Quiche Cups

Cucumber Mint Water

Mini Pink Lemonade Muffins & Mini Key Lime Muffins

 

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Cake Ingredients:

2 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (Or 1 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour and 1 Cup AP <last years 2015 recipe I did this> )

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup cold cubed unsalted butter

3/4 cup fat free sour cream

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 egg

Cream Cheese Filling

1 (8 oz ) 1/3 fat reduced Cream Cheese block (room temp)

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

3/4 cup diced fresh strawberries

3/4 cup chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen)

1 TB water

3 TB Sugar

1 1/2 tsp corn starch

one 8″ springform pan

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray with baking joy.  Set aside

2. Prepare the strawberry rhubarb compote. Combine in a 2 qt. sauce pan the cornstarch, sugar & water mix well. Add the strawberries and rhubarb and place on low heat until strawberries and rhubarb juices release. Stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Set aside off heat to cool to room temperature.


3. In a stand mixer, prepare the cream cheese filling by beating the cream cheese on medium high speed. Add sugar and mix, then add egg and mix to incorporate. Set aside.

4. Prepare the cake by adding flour, and butter to a large bowl. Use your hands to cut the butter into the flour until the flour resembles wet sand. Remove 3/4 cup of the flour mixture and set aside. With remaining flour add baking soda, salt, and baking powder whisk well to incorporate. Set aside.


5. In another small bowl, beat by hand the sour cream, egg and vanilla until well incorporated. Set aside.

 

6. Gently add the sour cream batter to the dry flour ingredients. Be careful not to over-mix (the batter will be lumpy). 

7. Pour the batter into the greased springform pan. Make a well with the batter, at least enough to go up the sides a 1/2 inch. Also leaving an 1/2 inch border to prevent the cream cheese filling from going to the edge of the cake.


 8. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the center of the well, make sure to leave a 1/2 inch border.


9. Now spread the strawberry and rhubarb compote on the top of the cream cheese filling.


Finally sprinkle the remaining flour mixture on the top of the strawberry and rhubarb compote. Bake for at least 55 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees.


10. Take the pan out of the oven and let rest on a wire rack for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes have elapsed remove the springform pan shell.


11. Allow to cool.

12. Dig in!

Rhubarb Buckwheat Popovers

  

Yesterday my husband and I went downtown to the strip district, bottom line my favorite place to bike and market shop in the warmer months. One of my favorite kitchen stores had a popover pan half off. Yahtzee only $10.99!  I was so excited, I’ve been wanting a popover pan for 2 years. Today, I had to make something with it! Savory or sweet decisions, decisions. I debated for a while but after pruning the brushes and doing yard work yesterday I noticed my rhubarb plants were starting to grow. They reminded me I have a few frozen bags of rhubarb in the freezer. 

Yields mini 10 popovers

Ingredents:

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup AP flour

1 cup skim milk

2 large eggs

1 tsp blood orange zest

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/2 Cup raw sugar plus 1 tsp

1 cup of fresh rhubarb or frozen (thawed and excess water removed) 

Pre directions

Preheat oven to 375. Cooking spray 10 of the 12 popover vessels. 

Place tsp of raw sugar with rhubarb and toss to coat and set aside.

Directions:

1. Whisk skim milk, orange zest, vanilla, and eggs together to fully incorporate.

2. Add buckwheat, flour, salt, sugar. Whisk to fully incorporate. 

  

3. Place batter evenly amongst 10 popover vessels pre cooking sprayed with Pam or alternative. Top batter  with rhubarb 1 to 2 TB. Bake at 375 for 30 to 32 minutes. 

Remove from oven and enjoy! 

   Dust with powder sugar if you desire or homemade rhubarb jam.

  

 

Pecan Crumble Rhurbarb Muffins

I don’t know about you but I am counting down the days until spring. But despite the time frame it still continues to pour down snow in western Pa. For those of you not counting. It’s about 19.4 days according to my phone.

 These muffins have one of my favorite spring ingredients …. Rhubarb. I still have some leftover in the freezer from last year. I figure why continue to hoard when I know it will be in abundance very soon. 

This recipe yields 12 standard muffins using a size 60 scoop the portion. 

Prep Steps

Preheat oven to 375 and paper lined muffin tins and spray with cooking spray. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat Pastry flour

3/4 cup ap flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk plus 1/8 cup

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

Pinch Ground nutmeg

2/3 cup of raw sugar

1/8 of a cup of  ground flaxseed

1/8 of a cup of canola oil

One cup of diced rhubarb fresh or frozen that’s been thawed

Half a cup of candied pecans (chopped)

1 egg

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking soda 


Topping 

1/2 cup candied pecans (chopped) optional 

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl mix both flours, raw sugar, baking soda, salt, flaxseed, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl mix together egg, oil, vanilla and butter milk.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Next to incorporate but be careful not to over Mix.  Set aside. 
  4. Roll rhubarb into the chop the pecans to coat.
  5. Now fold in the rhubarb into the wet batter. 
  6. Using a size 60 scoop place the batter evenly into the muffin tins.
  7. Sprinkle each muffinwith 1-3 teaspoon of chopped the cannied pecans. Optional
  8. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Or 
  9. Until toothpick comes out clean. 

Cinnamon Vanilla Rhubarb Jam

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Good golly Miss Molly, I had to post this recipe! I had two people tell me it’s the best jam they have ever had! And one person say it’s the best rhubarb jam they have ever ate! As you all know! This summer we had bushels of rhubarb. I have always wanted to make jam with it but never had the chance! This summer I made the time and boy I am sure glad I did. The original recipe stemmed from this post on cinnamon jam.

Ingredients:
12 cups chopped rhubarb
1 TB Vietnamese ground cinnamon
2 TB fresh lemon juice
2 cups of water
13 cups of sugar
1 TB pure Mexican Vanilla extract
6 TB Fruit pectin (2 boxes)

Directions:

Wash jars and screw bands with hot soapy water. Set aside to completely dry . Get your water ready (hot/boiling) for canning fill water in stock pan on stove enough to cover the lids of the jars.

In a separate sauce pan heat your lids in boiling water until you start Canning.

Place chopped rhubarb and water in 7 to 8 quart pot bring to a boil and reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in pectin, & lemon, and bring to a rolling boil on high heat. Make sure to stir constantly.

Stir in cinnamon and sugar and allow sauce to return to a rolling boil. Once the mixture starts to boil consistently allow to boil for one minute. Continue to stir constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and skim off the white residue with metal spoon and add in the vanilla stir well.

Ladle jam immediately into prepared mason jars or jelly jars using a funnel. Fill jar to 1/8 top & wipe jar, rim, & threads completely dry or the jars may not seal appropriately. Place two part lids on jars and screw the band on on tight.

Place the vessel (after the lid is placed on jar tightly) into the water bath make sure to submerge fully with 1-2 inches above jar. Allow jars to rest in gentle boiling water for 10 minutes to seal the lids. You may need to cover the stock pot with a lid.

Remove jars from pan with canning tongs and allow to dry upright on towel to cool completely. Once jars have cooled off check to make sure they sealed properly. To make sure jars sealed properly press down on center of the lids and if centers bounce back jars did not deal and refrigerate right away.

This recipe yields: 14 1/2 cups of jam!

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