Rhubarb Crunch

Long weekends do not occur enough. Can I get an Amen?

This past weekend I FINALLY went back to my hometown, spent some time with old friends, and drank some serious booze. It was magical. Since I have the coolest Grandparents ever, they allowed my noisy friends and I to set up some lawn games and party the night (and day) away.

The focus of the party was to celebrate the 25th birthday of two of my best friends, but also an excuse to get together and reminisce. High school graduation was 7 years ago. That deserves a W.T.F. So, when I’m feeling old and strange and confused, I need some serious sugar.

Enter Rhubarb Crunch. My new best friend, my new favorite crisp…and the crisp that makes all other crisps cry in a corner. Thank goodness this baby was here for me when I needed it. I meant to share this, I really did, but my boy and I ate it in one night. Whoops!

To make this, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter or mix in the melted butter.

This stuff should be crumbly. Like this:

Press half of the topping into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle the rhubarb on top.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Slowly mix in the cold water and heat over medium until the mixture boils; boil for 2 minutes or until thickened a bit.

Pour over the rhubarb in the pan.

Sprinkle with remaining crumb topping. Bake in the preheated oven for about an hour (start checking at 40 minutes) or until bubbly and beginning to brown.

Let cool on a wire rack before serving.

Enjoy! I like this stuff warm right from the pan…or with vanilla bean ice cream. Delicious!

Rhubarb Crunch
Recipe taken from Cooking for Seven
makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
4 cups diced fresh rhubarb (or frozen rhubarb)
1-1/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup cold water
ice cream, for serving (optional)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter or mix in the melted butter. Press half of the topping into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the rhubarb on top.

3) In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Slowly mix in the cold water and heat over medium until the mixture boils; boil for 2 minutes or until thickened a bit. Pour over the rhubarb in the pan.

4) Sprinkle with remaining crumb topping. Bake in the preheated oven for about an hour (start checking at 40 minutes) or until beginning to brown.

5) Serve warm with ice cream! So good.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Streusel Topping

This summer has truly been a fairy tale. Three of my best friends in the world got engaged, I started a great new (summer) job, and my boy and I have been getting out and hiking at least twice a month.

On Sunday my boy and I went on our best hike yet. As we were sitting down to a romantic packed lunch of pizza buns and cheese curds (serious), he…wait for it…asked me to marry him! CRAAAAAAZY!!

This was a total, complete, unbelievably awesome surprise. After my good friends got engaged, I got all sentimental and girly and excited and now I can be all crazy whacko excited for myself! I’m seriously floating.

I couldn’t be happier, and with that, thought I’d share with you another rhubarb pie. A favorite. A beauty of a recipe. This will be the third on my blog! The streusel topping is unreal. It makes this dish a pie and crumble all in one. I wish I had a piece right now…it isn’t impossible to make that happen.

So, here we go! Chop up your rhubarb.

And slice your strawberries.

Then combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Mix well.

The mixture should be thick and syrupy after being stirred well.

Roll out pie crust according to recipe and place in a 9-inch pie plate.

Pour the strawberry/rhubarb mixture into the crust to fill evenly.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. Cut the butter into pieces and using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour/sugar mixture until it has the consistency of coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top of the pie.

Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 50-55 minutes, covering the pie crust edges with foil halfway through in order to prevent over-browning.

Let the pie cool completely before cutting into pieces. Serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Streusel Topping
Recipe taken from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
Filling:
2-¾ cups Sliced Fresh Rhubarb, About 5-6 Medium Stalks
2 cups Sliced Strawberries
⅔ cups Sugar
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch

Streusel topping:
1 cup Flour
½ cups Brown Sugar
½ cups Butter (1 Stick), Cold And Cut Into Small Pieces
1 Unbaked Single Pie Crust (store Bought Or Your Favorite Recipe)

Directions:
In a medium-large bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and cornstarch. Mix well. The mixture should be thick and syrupy after being stirred well.

Roll out pie crust according to recipe or package instructions and place in a 9- or 9.5-inch pie plate. Pour the strawberry/rhubarb mixture into the crust, using a large spoon to fill evenly.

For the topping: In a small bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. Cut the butter into pieces and using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour/sugar mixture until it has the consistency of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top of the pie.

Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 50-55 minutes, covering the pie crust edges with foil halfway through in order to prevent over-browning.

Let the pie cool completely before cutting into pieces. Serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, if desired.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

With all of this awesome rhubarb-ness going on at the farmers market I have already made TWO strawberry rhubarb pies this month. The one you see here, and another one with a crumble topping that I will post about later. My tummy is happy.

Fresh pie just screams summer to me. I love it, and find myself looking for excuses to make it.

Friend: “Oh hey Katrina, wanna go out for coffee tomorrow.”

Me: “Sure, that will probably require me to bake a pie.”

Strawberry rhubarb pie is my boyfriend’s absolute favorite pie. He’ll beg for it. He will go out of his way to find rhubarb, bring it home, place it in the frige, and mention nonchalantly “there’s rhubarb in the fridge if you’d like to bake something with it”.

Lucky for him I DO!

Although I loooove this pie, I personally prefer plain ol’ rhubarb pie, but if you’re like my man this pie is for you!!

To begin, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. On a well-floured counter, roll half of pie dough into a 12-inch circle and carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.

Stir together rhubarb and strawberries….

…and juice that pretty lemon.

Stir together rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, lemon, salt and tapioca in a large bowl.

Mound filling inside bottom pie crust and dot with bits of unsalted butter.

Roll second half of pie dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer it to center over the pie filling. Trim top and bottom pie dough so that their overhang beyond the pie plate lip is only 1/2-inch. Tuck rim of dough underneath itself and crimp it decoratively.

Brush egg yolk mixture over dough and cut slits into your pie.

Transfer pie to a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until the pie is golden and the juices bubble visibly.

Transfer pie to wire rack to cool. When fully cooled (several hours later) the juices will gel.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Recipe taken from Smitten Kitchen
Makes 1 9-inch round pie

Ingredients:
1 recipe for double-crust pie dough (I always use the Pioneer Woman’s recipe)
3 1/2 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds, untrimmed) rhubarb, in 1/2-inch thick slices
3 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) strawberries, hulled and sliced if big, halved if tiny
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a well-floured counter, roll half of pie dough into a 12-inch circle and carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.

Stir together rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, lemon, salt and tapioca in a large bowl. Mound filling inside bottom pie crust and dot with bits of unsalted butter. Roll second half of pie dough into an 11-inch circle and cut decorative slits in it. Transfer it to center over the pie filling. Trim top and bottom pie dough so that their overhang beyond the pie plate lip is only 1/2-inch. Tuck rim of dough underneath itself and crimp it decoratively.

Transfer pie to a baking sheet and brush egg yolk mixture over dough. Bake for 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until the pie is golden and the juices bubble visibly.

Transfer pie to wire rack to cool. When fully cooled (several hours later) the juices will gel.

Note: Pie should keep for up to three days at room temperature.

Rhubarb Muffins with Crumble Topping

When it comes to fruit muffins, I need a crumble topping. There’s something about the combination of melted butter, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon that makes me swoon. This topping alone will have you picking away at the muffins as they cool…trust me. It’s hard waiting!

I have quite a bit of rhubarb left over from last June still in my freezer, so recently I have been getting busy trying to use it up before this coming June gets here! There can never really be too much rhubarb though. It can be made into so many delicious things like cake, pie, spreads for toast, and other muffins. I adore baking with it, and you will too!

Tp begin, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then, combine brown sugar, oil, egg, vanilla and buttermilk. Beat together well.

Add in rhubarb and stir. I used frozen rhubarb from last year.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Stir into the wet ingredients.

I love a good, thick, batter.

Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full.

Mix together melted butter, sugar, oats, flour, and cinnamon. Press lightly on top of muffins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack until the muffins have cooled completely.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb Muffins
Makes 18 muffins
A Warm Vanilla Sugar Original

Ingredients
Muffin Batter:
1-½ cup Brown Sugar
½ cups Vegetable oil
1 whole Egg
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 cup Buttermilk
2 cups Chopped Rhubarb
2-½ cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine brown sugar, oil, egg, vanilla and buttermilk. Beat together well. Add in rhubarb and stir.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Stir into the wet ingredients.

Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full.

Mix together melted butter, sugar, oats, flour, and cinnamon. Press lightly on top of muffins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack until the muffins have cooled completely.

Enjoy!

Note: If you do not have buttermilk, combine 1 tablespoon of vinegar and milk to make 1 cup. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, stir and add to recipe.

Also, don’t forget to enter my Giveaway! Winners for the kitchen scale will be picked next Tuesday, March 19th and announced Wednesday.

Lemony Raspberry and Rhubarb Muffins

With all this sunshine, I’m really feeling the need to eat something fresh.

Sure, it’s hot outside, and my oven makes me a sweaty mess, but if I want something fresh in baked good form I need to bake! So, I chopped up some rhubarb.

Then I grabbed a bunch of lemons.

And then I made these:

Yummy, fresh lemons tossed with raspberries and rhubarb in muffin form. I like these because they are light in your mouth and have a burst of tartness with the raspberries. They are sweet and low calorie too! My kind of muffin.

Now I have muffins for the week! Thank goodness.

To begin, place the flour, 2/3 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir thoroughly.

In a medium fry-pan, melt the butter with the lemon zest.

Turn off the heat. Add the milk and yoghurt and let the mixture stand for a minute or two. Pour the milk into a medium bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well blended.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour the milk mixture into the well and stir well with a spatula. Mix only until there are no streaks and the batter looks fairly smooth. A few lumps scattered throughout are fine.

Gently fold through the raspberries and the rhubarb.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Stir together the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg and sprinkle over the tops of the muffins.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops feel firm and a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean.

Transfer the muffin tin to a rack a let cool for 5 minutes. Then, remove the muffins from the tin and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lemony Raspberry and Rhubarb Muffins
Recipe adapted from Kitsch in the Kitchen
makes 9-12 standard muffins
181 calories for one muffin of 12

Ingredients:
285g (2 cups) unbleached plain flour
135g (2/3 cup) sugar, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
85g (3 ounces) butter
Finely grated lemon zest
125ml (1/2 cup) milk
65ml (1/4 cup) yoghurt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup finely chopped rhubarb

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F and position an oven rack in the centre. Place 12 muffin papers in a muffin tin, or 9 self-standing papers on a baking tray.

Place the flour, 2/3 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir thoroughly.

In a medium fry-pan, melt the butter with the lemon zest. Turn off the heat. Add the milk and yoghurt and let the mixture stand for a minute or two. Pour the milk into a medium bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well blended.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour the milk mixture into the well and stir well with a spatula. Mix only until there are no streaks and the batter looks fairly smooth. A few lumps scattered throughout are fine. Gently fold through the raspberries and the rhubarb.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Stir together the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg and sprinkle over the tops of the muffins.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops feel firm and a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Transfer the muffin tin to a rack a let cool for 5 minutes. Then, remove the muffins from the tin and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake

Here in Switzerland, everything is about 3 weeks early. It. Is. Summer. * Squeal*

Along with the early summer comes a variety of early garden favorites like beautiful crispy lettuce and my long lost baking buddy, rhubarb. Rhubarb and me go way back. I liked to pick the mysterious sour stalks of pink and green as a little girl and dip them in sugar with my “Poppa”. When we had picked too much my Nanny would cook it, and make an awesome stewed rhubarb that was great on morning toast or ice cream. I wanted to try something new with rhubarb though, so I went out and got a stalk from the garden, and decided to make a strawberry rhubarb cake of sorts.

I like this cake because it’s sliceable and still has that “crumble” feel that I’m so fond of. I love how each bite has a beautiful combination of cinnamon-sugar and sweet and tangy strawberry-rhubarb. The crumble topping really puts this recipe over the top. It’s gorgeously matched and gives this moist cake a nice light crunch.

To begin, preheat your oven, grease and flour your pan, and grab a medium bowl. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a large mixing bowl, beat together 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar until creamy, about 1 minute.

Throw in your egg yolks and vanilla. Here I’m just separating the whites from the yolks and putting the whites into a bowl for breakfast tomorrow :)

Beat until combined. Gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk until combined, about 1-2 minutes.

Spread cake batter evenly into prepared pan.

Top batter with strawberries and rhubarb. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumb topping: Combine brown sugar, flour, oats, and 4 tablespoons butter; knead together using fingertips or a fork until well combined and mixture starts to clump together. Keep in freezer until ready for use. When cake has baked 20 minutes, top evenly with crumb mixture. Continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Cool for 30 minutes before running a knife around outside edges. Remove cake from pan and cool on a rack.

This is delightful. I had a huge slice!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake
Recipe taken from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients:
Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 cup sliced strawberries
2/3 cup finely chopped rhubarb

Crumb Topping
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 1 (9-inch) round cake pan or an 8 x 8 inch square pan (I used this).
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together 1 cup flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar until creamy, about 1 minute; beat in yolks and vanilla until combined.
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk until combined, about 1-2 minutes.
5. Spread cake batter evenly into prepared pan. Top batter with strawberries and rhubarb. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the crumb topping: Combine brown sugar, flour, oats, and 4 tablespoons butter; knead together using fingertips or a fork until well combined and mixture starts to clump together. Keep in freezer until ready for use.
7. When cake has baked 20 minutes, top evenly with crumb mixture. Continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into cakes comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool for 30 minutes before running a knife around outside edges. Remove cake from pan and cool on a rack.

*Photos taken mostly by Alicia Leroux (thanks Alicia)!

Tangy Stewed Rhubarb

She’s here! And thank goodness she is. Welcome back rhu-BARB! Doesn’t she look great?!

Rhubarb season is one of my absolute favorites. Rhubarb brings out a sassy, tangy, flavour in baking that makes my mouth water. Luckily, rhubarb is super healthy, and low calorie as well (even though I like to dip it raw in sugar). I love the way my mouth puckers up after a big bite of a raw stalk. It’s saying “GOOD MORNING”!

Let’s get started, shall we? Begin by washing your rhubarb. Chop up the rhubarb into one-inch pieces and place into a large saucepan.

Add sugar, water, vanilla and lemon juice.

Cook over medium heat until the rhubarb is completely cooked, and blends together. You don’t want any hard chunks!

You can serve this on toast. It’s so yummy!

This recipe makes 8 servings, and is 2 weight watchers points per serving (1 serving = 1/4 cup).

Ingredients:
6 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
1. Rinse, and chop rhubarb into one-inch chunks and place into a large saucepan.
2. Add all other ingredients and cook on medium heat until rhubarb has completely cooked and turned into a “stew”. You don’t want any hard chunks. This should take about 20 minutes.
3. Allow to cool completely and serve with toast (if having it for breakfast), over ice cream (if having it for dessert), or eat it plain!
4. This stores in the fridge for up to one week.