Tag: Rhubarb

Rhubarb & Custard Cake

  • Today is my Blog Anniversity – I started in 2015 – Can you believe it is 10 years of Blogging?
  • Today is post 676!
  • Still lots of recipes to come in the future – lots of books to look at and lots of recipes from friends and family.
  • Today’s post is inspired by an English combination.
  • Stewed rhubarb and warm custard is often served as a pudding in England.
  • Yesterday I had coffee and cake in a local department store.
  • I tried a piece of Rhubarb & Custard cake thinking I could use this idea.
  • Sadly this cake was not as nice I imagined as I could not taste any custard and the cream was much too sweet; although the rhubarb – rather like a tart jam was good.
  • However I thought I would use this idea to make a cake using  budyń  – thick Polish custard and some cooked rhubarb as fillings.
  • The rhubarb filling has to be made in advance and needs to be cold.
  • Cook the rhubarb until it has lost all its structure – into a pulp – but without any liquid left.
  • It needs to be still a little tart to balance the sweetness of the other ingredients.
  • You need :
  • 2 Sponge cakes – ones using butter
  • Rhubarb filling 
  • Budyń 
  • Icing Sugar to dust

Ingredients

  • 8- 10 stalks of rhubarb
  • 3-4 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons of water (more might be needed)

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM2 – 150°C.
  • Chop the rhubarb into small pieces and place into a roasting tin.
  • Sprinkle with the sugar.
  • Cook for around 40 minutes.
  • Keep checking and add water if necessary.
  • Do not allow the sugar to burn.
  • Cook until the rhubarb is very soft.
  • Mix to a pulp with a fork. 
  • Leave to cool completely.

INGREDIENTS for budyń

  • 500ml milk
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons of potato flour (or cornflour)

METHOD for budyń

  • Put 300ml of the milk, the butter and sugar into a saucepan.
  • Heat gently till the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved, stirring all the time.
  • Bring this to the boil for a few seconds and then take off the heat.
  • Blend the potato flour with the rest of the milk (200ml) and with the egg yolks.
  • Add some of the boiled mixture to this and stir well.
  • Add this mixture to the rest of  the boiled mixture and stir well.
  • Put the pan back on the heat and bring back to boiling point, stirring gently.
  • Keep at boiling for 1 minute, stirring all the time.
  • Leave to cool completely.

Ingredients for Cake

  • 4 Eggs
  • Butter
  • Caster Sugar
  • Plain flour
  • 2½ teaspoons of baking powder
  • 2-3 drops of vanilla essence

Method for Cake

  • Grease and line the base of 2 x 21.5cm  sandwich tins. – I find anodised aluminium tins are the best. (my old tins say 8 1/2 inch on the base – 21cm or 22cm would be OK)
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM 4 – 180°c
  • The first thing you have to do is weigh your eggs – complete with their shells.
  • You then weigh out the same amount of  butter, caster sugar and flour.
  • At first I thought this was very strange but now find that it gives a very good way of getting the right proportions no matter what size the eggs are.
  • I heard the late Marguerite Patten in an earlier recorded programme on the radio a few weeks ago saying that Victorian cooks often  used this method. 
  • Cream together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs, one by one whisking again until the the mixture is light and fluffy again.
  • Seive the flour and mix in the baking powder.
  • Fold in the flour with a metal spoon taking not to over mix the mixture and knock out all the air.
  • Divide the mixture evenly between the 2 prepared tins.
  • Bake in the centre of the oven for around 25 to 30 minutes  – the cake should  be golden brown and be clean when a cake tester is used.

Layer up the Cake

  • Place one of the sponge cakes on a glass plate or stand.
  • Spread the rhubarb over the cake up to the edge.
  • Spread all the budyń over the rhubarb up to the edge.
  • Gentle place the second cake on top.
  • Dust lightly with icing sugar.

Pleśniak with Rhubarb

  • I was wondering what to make with some rhubarb I had growing.
  • There was not a great deal so thought about my recipe for pleśniak but using rhubarb and my recipe for placek with rhubarb & meringue.
  • I used a plain layer of shortcrust type pastry –
  • Followed by one with cocoa powder –
  • Then a layer of cooked rhubarb –
  • Then a layer of meringue.
  • The 2 pastry layers are baked first –
  • Then the rhubarb layer and meringue layer put on top and baked.

INGREDIENTS

  • 350g plain flour
  • 175g butter
  • 2 tablespoons of icing sugar
  • Some cold water as needed.
  • *
  • 3 tablespoons of cocoa
  • 2 + 2 egg yolks
  •  
  • 4 whites x 200g icing sugar
  • *
  • Around 8 stalks of rhubarb
  • 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

METHOD

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM2 – 150°C.
  • Chop the rhubarb into small pieces.
  • Mix with the sugar and place in a roasting tin.
  • Cook in the oven until the rhubarb is soft.
  • Leave to cool – this has to be cold before making the cake.
  • *
  • You can make this the evening before.
  • *****
  • Rub the butter into the flour until like breadcrumbs.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of icing sugar and mix.
  • Divide the mixture into two.
  • *
  • Mix the first half with 2 egg yolks and a little cold water to bring the dough together.
  • Do this gently – do not over mix.
  • Flatten this out into into a rough rectangle.
  • Place into a plastic bag and leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • *
  • To the second half add the cocoa and mix.
  • Add 2 egg yolks and a little cold water to bring the dough together.
  • Do this gently – do not over mix.
  • Flatten this out into into a rough rectangle.
  • Place into a plastic bag and leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • *
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM6- 200°C.
  • Grease and line 3 sides of  a 28 x 21 baking tine using one piece of baking paper.
  • Roll out the plain layer of pastry so it fits the base of the tin.
  • Place the dough into the tin – push out any pieces needed to fill the base.
  • Roll out the cocoa layer and place this on top.
  • Prick the top of the dough.
  • Bake for 30 – 35 minutes.
  • *
  • Leave to go cold.
  • Lower the oven to GM2 – 150°C.
  • *
  • Whisk the egg whites until stiff.
  • Add the icing sugar and whisk again till stiff.
  • *
  • Place the rhubarb over the cooked pastry.
  • Spread it out to near the edges.
  • *
  • Spread the meringue over the top of the rhubarb.
  • Take it to the edges to cover the cake.
  • Bake for around 1 hour.
  • *
  • Leave to cool in the tin.
  • Cut into squares to serve.

Duchess Bramble Rose tea plate.

Rhubarb Soup – 2

  • This is a  variation on my earlier post of rhubarb soup,  in fruit soups, which is usually served chilled.
  • This one is best served warm.
  • It is based on one in a recent book purchase from my trip to Wrocław. 
  • Some of the sweetnest is achieved by using prunes.

Ingredients

  • 100g prunes
  • Rind of 1 lemon
  • 400g of  rhubarb – chopped into small pieces
  • 1½ litres of water
  • 100g of granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of potato flour
  • 180ml of soured cream

Method

  • Put the prunes in the water and leave to stand for an hour.
  • Add the lemon rind and simmer for a while.
  • Add the chopped rhubarb and bring to the boil.
  • Simmer gently until the rhubarb is cooked.
  • Sieve the liquid.
  • Add the sugar to the liquid.
  • Mix the potato flour with a little cold water.
  • Add the potato flour mix.
  • Heat gently with stirring until the soup thickens.
  • Add the soured cream.

Served warm

Can be served with sponge fingers.

Alfred Meakin – Spanish Garden Dish

Cake with Rhubarb

  • This is the same recipe as Cake with Sour Fruits – 1.
  • I got this recipe from my Polish friend in Leeds.
  • It is a batter style cake but made with melted butter rather than oil, which I have used before in cakes such as
  • Victorian Apple Cake  or 
  • Cake with Peaches  
  • The original recipe was for rhubarb –   rabarbar  – in Polish and this is what I used now it is in season.
  • You need to use quite a lot of rhubarb as the cake rises and the fruit moves apart.
  • *
  • If the rhubarb is too sour you can dust the cake with icing sugar before serving.

INGREDIENTS

  • 250g butter
  • 200g granulated sugar
  • 60ml cold water
  • 3 eggs
  • 340g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder 
  • *
  • 450 – 500g rhubarb – cut into small pieces.

METHOD

  • Grease and line 3 sides of a 32x22cm baking tin.
  • Pre-heat the oven toGM4 – 180°C
  • *
  • Mix the baking powder with the flour.
  • Melt the butter & sugar in a saucepan – do not boil.
  • Add the water and leave to cool.
  • Beat the eggs into the flour.
  • Add the butter mixture and mix well until you have a thick batter.
  • Pour into the tin and level out the batter to all sides.
  • Cover the top with the rhubarb pieces.
  • Bake for 50-55 minutes.
  • Check the cake part is ready with a tester.
  • Leave to cool in the tin.
  • *
  • Optional – dust with icing sugar before serving.

Duchess – Silver Rose Tea Plate

Cheesecake with Rhubarb

  • I live in West Yorkshire not far from the Rhubarb Triangle. 
  • However I do have rhubarb growing in my garden.
  • In the last week or so the rhubarb has started to spring up and I thought I would use it in a baked cheesecake – sernik.
  • There is cooked rhubarb in the cheese mix and a thick rhubarb syrup poured over the cake when it is served.
  • As the rhubarb has to be cold – best to make this the evening before.
  • In England ginger is often added to rhubarb – so here the biscuit base was made from crisp ginger biscuits.
  • This cake was a great hit with everyone who tried it.

Ingredients

  • 150g ginger biscuits
  • 70g butter
  • *
  • 400g rhubarb (leaves and ends removed)
  • 90g granulated sugar
  • 100ml water
  • *
  • 400g curd cheese (twaròg, yoghurt cheese  or cream cheese)
  • 90g granulated sugar
  • 1 egg & 2 yolks
  • 125ml soured cream

Method – Rhubarb

  • Cut the rhubarb into small chunks.
  • Simmer gently with the sugar and water.
  • Once the rhubarb is cooked – leave to cool.
  • *
  • Place the mixture into a large sieve for an hour or so,
  • *
  • Use the rhubarb pulp in the cake.
  • *
  • Pour the liquid into a small saucepan and simmer gently.
  • Reduce the liquid until you have a thick syrup.
  • Leave to cool completely.

Method – Cake Base

  • Butter well a 20cm diameter loose bottomed tin.
  • Melt the butter.
  • Crush the biscuits till fine crumbs.
  • Mix the crushed biscuits and the melted butter.
  • Press the mixture down into the tin to cover the bottom.
  • Leave to cool completely.

Method – Cake Filling

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160°C
  • Mix the curd cheese and sugar well.
  • Beat the egg and the yolks.
  • Add the egg mixture to the cheese mixture.
  • Mix in the soured cream.
  • Add in the rhubarb pulp and mix well.
  • Put the mixture on top of the biscuit base.
  • Flatten with a spatula.
  • Bake for around 1 hour 15 minutes.
  • *
  • Turn off the oven and leave the door open 
  • Leave the cake inside to cool.
  • *
  • To serve pour some rhubarb syrup over each portion.
  • Served on Royal Doulton – Carnation.
  • Rhubarb napkin from the Hepworth Gallery from a Rhubarb exhibition several years ago.

Note – this cheesecake does not keep as long as most- you need to get your friends and family round to eat it quickly!

Rhubarb Yeast Buns

  • Today, 4 July 2021, is the 6th anniversary of my blog. 
  • I still enjoy trying out recipes and writing about them.
  • I still have many more traditional and modern recipes to do.
  • Today’s recipe is very Polish –  drożdżówki – sweet yeast buns.
  • The yeast dough I used for onion rolls was very good and I thought I could use it with different toppings.
  • I found that adding some granulated sugar to the dough was better for sweet toppings.
  • I have previously made similar buns – see kołaczyki, which means little wheels from the word koła which means wheels.
  • I like this dough recipe even more than the ones I have used before – this will become the one I will use the most.

Ingredients – Roll

  • 200g & 50g plain flour
  • 150 ml warm milk
  • 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
  • ½ tablespoon of dried yeast
  • *
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt
  • 60g granulated sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • *
  • Egg white for brushing – beaten
  • 3 to 4 stalks of rhubarb
  • 3-4 tablespoons of granulated sugar

Method – Rhubarb

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C.
  • Chop the rhubarb into small pieces.
  • Place them on a baking tray.
  • Sprinkle them with sugar.
  • Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes.
  • The aim is to part cook them to be soft.
  • Leave to go cold before using.

Ingredients – Kruszonka

  • 30g plain flour
  • 20g butter
  • 30g granulated sugar

Method – Kruszonka

  • Rub the butter into the flour to get breadcrumbs.
  • Stir in the sugar.

Method

  • Mix the milk, yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 50g of plain flour.
  • Leave for 20 minutes.
  • Put the 200g  of plain flour, 60g of sugar, salt, yolks and yeast mixture in a bowl.
  • Mix together to form a soft dough.
  • Add a little extra milk if this is too dry.
  • Knead for 10 minutes – set a timer – till you get a smooth ball.
  • Cover and leave for 1½ – 2 hours.
  • Line baking tray with baking paper.
  • *
  • Lightly knead the dough for a few minutes.
  • Divide the dough into 6.
  • Roll each one to make a ball.
  • Place the balls on the baking tray and flatten each one.
  • Cover and leave for 30 minutes.
  • Pre-heat the oven  to GM6 – 200°C.
  • Using finger tips or the base of a tumbler flatten the centre of each roll.
  • Brush with beaten egg white.
  • Place around 8 pieces of rhubarb in the centre of each roll.
  • Sprinkle the kruszonka – crumble mixture over the top of the rhubarb
  • Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Leave to cool on a wire rack.
  • *
  • Serve warm or cold.
J & G Meakin – Topic – 1966- 1979
Vintage Pyrex

Optional

  • Dust with icing sugar.
  • Drizzle with runny icing.

Fruit Soups

Fruit soups are very popular in Poland especially in summer.

Many may think they seem rather strange, however once tasted, I hope, like me you will think that they are “nectar from the gods!”

Just like other soups they are served as a first course.

They are eaten – hot or warm, at room temperature or chilled. – This can vary with the time of the year and people’s preferences.

  • Many are served with a variety of soup accompaniments such as cooked pasta or croutons – either from white rolls or rye bread.  Sponge fingers or little biscuits are also often served with them.
  • They can be made from fresh (or frozen) fruit or bottled fruit and also from dried fruit.
  • Most recipes are for single single fruit versions but you can use mixed fruits depending on what is available but try to keep to just 2 or 3 fruits.
  • These soups should not be over sweet.
  • Potato flour is usually used as a thickening agent but you could substitute cornflour for this.
  • Some recipes had soured cream added, sometimes before serving.

I am going to look at 3 different summer fruit flavours in this post:

  • Rhubarb
  • Sour cherry
  • Strawberry

Later I will look at others including using dried fruits, which are more for the winter time and would usually be served warm or hot.

Rhubarb Soup

Ingredients

  • 500g rhubarb
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of potato flour
  • Small cinnamon stick
  • 4 cloves
  • 1.5 litres of water
  • 125 ml of soured cream

Method

  • Cut the rhubarb into small chunks.
  • Put the rhubarb and spices into a large saucepan.
  • Add the water, bring to the boil then simmer till the rhubarb is falling apart.
  • Sieve to remove the pulp.
  • Add the sugar to the liquid.
  • Mix the potato flour with the soured cream.
  • Add this to the soup.
  • Bring to the boil, stirring gently.
  • Serve hot or warm with rye bread croutons or cold cooked pasta.
  • or add a few fresh strawberries or alpine strawberries to each portion.

Sour Cherry Soup

I have never seen fresh soured cherries for sale in England, so my recipe is based on using bottled soured cherries, which works very well and can be made all year round.

Ingredients

  • 500 -600g of bottled cherries
  • Small cinnamon stick
  • 4- 6 cloves
  • Strips of peel from 1 lemon
  • Water to make the juice amount  up to 1.5 litres
  • 1½ tablespoons of potato flour
  • *
  • I did not add any extra sugar to the bottled cherries

Method

  • Depending on the jar of cherries – you may have to stone them.
  • Put the cherries, cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon peel into a saucepan.
  • Bring to the boil and then simmer gently, with a lid on, until the cherries are very soft.
  • Leave to go cold.
  • Remove the spices and lemon peel.
  • Blend the cherries to a pulp.
  • Mix the potato flour and a little of the liquid in a small dish.
  • Add the potato flour mixture to the blended cherries.
  • Bring up to the boil gently, stirring often.
  • Simmer and stir until the soup thickens.
  • *
  • Serve hot or chilled with cold pasta.
  • *
  • I like this best hot – even on a warm day.

 

Strawberry Soup

  • This is best eaten chilled – the strawberries are not cooked.
  • If you prefer a tangier taste add the juice of a lemon at the end.

Ingredients

  • 450-500g  strawberries
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of potato flour
  • 1 litre of water
  • 250ml of soured cream

Method

  • Add the sugar to the water and bring this to the boil.
  • Mix the potato flour with a small amount of water.
  • Add this to the sugar water.
  • Heat and stir till it thickens.
  • Leave to chill.
  • Add the soured cream and mix together.
  • Remove any leaves and stalks from the strawberries.
  • Gently wash the strawberries.
  • Blend the strawberries to a pulp.
  • Stir the strawberry pulp into the chilled thickened sugar – cream mixture.
  • Chill for 30 minutes.
  • Serve with sponge fingers or sponge drops.

 

Served in –

  • Royal Doulton – Carnation – 1982 – 1998
  • Midwinter – Spanish Garden – 1966 – 1982

Meringue Cake with Rhubarb

Tort Bezowy is a meringue cake.

Meringues are popular in Poland and often made because lots of other dishes contain many egg yolks so there are egg whites needed to be used rather than wasted.

A little tip – freeze two egg whites at a time in a little container – then you have them ready for use later – bring them back to room temperature first.

The meringue that is used here has the addition of potato or cornflour and a little vinegar which gives a soft marshmallow centre to the meringue.

This style of meringue dish was named in honour of the Russian ballerina Anna Pawlowa (Pavlova) after her tour of Australia in 1926.

It is made up of 3 parts

  • 1 Pavlova style meringue
  • 2 Budyń (Custard)
  • 3 Rhubarb compote

Pavlova style meringue

Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of potato flour or cornflour
  • 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
  • 2-3 drops of vanilla essence

Method

  • Use the loose base of a baking tin 25cm in diameter.
  • Lightly grease the circle.
  • Cut a 25cm circle of greaseproof and stick it on the metal circle.
  • Place the circle on a large baking tray – one without sides is best.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM1 – 140°C.
  • Whisk the egg whites until stiff.
  • Add the sugar and whisk again till stiff.
  • Fold in the potato or corn flour, the vinegar and vanilla essence.
  • Using up to ½ of the mixture cover the circle on the tin.
  • Using the rest of the meringue put spoonfuls around the edge.
  • Bake for 50 minutes.
  • Turn off the oven and leave the meringue inside for 20 minutes.
  • Take out and leave to cool completely before filling.

Budyń  (Custard) 

Ingredients

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 400ml of milk
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 2½ tablespoons of potato flour or cornflour
  • 2-3 drops of vanilla essence

Method

  • Put 250ml of the milk, the butter, sugar and vanilla essence into a saucepan.
  • Heat gently until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved, stirring all the time.
  • Bring to the boil and then take off the heat.
  • Blend together the rest of the milk (150ml), the egg yolks and the potato or corn starch.
  • Add some of the boiled mixture and stir well.
  • Add this to the rest of the boiled mixture and stir well.
  • Put the pan back on the heat and gently bring back to boiling point and keep stirring.
  • Keep on the heat  – stirring for 1 minute.
  • Pour into a glass or china dish and cover with a circle of grease-proof paper.
  • Leave to go completely cold before using.

Rhubarb Compote

Ingredients

  • 250g fresh rhubarb*
  • 75g granulated sugar

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 160°C
  • Cut the rhubarb into 4cm chunks.
  • Put the cut rhubarb into a small roasting dish.
  • Sprinkle the sugar over the top.
  • Cover with a piece of foil.
  • Place in the oven for around 30 minutes.
  • Leave to go cold before using.

*You might want to roast more rhubarb for other uses and just use some for this dish.

Assembling the Pavlova

All three parts must be cold.

  • Place the meringue nest on a large serving plate or stand.
  • Using a tablespoon – pile the budyń (custard) into the centre.
  • Arrange the rhubarb chunks and some of the syrup over the custard.

Lead Crystal cake stand  – Tortenplatte – Venus  by Nachtmann(Germany).

Plates – Lavender by Jet for Ter Steege in The Netherlands.

Placek with Rhubarb & Meringue

This cake was inspired by my placek(flat cake) with sour cherries and meringue. 

There are three parts to this cake:

  • Short pastry base – baked and cooled.
  • Rhubarb filling – cooked and left to go cold.
  • Meringue topping.

Three stages all take a bit of time but well worth the effort. It is delicious with a lovely balance of  sweetness against the tart rhubarb.

Short pastry base

The base of is made with a smaller amount of the recipe for  Ciasto kruche 1 – using raw egg yolks found in a previous post  – Pastry – ciasto kruche & półkruche. 

I could see out of my kitchen window that the rhubarb was beginning to grow.  As I still had one batch left frozen from last summer I to decided to use that up before the new crop and in time for you to try it.

Ingredients – base

  • 200g plain flour
  • 100g butter – chilled
  • 70g icing sugar
  • 2 egg yokes
  • pinch of salt

Method – base

  • Add a pinch of salt to the flour.
  • Use a knife to cut the chilled butter into small pieces into the flour and then use your fingers to make the mixture like breadcrumbs.
  • Add the icing sugar and mix this together.
  • Add the yolks and gently mix this in, then and bring it all together into a dough – try and handle the pastry as little as possible.
  • Form the dough into a rough rectangle.
  • Wrap the dough in greaseproof paper and chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to GM 6 – 200°C.
  • Grease and line a 23 x 26 cm baking tin.
  • Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough a little
  • Press the dough into the tin – filling it up all the sides.
  • Prick the surface with a fork.
  • Bake for 20 – 25 minutes till golden.
  • Leave to cool.

Ingredients – Rhubarb filling

  • 400g (approx) of rhubarb
  • 150g of granulated sugar (more may be needed)
  • 25g of butter
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2-3 tablespoons of potato or corn flour

Method – rhubarb filling

  • This needs to be made ahead of time as it must be cold.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM2
  • Chop the rhubarb into small pieces and place in a baking dish
  • Add sugar.
  • Bake in the oven for around 1 hour – till soft.
  • Check for sweetness and add more sugar if necessary – but not too sweet.
  • Leave to cool a little.
  • *
  • I used cooked rhubarb that I had frozen from last year. 
  • *
  • Wizz the rhubarb up with a blender or chopper to get a purée.
  • Place this in a saucepan.
  • Heat slowly.
  • Mix the yolks with the potato or cornflour and add this to the rhubarb and heat till it thickens.
  • Add the butter and mix in.
  • Leave to go cold before use.

A few thoughts on the origin & history of meringues:

  • Meringue – a French word.
  • Swiss village of Meiringen.
  • Improved by Italian chef Gasparini.
  • From Polish word – marzynka – a day dream?
  • Made by the chef for the exiled king of Poland, Stanisław Leszczyński (1677 – 1766), Duke of Lorraine (1737 -1766).
  • His daughter, Maria, was married to Louis XV of France and she introduced them to the court.
  • In Polish – beza(sing)) bezy(pl) – link to – buzi – kiss?
  • French meringue – whisk eggs till stiff – add sugar and whisk again.
  • Italian meringue – uses sugar syrup.
  • Swiss meringue – sugar and whites heated over a water bath.
  • Addition of cornflour – strengthens the egg white.

Meringue

  • I used 4 egg whites & 200g icing sugar.
  • Place the whites into a grease free bowl.
  • Whisk till stiff.
  • Add icing sugar and whisk again till stiff.

  • Preheat the oven to GM 1 -140°C.
  • Cover the base with the rhubarb filling and level it out.
  • Cover the rhubarb with the meringue and level it out
  • Put back into the oven for 45 to 60 minutes.
  • Cut the cake into squares when cool to serve.

Served here on  Royal Doulton – Counterpoint tea plates 1973 – 1987.

Rhubarb & Date Cake

As I have rhubarb growing in the garden I am always on the lookout for recipes  for  rhubarb cakes and have tried many from English, American & Polish recipe books and magazines.

Some recipes just used 1 or 2 stalks of rhubarb – as I have lots of rhubarb – I wanted a recipe that used more.

I was talking with my old school friend who lives in Leeds and she told me her husband makes a lovely rhubarb cake with the rhubarb they have growing on their allotment.

So, I tried it out and it was indeed lovely!

Ingredients

  • 340g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 170g  butter
  • 230g caster sugar
  • 450g rhubarb, chopped into small cubes
  • 230g stoned dates, chopped into small pieces
  • 2 eggs
  • 120ml milk (either whole or semi skimmed)

Method

  • Preheat the oven to GM 5 – 190°C
  • Line the base of a 26cm round spring-form or loose bottomed tin with baking paper. (You can use a 23cm tin)
  • Place the chopped rhubarb and dates into a bowl.
  • Place the flour and baking powder into another bowl.
  • Cut the butter into cubes and rub it into the flour using your fingertips until you have a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs.
  • Stir in the sugar.
  • Stir the chopped rhubarb and dates into the mixture.
  • Combine the eggs and milk in a jug and beat a little.
  • Stir into the cake mix until well combined.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and level the surface.
  • Bake for approximately 1 – 1 & 1/4  hours or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean – best check on it after an hour and cover top if necessary to prevent burning.
  • Leave to cool on a wire rack until the tin is cool enough to safely handle.
  • Remove the cake from the tin and leave to cool completely on the wire rack

Although the cake keeps well, I think it is best eaten when fresh as then the rhubarb taste is strong and the cake delicious.

Crown china tea plates – no pattern named.

Note

The rhubarb season is now over in my garden as it has just past July – next year I am going to try some variations on this cake eg – without the dates or with raisins etc.