Tag: Rhubarb

Rhubarb & Date Cake – 2

Many years ago I had been talking with my old school friend who lives in Leeds and she told me her husband made a lovely rhubarb cake with the rhubarb they have growing on their allotment.

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

Recently she mentioned a cake she called “Crusader Day” Cake and sent me the recipe.

I found it was nearly the same recipe but had extra Demerera on the top – so I made it again.

The Demerera made a nice crunchy topping.

Ingredients

  • 340g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 170g  butter
  • 230g granulated sugar
  • 450g rhubarb, chopped into small cubes
  • 230g stoned dates, chopped into small pieces
  • 3 eggs
  • 120ml milk (either whole or semi skimmed)
  • *
  • 2 & 1/2 tablespoons of Demerera sugar

Method

  • Preheat the oven to GM 5 – 190°C
  • Line the base of a 23cm round spring-form or loose bottomed tin with baking paper.
  • Or use a cake liner.
  • 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.
  • *
  • Sprinkle the Demerera sugar evenly over the top of the cake.
  • 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.

Option – This cake is quite big for the 23cm – I would tried it again in a 26cm diameter tin. I used 3 eggs and 3 tablespoons of demerera sugar.

Rhubarb & Custard Tart

  • I came across an English recipe for a Rhubarb & Custart tart, which I thought I could adapt to make it more Polish.
  • It takes many steps and takes a while to make.
  • *
  • It is easier to make the rhubarb, crumble and the budyń earlier.
  • 1 – The base is made from shortcrust pastry, which is baked blind.
  • 2 – The next layer is budyń – Polish custard.
  • 3 – The 3rd layer is baked rhubarb with sugar – it is sieved so you have a syrup to add to the finished tart.
  • 4 – The 4th layer is kruszonka – a crumble, which is baked seperately and then sprinkled on top.
  • I thought this crumble cooked seperately worked very well and will write a post about this soon.
  • INGREDIENTS – rhubarb
  • 400g rhubarb
  • 60g granulated sugar
  • METHOD
  • Pre – heat the oven to GM3 – 160 0 C.
  • Cut the rhubarb into 4cm pieces.
  • Place in a shallow roasting dish
  • Cook with the sugar for around 30 minutes.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Place in a large fine sieve.
  • Collect the syrup to use at the end when serving.
  • INGREDIENTS – budyń
  • 500 ml milk
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
    • 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons of potato flour
  • 3 yolks
  • METHOD
  • Mix some of the milk with the potato flour.
  • Heat the rest of the milk with the sugar in a saucepan.
  • Add the buter and stir.
  • Pour this over the milk and potato flour mixture.
  • Stir well.
  • Put this all back in the saucepan and heat with stirring until you have a thick mixture.
  • Add the yolks 1 by 1 with stirring until even and thick.
  • Leave this to cool completely before using.
  • INGREDIENTS – kruszonka crumble
  • 100g plain flour
  • 70g butter – cold
  • 70g granulated sugar
  • METHOD
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM6 – 200oC.
  • Mix butter with flour until the mix is like breadcrumbs.
  • Stir in the sugar.
  • Spread on a baking sheet.
  • Bake for around 30 minutes – stirring ocasionally.
  • It should be golden and crunchy.
  • NOTE – if you have too much store the excess in an airtight box.
  • INGREDIENTS – shortcrust pastry made with 250g plain flour.
  • METHOD
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM6 -200 0C.
  • Grease a loose bottomed 21cm tart tin.
  • Roll out the pastry thinly and line the tin.
  • Remove the excess.
  • Prick the base with a fork.
  • Cover with baking paper and baking beans.
  • Place the tin on a baking sheet.
  • Bake for 12 minutes.
  • Remove the beans and the baking paper and bake for another few minutes.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Turn the oven down to GM4 – 180 0 C.
  • Place a thick layer of budyń in the baked tart pastry ( if you have some left over – save it for other desserts).
  • Place a layer of the cooked rhubarb over the budyń.
  • Bake for around 15 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and sprinkle the kruszonka over the top.
  • Leave to cool completly before serving.
  • You can serve with some of the rhubarb juice.

Mackeral & Rhubarb

This is such a simple recipe, I will be making it often when rhubarb is in season.

The rhubarb goes so well with this oily fish.

The amount of rhubarb given here were for 2 fillets of mackeral but can be stretched to 3 fillets.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 fillets of mackeral (1 per person)
  • A little oil to fry the mackeral
  • 4-5 stalks of rhubarb
  • 2 -3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons of water

    METHOD
  • First cook the rhubarb.
  • Chop the stalks into lengths of around 5-8cm.
  • Place the rhubarb, sugar and water into an ovenproof dish.
  • I used a Pyrex dish.
  • Add the cover from the dish (see through is good).
  • Place the dish into an oven at around GM3 – 1600C.
  • Cook for around 30 minutes.
  • Keep an eye of this you do not want pulp – rather you want the rhubarb to keep its shape.
  • *
  • Just before the rhubarb is ready – fry the mackeral filets in a frying pan in your usual manner
  • Cook them on both sides.
  • *
  • Serve the mackeral with some rhubarb at the side.

Served here on a Royal Doulton Burgundy plate.

Yeast Racuszki with Rhubarb

This recipe is based on Yeast Racuszki with Apples, which was from my late Aunt in Poland who lived in mazury – the Polish lakes district.

Ciocia Pola (Apolonia) Aunt Pola, my mother’s sister lived on a small farm and the eggs and milk were from the farm and the butter was her own and also the apples from the garden. She made  racuszki – using a thick yeast risen batter.

As my rhubarb is growing in the garden I thought I would try these with chopped rhubarb rather than apples.

Ingredients

  • 125 ml of milk (full is best or semi-skimmed)
  • 25g caster sugar and 1 teaspoon
  • 10g  fresh yeast or 5g  dried yeast
  • 25g  butter
  • 1 egg
  • 125g plain flour
  • Large pinch of salt
  • 3-4 stalks of rhubarb ( depends on the size)
  • *
  • A little oil for cooking
  • Icing sugar, caster sugar or cinnamon sugar to dust.

Method

Warm half the milk and add a teaspoon of caster sugar and the yeast and mix it all together and leave it to froth up.

Melt the butter and leave it to cool.

Whisk the egg with the rest of the sugar until it is thick and creamy.

Put the flour and salt into a large bowl.

Use a wooden spoon (one with a hole works really well) and beat in to the yeast mixture, the egg & sugar mixture and then the melted butter.

Slowly add the rest of the milk, mixing until the mixture has the consistency of double cream.

Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave this to rise.

Cut the rhubarb into chunks of around 2cm ( not too small as it will turn out too stodgy)

Add the rhubarb to the risen batter and mix them well in to coat them.

  • Use a griddle or thick cast iron frying pan and use oil to grease it lightly and heat it up.
  • You need to try and keep a low to medium heat so as not to burn the pancakes.
  • Place large tablespoons of rhubarb and batter onto the pan and cook them so that they are golden brown on both sides.
  • Remove them from the pan and dust them with icing sugar, caster sugar or cinnamon sugar.

Royal Doulton – Burgundy plate

Racuszki with Rhubarb

  • This is the first of several new recipes with rhubarb.
  • Racuszki are a cross between a fritter and an American style pancake.
  • Rbubarb is starting to grow in the garden.
  • I decided to try a recipe based on racuszki made with apples which I had posted several years ago.
  • INGREDIENTS
  • 4 -5 stalks of rhubarb (depends on size)
  • 130g plain flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 125ml of yoghurt
  • 2 eggs
  • Water (up to 60ml)
  • *
  • Sunflower oil for frying
  • METHOD
  • Chop the rhubarb into thin slices around 1 to 5cm (no more).
  • Mix the flour, salt and yoghurt in a large bowl.
  • Beat in the eggs.
  • Add enough water to make a very thick batter.
  • Stir in the rhubarb to coat the pieces.
  • Using 1-2 tablespoons, drop these on a hot griddle or frying pan – you may need a little sunflower oil.
  • Have the heat on low to medium so you do not burn them.
  • Flatten the rhubarb so you only have 1 layer in each pancake.
  • Turn over and bake on both sides.
  • *
  • Best eaten hot – but you can keep them in a warm oven if you want to serve them all together.
  • *
  • Dust with icing sugar to serve or sugar mixed with cinnamon.

Rhubarb Revisited

  • Rheum rhabarbarum is the Latin name for rhubarb   –  in Polish  it is rabarbar.
  • It is a plant that has its origins in China, Mongolia & Siberia – its roots survive the cold!
  • Rhubarb roots have been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years.
  • The plant arrived in Europe via Venice in the 14th century  having been brought  from China  along the Silk Road.
  • The leaves are poisonous  to humans as they contain large quantities of oxalic acid and other toxins.
  • The stems however can be eaten safely, although they do contain a little oxalic acid but their tartness is due mainly  to malic acid which is also found in sour green apples.
  • Rhubarb stems were first eaten in England in the 17th century.
  • In 1820 the rhubarb plant was taken over to the USA.
  • I live in West Yorkshire –  just outside what is called the Rhubarb Triangle  of Wakefield, Leeds & Morley   – where rhubarb is grown in forcing sheds (in darkness) on a commercial scale.
  • *
  • I have rhubarb growing in my garden.
  • The rhubarb is springing up and I have been looking for new recipes for it.
  • So far I have found several new recipes, which I will be trying out soon.
  • I thought I would look at recipes I have already posted and there are quite a few.
  • This post show links to recipes I have already posted.
  • It will save you searching.
  • Cake with Rhubarb
  • Cheesecake with Rhubarb
  • Easy Rhubarb Cake
  • Meringue Cake with Rhubarb
  • Placek with Rhubarb & Meringue
  • Pleśniak with RhubarPork with Rhuba
  • Pork with Rhubarb
  • Rhubarb Cake
  • Rhubarb & Custard Cake
  • Rhubarb & Date Cake
  • Rhubarb Soup – 1
  • Rhubarb Soup – 2
  • Rhubarb Yeast Buns

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