Some favorite rhubarb recipes

While rhubarb is still in season, I thought it would be fun to share these favorites of mine. Perhaps someone else would like to try these for their own families. I know I've shared the Four-Fruit Crumble before, but it's one of those recipes that bears repeating!

RHUBARB STREUSEL CAKE

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 egg
4 cups sliced fresh rhubarb
3 tablespoons strawberry gelatin powder
Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup quick or old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup butter or real margarine, melted

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, milk and egg; beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well combined. Spread the batter in a greased 13X9” baking pan. Arrange rhubarb evenly over batter; sprinkle with gelatin powder. For Streusel Topping, combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl until crumbly; sprinkle evenly over rhubarb. Bake at 375º for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and cake tests done. May be served warm or cool. Yield: 1 13X9” cake

I have been making this cake for my entire married life! It's one of the first dessert recipes I turn to when the rhubarb is ready every spring. The strawberry gelatin is the touch that makes this cake
especially mouth-watering.

RHUBARB CRISP

3 cups diced fresh rhubarb
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour, divided
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup butter or real margarine

Combine the rhubarb, sugar, and 3 tablespoons flour. Place in a greased 13X9X2" baking pan. In large bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, the brown sugar, and oats. Cut in the butter until medium crumbs are formed. Sprinkle crumb mixture over the rhubarb mixture in the pan. Bake at 375º for 40 minutes, or until rhubarb is tender and bubbly and topping is golden brown. Serve warm or cold, with vanilla ice cream if desired. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

I found this rhubarb crisp recipe nearly 30 years ago in a wonderful dessert cookbook given me by an aunt. It is easy and delicious -- a real taste of springtime in new England!

RHUBARB PUDDING CAKE

4 cups diced rhubarb
1 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter or real margarine, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

In medium saucepan, cook rhubarb, 3/4 cup sugar, orange juice, and water over medium heat until tender. Keep mixture warm while preparing cake batter.

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar, using electric mixer at medium speed. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add alternately with milk to the creamed mixture. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch square baking dish. Spoon the hot rhubarb sauce over the batter. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

My family just loves rhubarb desserts and eagerly awaits the
appearance of rhubarb every spring. This tangy pudding cake is one of our favorites.

Here's a very different rhubarb pie which my family really loves.  The recipe came from Karyl Bannister's Cook & Tell many years ago.  It's sort of a variation on rhubarb custard pie and is fabulous.

LETITIA'S RHUBARB PIE

First, bake this Pat-in-Pan Crust.

1 cup flour
2 Tblsp. confectioners sugar
Dash of salt
1/2 cup butter

Sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter with pastry blender. Press this crumbly mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a preheated 350º oven. If pastry seems to get too puffy, press it down lightly with the back of a spoon.

For the filling,
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup sugar
2 Tblsp. flour
Dash of salt
2 1/2 cups diced rhubarb

Beat egg yolks lightly. Add cream, sugar, flour & salt. Beat just until blended and thickened. Fold in rhubarb. Pour into baked Pat-in-Pan crust. Bake in preheated 325º oven for 40-50 minutes, until set. Serve at room temperature.

I used to make this one all the time and had sort of forgotten about it. It's so quick and easy and very, very good.

FRANK'S RHUBARB COBBLER

4 cups sliced rhubarb (sliced 1/2 to 1 inch thick)
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tblsp. flour
-------------------
1 cup flour
3 Tblsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 Tblsp. chilled butter
1/2 cup cream or milk

Heat oven to 400º. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Put the first 3 ingredients in the prepared plate and toss them together lightly. Place the pie plate into the oven for 7 minutes (or longer) while you prepare the dough.

For dough, sift flour, sugar and baking powder into a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the particles are the size of tiny peas. Make a well in the mixture and add the cream. Stir with a fork until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll or pat it out to a diameter slightly smaller than the pie plate. Remove the rhubarb from the oven and place the rolled-out dough on top of it. Make several slits in the dough with a sharp knife.

Return the cobbler to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the dough is a rich golden brown and the rhubarb is tender and juicy. Serve warm.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

And one more....

FABULOUS FOUR-FRUIT CRUMBLE

3 cups diced rhubarb
2 medium apples, chopped
1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
1 cup raspberries (frozen or fresh)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour

TOPPING:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup canola oil

Combine fruit, sugar and flour; place in greased 13x9x2” baking dish. Combine brown sugar, oats, and flour; mix in oil until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit mixture. Bake at 375º for 40 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Yield: 10-12 servings.

Hope your family enjoys these rhubarb recipes if you give one or more of them a try!