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RHUBARB HOLIDAY-BAKING
As the holiday season fast approaches, I have holiday-baking
on my mind. Each year, I pour over cookbooks and magazines swearing
that this year, the recipes will be different!!
Oh sure, I will make the old faithfuls, and the tried and true recipe that you just know turns out everytime, is fast and easy to make, and is always a hit with certain people who come to visit. For me though, Christmas holiday-baking isn't the same without shortbread for example. My daughter has a friend who loves it, and I always try to send a platter home with her when she visits. It wouldn't be the same without a certain Christmas cake.
I remember as a child, my Mother making hers' months in advance, and now I rely on her for them. As a kid, Christmas cake was not my favorite thing. But now I love it, and I appreciate the time and trouble she takes to see that we all have some in my family.
Most importantly, I don't think Christmas for my own daughter would be the same without a simple rice-krispie square iced with peanut butter and chocolate. It is easy, not fancy by any means, but it represents something to her that she has grown up with. I think holiday-baking traditions are important. We all have a favorite that we come to expect. It could be a magnificent recipe that took hours to prepare, or a simple cereal square that took 20 minutes. Tradition means different things to different people. And so I am realizing it is rather fruitless to pour over cookbooks and change everything that I am already quite comfortable with. And everyone else is too. I have to remember that! It is interesting though to see all of the wonderful things that are out there and ADD a Christmas holiday-baking recipe, not take away from the familiar. I think holiday-baking with rhubarb has a place at Christmas time. Many recipes
combine rhubarb with the "ingredients of the season" like
figs, cranberries, other fruits and traditional and commonly used
spices. There are a number of desserts, sauces and main-dish recipes
that may make it to your christmas table, and become a part of
your traditional holiday-baking if you give even one a try.
6 cups chopped rhubarb Bring the water and sugar to a boil and add the rhubarb and cinnamon. Cook 10 minutes and remove the rhubarb to a bowl. Chop the oranges (pith and peel removed) and add to the rhubarb in the bowl along with the figs. Strain the liquid and pour over the fruit. Chill before serving. Serve over a plain cake.
RHUBARB CHERRY JELLY 1 large can of cherry pie filling Coat rhubarb with sugar and refrigerate for
serveral hours. Change to a pot and cook
for medium heat until tender while stirring.
Add filling and gelatin and bring to a boil.
Let mixture cool and pour into jars.
RHUBARB CRANBERRY COMPOTE
1/3 cup sugar Mix the rhubarb,sugar,cranberry sauce and spices. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Add other fruits and rum. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Refrigerate. Remove cinnamon sticks before serving. This is to be reheated and is wonderful served with turkey, chicken and duck. A compote is wonderful also poured over any type of plain cake or ice-cream.
RHUBARB CRANBERRY SAUCE 3 cups raw cranberries Combine water and cranberries over medium heat. Wrap the spices in a bag and add to mixture. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the rhubarb, and continue until sugar has dissolved. Remove bag, and let cool. Refrigerate overnight and serve with turkey
or chicken.
1 egg Combine the above ingredients and gently fold in the rhubarb. Pour into a greased 9" baking dish. Pre-heat oven to 350F and prepare the streusel. STREUSEL TOPPING 1/4 cup flour Sprinkle over batter and bake your cake for 45 minutes. Let Cool. RICH VANILLA SAUCE 2/3 cup sugar Blend ingredients on low heat, and bring to a boil for 3 minutes until thickened. Serve the cake sitting in a few spoonfuls
of sauce. Add a scoop of vanilla or strawberry
ice-cream for an extra rich flavor.
A very pretty addition to your holiday-baking
desserts at Christmas.
White Chocolate Swirl Rhubarb Cheese Cake Enough for a Crowd
INCLUDE A RHUBARB AND CRANBERRY COBBLER IN THIS YEARS HOLIDAY-BAKING
You will need: 8 cups thawed rhubarb Gently mix the above ingredients and place in a greased 13" x 9" baking dish. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.
The Batter 1 egg Mix the batter and drop by spoonfuls onto the filling. Return to the oven for approximately 45 minutes until filling is bubbling and batter has browned. Served best with Vanilla Ice Cream
Leave Holiday-Baking and see Rhubarb Turkey Dressing
Having ham instead of turkey? Try this rhubarb chutney recipe served alongside. RHUBARB AND GINGER CHUTNEY 1/3 cup red wine vinegar Combine cinnamon, wine vinegar, sugar, peel, and cardamom in a pot
and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved
and add the rhubarb, onions and currants. Reduce heat and simmer
for 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick, and let cool. Refrigerate.
FESTIVE RHUBARB SALAD MOLD 2 1/2 cups diced rhubarb Combine and cook over medium heat until rhubarb is tender. Cool and strain keeping the rhubarb syrup. Add water to equal 2 cups liquid and put back into your saucepan. Bring to a boil and add a 6 oz. package of strawberry jello and stir until dissolved. Add 1 1/2 cups water and 1 tblsp. lemon juice. Chill. Once chilled and syrupy, add: 6 oz. cream cheese diced Pour into a 6 cup mold and chill until salad has set.
RHUBARB CHERRY PUNCH RECIPE 8 qt. water Cook down rhubarb until tender and strain liquid. Add the rest of the ingredients, and bring to a boil. Cool and pour into sterile jars. When you need punch, mix one jar with ginger ale or 7-up. The color is beautiful for Christmas and will compliment your holiday-baking items quite well in presentation.
Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles. (unknown quote)
HOLIDAY-BAKING RHUBARB DREAM BARS
4 cups chopped rhubarb Combine the 2 cups of flour and icing sugar. Cut in the butter into crumblike mixture. Press into the bottom of jelly roll pan. Bake 350F for 15 minutes. Blend sugar, 1/2 cup flour, salt and eggs. Gently fold in the rhubarb. Spread over the base and bake 45 minutes at 350F. Cool and cut into squares.
RHUBARB SPICE COOKIES 1 egg
Cream shortening and brown sugar. Add egg. Add rest of the ingredients and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 375F for 10 - 12 minutes.
HOLIDAY-BAKING RHUBARB SHORTBREAD 4 cups flour Beat butter with mixer until pale. Add egg yolks and sugar and beat until sugar has dissolved. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Cut dough in half on work surface and cut into 2 balls. Wrap and freeze for at least a half hour. Grate (large holes) one ball into a 9 x 12 pan. Pat dough down, but do not press. Spread with one cup of rhubarb jam, and grate remaining shortbread dough over top. Bake 40 minutes at 350F for 40 minutes or until golden. Dust heavily with icing sugar when removed from oven. Cool before cutting. Keep refrigerated. "The best holiday-baking freezes well, and this is one of them."
See Rhubarb Cranberry Cookies and Shortbread with Compote
RHUBARB CHEESE CAKE BARS RECIPE
2 cups sugar Base 2 cups flour Combine base mixture until crumbly. Press 2/3 into a 9 x 13 pan. Gently mix the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and cinnamon and fold in rhubarb. Spread on the base. Top with remainder of crumb mix. Bake at 350F until knife inserted comes out clean.
RHUBARB PHYLLO TART 3/4 cup sugar 3 tblsp. canola oil Combine 1/2 cup sugar, honey and rhubarb and cook over medium heat stirring often until rhubarb is tender. Gradually add cornstarch. Let simmer 3 minutes. Add the apricots, zest, cinnamon and strawberries. Mix into the rhubarb. Set oven to 350F and grease a 9" pie plate. Mix oil and butter. Cover the phyllo with a damp towel to keep it moist. Centre 1 piece phyllo in pie plate so that it drapes over. Brush lightly with oil and butter mixture. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs over top. Repeat with 5 more sheets laying them at angles to the previous sheets. Continue to sprinkle with bits of breadcrumbs. Pour filling onto the crust and continue to place the rest of the phyllo sheets as the previous ones. Remember to brush with oil and butter. Fold the overhanging sheets up and over the tart creating a border. Cover with remaining oil and butter. Sprinkle with 2 tsp. sugar. Cut 4 slits in top. Place on baking sheet and bake until browned at least 45 minutes. Cool well and dust with icing sugar.
HOLIDAY-BAKING ALMOND RHUBARB PASTRY Pastry 2 eggs beaten Work in 1/4 cup of marzipan almond paste into the dough for variety Filling 1 1/2 cup sugar Topping 1 tsp. vanilla Combine flour ingredients until dough holds. Form a ball and divide in half. Roll out half on floured surface into a 17" by 12" rectangle. Transfer to a greased 15" x 10" pan. Combine filling ingredients and sprinkle over the dough. Roll out second half of dough and cover the filling. Seal the edge. Bring butter, sugar and milk to a low boil in a saucepan for 3 minutes. Remove, stir in vanilla and spread over pastry. Sprinkle almonds on top. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes and reduce heat to 300F. Bake 30 minutes longer.
What would any holiday-baking be like without pies? RHUBARB RASPBERRY AND PEAR PIE 4 ready-made pie crusts Combine ingredients except for egg, and milk and mix. Unfold the crusts into two 10" deep pie plates. Sprinkle bottoms of pie crusts with a bit of flour, and divide the fillings between them. Cover with second crust. Crimp edges. Cut slits in each pie, and glaze tops with egg and milk mixture. Spring sugar. Bake at 425F until golden and fillings bubble up through slits. Let cool, and serve warm with ice cream.
RAISIN RHUBARB PIE 4 cups rhubarb chopped Cover rhubarb and raisins in the water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until rhubarb is soft. Remove from heat and remove the rhubarb and raisins with slotted spoon. Reserve the liquid. Add the sugar and cornstarch to the liquid and stir over medium heat. Bring to a good boil and cook for at least 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add spices. Quickly stir in the egg yolks and stir in rhubarb and raisins into liquid. Pour into pie shell. Bake 350 for 45 minutes. You can top with meringue if you like after cooled.
Never worry about the size of
your christmas tree. In the eyes of children,
they are all 30 feet tall.
(Larry Wilde)
Include your children when holiday-baking. Give them something they can make on their own or some little chore they can help you with while you are cooking. Children carry these memories for a lifetime.
Gingerbread House recipes, decorating ideas, kits, patterns,
and LOADS of gingerbread photos for inspiration. Find your inner child by
building a gingerbread house!
Get Your Free Christmas Countdown CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY-BAKING WITHOUT MINCEMEAT? Mincemeat was "created" as a way of storing and preserving food years ago. Modern mincemeat ingredients are normally an assortment of fruits and spices. Brandy or rum is added as a preservative and to give the mincemeat a tart taste. Apple cider can be used instead of the alcohol. Mincemeat pies and tarts recipes are very common during the Christmas holidays. A small amount is used in a pie, and the pie shell is filled out with apples for example. Mincemeat pies are topped with lattice or a single crust. Sugar is sprinkled on the top to contribute to the sweet taste. Mincemeat freezes well in containers or bags.
HOLIDAY-BAKING A RHUBARB MINCEMEAT PIE 4 cups chopped rhubarb 1/2 tsp each of allspice, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg Simmer all ingredients for 30 - 40 minutes. Pour into a bottle and seal until you are ready to make a rhubarb mincemeat pie.
To make the Pie - Put 2 1/2 cups of mincemeat into your pie shell. Cover the mincemeat with a mixture of apple slices and cranberries mixed with a bit of orange juice. Do not pile the apples too high. Cover with a top crust that is solid, or cut into lattice strips. You can also cut shapes out of your top crust and simply lay them in a pattern on top. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 425F for 15 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 350F and continue baking for 35 - 40
minutes until filling starts to bubble.
Take a break from holiday-baking and visit this great site for lots of christmas activities. Great fun for children and adults! Just click on the button.
- Free christmas cards that are fun (and easy) to send. Nice verses and accompanying music.
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