Strawberry Rhubarb Sundae

Warm rhubarb sauce can be eaten by itself, but it is even more delicious served over cold ice cream with strawberries!

For sundaes:
Rhubarb sauce
Strawberry jam (preferably homemade)
Vanilla ice cream
Fresh strawberries for garnish, optional

Rhubarb sauce:

2 cups chopped rhubarb
2/3 sugar
1 tbsp butter
a pinch of cinnamon

Cook rhubarb and sugar over medium heat, covered, for about 10 minutes. When rhubarb begins to soften, add butter, and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes. Sauce should darken as sugars caramelize. When slightly thickened and golden brownish, take off heat and add cinnamon.

Scoop one or two scoops of ice cream into each bowl. Top with warm rhubarb sauce and jam. Garnish with strawberries.

Sour Cream Rhubarb Pie

the absolute best rhubarb pie you will ever consume. the best. the end.



Crust:

Any crust will do, but this is my favorite pie crust-from The Joy of Cooking. You can use a double crust or just a single crust (I use a one-and-a-half recipe and lattice the top. Personal preference).

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup shortening or lard
3 tbsp. butter
6-7 tbsp. ice water (without the ice, of course)

Combine flour and salt in large bowl. With pastry cutter, butter knives, or fingers, work the lard into the flour mixture, until biggest chunks are about the size of peas. Work in the butter, until the entire mixture is like coarse sand. Sprinkle six tablespoons of water over the mixture, and toss with a fork to combine. If dough does not form a ball when pressed together, add more water, a teaspoon at a time. When dough forms into a ball, split into two balls, flatten each into a disk shape, place in airtight container or plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing filling.

Filling:

3 cups rhubarb
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

Preheat oven to 400˚F.
Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Stir until sour cream and sugar have melted together to appear smooth and creamy. Roll out each disk of dough, placing one in the pan and pressing down the bottom and sides. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust. Top with second crust, if using.
Bake at 400˚F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350˚F and bake for an additional 40 minutes, or until filling has set and crust is golden brown. (You may want to check the crust a couple times during to make sure it is not getting too brown. If it is, cover the pie with foil for the rest of the baking.
Cool the pie for at least an hour to let the filling set up. Serve warm or chilled.

BEST Cobbler

Perfect Cobbler

Dough:

1 3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup buttermilk


Choose a filling:

Peach filling

3 cups sliced peaches
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Rhubarb filling

3 cups rhubarb
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Berry filling

3 cups blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or any combination
1/2 cup sugar (or more or less depending on how sweet the berries are)
2 tbsp. cornstarch

Apple filling

3 cups apple slices
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon


For filling:

Mix desired filling ingredients together. Spread evenly over a greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Preheat oven to 400˚.


For dough:

Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is nearly the texture of coarse sand. Pour in buttermilk and toss with a fork until dough comes together. Gather dough into one big mass. Pinch off pieces and flatten to make flat irregular shapes and place each piece over the filling until all dough is used. Bake 25-30 minutes or until top turns slightly brown and fruit bubbles.

Rhubarb Streusel Rolls

Best of the rhubarb! Rhubarb is one of the first and most plentiful edible plants to pop up in the spring.

4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 dry milk powder
1/2 cup butter
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/2 cup hot water (120-130 F)

Combine 3 cups flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and dry milk powder in large bowl. Grate cold butter into bowl with large holes of a cheese grater. Mix in yeast, then pour in hot water. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add additional flour until dough is kneadable, but still sticky. Knead on floured surface for 10 minutes until dough is smooth, soft, and shiny. Let rise at least 1 hour. Make rhubarb filling.

Rhubarb filling:

1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. corn starch
2 cups rhubarb
1/2 cup strawberry or raspberry jam

Mix sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Stir in rhubarb until thoroughly coated with sugar mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until rhubarb is soft. Stir in jam and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Cream cheese streusel:

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese

Combine first three ingredients. Cut in cream cheese until biggest pieces are no bigger than a pencil eraser.

To assemble:

Separate dough into 12-16 dough balls, depending on how big you want them. Press a fairly deep hole into the center of each with the back of a spoon. Fill indentation with rhubarb filling. Top each with a spoonful of streusel. Let rise for 1 hour.
Bake in a 350˚F oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.