Monday, May 18, 2009

More rhubarb



Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Martha Stewart Living Annual Recipes 2003

1 ¼ cups chilled unsalted butter (2 ½ sticks) plus more, softened, for pan
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons) I used the juice of 1 large lemon
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 ¾ cups sugar
1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 ½ pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9x12x3-inch baking pan with butter, and set aside. Make fruit sauce: Combine lemon juice, cornstarch, and 1 cup sugar in a medium saucepan. Add strawberries and rhubarb; cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until rhubarb is soft and liquid has thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; let cool.
2. Make crumb topping: Combine ¾ cup sugar and ¾ cup flour in a medium bowl. Melt ¼ cup butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Drizzle butter over flour mixture; using your hands, mix until crumbly. Set aside.
3. Make cake batter: Whisk together remaining 3 cups flour and 1 cups sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife or two forks (I used the food processor), cut remaining 1 cup butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. In a separate small bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Pour into flour mixture; stir to combine.
4. Spread half the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Top with half the fruit sauce. Carefully spread the remaining batter over the fruit, and top with the remaining fruit sauce. Sprinkle with the crumb topping.
5. Bake until cake is golden brown, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into squares.

Serves 15.
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The rhubarb caught my eye again this week. It was only $1.25 so hard to pass up. I didn't quite have 1 1/2 pounds but I added a few extra strawberries. I think I prefer the rhubarb combined with strawberries rather than on it's own. I thought this recipe was better than the other rhubarb recipe that I tried. This recipe was more time consuming but not difficult.

The fruit sauce would be great just over ice cream too.

I've got plenty to post about this week but I'm getting ready for a yard sale on Saturday so I may fall behind here. Where did all this junk come from? I had the basement practically cleaned out a few years ago but it all piled up again.

Question of the Day: Is your house clutter-free?

6 comments:

Rebel In Ontario said...

Clutter free? Is there such a place? My home is a long way from clutter free but I remind myself daily to take a look at what we call "the public areas" - where others will be when they visit - and try to see them with a fresh eye, like the stack of magazines under the coffee table that really don't need to be there, and I move or get rid of them. But clutter free will never happen while my packrat husband is still around, and I plan on keeping him forever so I guess I just have to find a balance between my clutter free wannabe house and his complusion to "save it".

Krissy said...

Mmm. the rhubarb coffee cake looks great!

I think I also prefer the strawberry-rhubarb combo as opposed to just plain rhubarb. Rhubarb can be quite tart and sweeter of the strawberries are a nice complement to its tang.

Ever had strawberry rhubarb pie? Yummy!

Btw, I don't have a house (uni student), but I'll admit my room is rather cluttered... notes, golf clubs, laundry... o well!

Anonymous said...

Surely you jest!! My daughter and I hope to have a gigantic garage sale (half of the stuff is hers). But gee, I dread the thought of having the sale. Ugh.

Jan

Unknown said...

HA! No way! I keep my downstairs pretty clutter free, but my room just doesn't stay that way as much as I try!

Donna-FFW said...

First off the cake would be called a winner in this house!

Clutter free.. not a day not for one sec.

Heather said...

Clutter free, not at all. I am horrible actually, but not as bad as most my some standards. It is my DH that is the clutter hog.

Rhubarb, I have never made or eaten anything made with this. I really want to try some this year. Thanks for presenting a good idea.