Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Season

The first strawberry rhubarb pie of the season is always such a welcome treat. Whether it comes from the bakery, a friend’s oven, or my own kitchen, I look forward to the delicious flavor that these two fruits work together to achieve. The good news is that this pie can really be made year-round, with frozen strawberries and frozen rhubarb. But still, nothing beats fresh fruit in a pie. I like how the filling in this strawberry rhubarb pie is quite straightforward, and everything needed was already on hand in the pantry. Tapioca or arrowroot starches are a substitute for corn starch, so that can be used instead if that is what’s available.

And this pie crust was a definite success: flaky and buttery, but without being too heavy. I’m still working on my pie-making skills, so my lattice tops are not anywhere near perfection; that’s why I like to do a dough crumble to top the pie. But practice would certainly lead to much prettier pies, so maybe with the bounty of summer fruit on its way, I can work a bit harder on my pastry skills. No matter how it looks, though, this sweet and tart pie is absolutely satisfying; I’m already looking forward to making another one.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Adapted from Nourishing Traditions

Yield: 1 9-inch pie

Ingredients:
Flaky Pie Crust-
1 1/3 cups unbleached white flour
Pinch sea salt
Pinch sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, chilled and diced
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
3 Tbsp. cold water
Filling-
2 cups rhubarb, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 cups strawberries, sliced
½ cup whole cane sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. tapioca starch or arrowroot
2 Tbsp. butter

Directions:
Crust-
1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and sugar. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. Add the egg yolks, then the cold water, and immediately blend together well, preferably with your hands.
2. Turn the dough onto a large sheet of wax paper and form into a ball. Wrap it up, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Pie-
1. Preheat oven to 450º F. Place the rhubarb and strawberries into a large bowl. Add the sugar, cinnamon, tapioca starch and toss together. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Remove dough from refrigerator. Butter or grease a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out the dough and press into the pie plate, reserving some for the topping of the pie.
3. Fill the pie crust with the filling, and dot with small pieces of butter. Top with lattice work or dough crumbles.
4. Bake at 450º for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350º and bake another 35-45 minutes, watching it carefully for the last 10 minutes. The crust should be brown, the filling should be bubbling slightly. Let cool, and serve warm or cold.

Buckwheat Scones

It’s always fun to try out a new type of flour, and see how its unique characteristics translate into a baked dish. This was my first time using buckwheat flour, and although a part of me wanted to make buckwheat cookies, I decided to try something that I would be able to eat for breakfast the next morning. That’s not to say that cookies cannot be a breakfast item, but I had a very specific intention in mind with these. Before I get out in the morning to do a day of gardening, I like to have a filling and wholesome breakfast; if I eat too much sugar in the morning, then I end up feeling overfull and slightly off-balance. But these scones, while sweetened with a bit of brown sugar, do not overwhelm. They provided me with a hearty satiation, as opposed to a heavy bloat.

The buckwheat gave the scones an earthy quality, and the slight addition of flaxseeds added to the nuttiness of the flour. And after I did a little research on buckwheat, I found out what a nutritional and fiber-full grain it truly is. Not only is it high in dietary fiber, but also in manganese and magnesium, and it’s been said to help lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure. I think the next step would be to get some buckwheat groats and prepare it as a breakfast cereal. For a quicker morning meal, these scones were filling and delicious, and I could feel the positive energy from the buckwheat helping me through my morning work.

Buckwheat Scones

Ingredients:
1 cup unbleached white flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup buckwheat flour
½ tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseeds
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1 egg
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup rice milk
½ cup dates, chopped
Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking powder, and flaxseeds. Cut in the butter and blend until there are course crumbs.
3. In a small bowl, mix the egg, brown sugar, and rice milk. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture, and blend well. Stir in the dates.
4. Turn the dough onto the prepared sheet, and shape into a circle, about ½ inch thick. Cut the dough into 4, 6, or 8 wedges, and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, and cool on a wire rack.

Gluten-Free Coconut Macaroons

Coconut macaroon recipes are not terribly difficult to find, and when I saw this one for Gluten-Free coconut macaroons, I hesitated for a moment and wondered if not most coconut macaroon recipes were actually gluten-free. As I looked into several other recipes, it looks like a good handful are. But these particular macaroons do call for flour in the recipe, and so brown rice flour is used to make the cookies free of gluten. The result of adding flour and eggs to a macaroon recipe is a much cakier concoction, and these did turn out quite rich. I made one batch of smaller macaroons, and one of larger macaroons, and given the texture and strong coconut taste, I preferred the smaller cookies. Of course, the coconut and the chocolate make a terrific flavorful combination, and I like the browned edges. I did keep a close eye on them toward the last few minutes, though, so that I did not cross the fine line into burned macaroons.

Gluten-Free Coconut Macaroons

Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2/3 cup agave nectar
1/8 tsp. sea salt
2/3 cups brown rice flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (gluten-free)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, agave nectar, sea salt, flour, and vanilla extract until well-blended. Stir in the coconut and then the chocolate chips.
3. Drop the dough by the tablespoon-full on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes, until they are golden brown around the edges. Cool on the baking sheets.

Rhubarb Mini-Muffins

Spring has always had a special place in my heart, and after chilly, dreary winters, there's something magical about sunny days and warm breezes. But now that I'm living on a farm, I'm experiencing a whole new dimension to the season. I walk through the gardens and see evidence of life that has been dormant all winter, finally flourishing in the milder temperatures. In the greenhouse and cold frames are burgeoning little plants, many of which I started from nothing more but a tiny speck of a seed. I have pots of chard, kale, and broccoli on my deck, and already there are strong leaves and bright colors, indications of health. What a truly awesome sight!

For the past two years, I have been eating more seasonally, in a way, but not very intentionally. I've been buying the produce that looks good, and I know that fresh raspberries in January are not the best choice to make. But I haven't been paying much attention to which vegetables are growing each month, and when the best time for them are. However, I recently saw two beds in the garden that were lush with leafy looking greens, though I had no idea what lived there. When I looked closer, I saw that these glorious plants were rhubarb. I had never really known when rhubarb was in season, and I've only been cooking with it for the past year or so. But here, steps from my home, was rhubarb, ready to pick and eat (although, do not eat the leaves of a rhubarb plant - they are toxic to humans).

I saw very clearly how the rhubarb is in season, and so I picked some stalks and thought about what I would do with them. I found an interesting idea for rhubarb muffins, and so I put together a batch of these seasonal mini-muffins for my Kindergarten class. Although they were not quite as excited as I was about the idea of rhubarb muffins, everyone still enjoyed them. The rhubarb is not too strong, and there is enough sweetness in the muffins to give them a balanced taste, perfect for snack time or breakfast time.

Rhubarb Muffins

Yield 1 dozen muffins or 2 dozen mini-muffins

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups finely chopped rhubarb
Topping:
2 Tbsp. whole cane sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 ° F
2. In a large bowl, combine flours, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
3. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until moistened. Fold in rhubarb. Fill paper-lined muffins cups about half full. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over each muffin. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Maple Coconut Bar Cookies

Somewhere, in a bakery that I cannot remember, I tried a sandy and maple-y bar cookie. While I do not recall where I ate the bar cookie, I do remember the rich maple flavor and the buttery cookie base. I recently came across a recipe for maple cookies, and remembering this one maple bar I once had, I decided to play around with this recipe and see what I could come up with.

I really enjoyed the addition of coconut to these cookies, an ingredient I decided to stir in on a whim. The cookie itself is not too sweet, but it does have a delicious buttery taste that goes well with the subtleness of brown rice flour. They have a much more cakey texture, as opposed to a shortbread sandy-ness. And as far as the maple: It was definitely present, and it gave a light, lovely taste, but if I wanted to make these bars really maple-y, I could have added a teaspoon of maple extract, in place of one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Even still, these were no disappointment. They were a simple bar cookie to bake up, and respond well to some experimentation.


Maple Coconut Bars

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup evaporated cane juice
½ cup maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup brown rice flour
¼ tsp. sea salt
1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and the egg and whisk until smooth. 3. Add in flour and salt, then add in coconut and stir. Spread into prepared baking dish.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until set and lightly browned.
4. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Once again, peanut butter and chocolate join forces to create an amazingly delicious dessert. This is a wonderful no-bake recipe I found in one of my favorite cookbooks: How to Be a Domestic Goddess. Although this is a recipe found under the section “for kids,” I wasn’t able to find an adult who found these bars to be too childish. In fact, it was a good thing there was a lot of dancing at the party I brought these to, because they is a bit sugary, and dancing off the slight sugar high was very fulfilling. I put it together the day before I was to serve it, and it stayed fresh in the refrigerator, waiting to be served. I also cut these as small as possible, because in addition to being quite sweet, these are pretty rich – unsurprising, given the ingredients. Still, they were a hit with everyone who tried them, and I especially loved how the creamy peanut butter base went with the hardened chocolate topping: just like a peanut butter cup!


Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
Courtesy of How to Be a Domestic Goddess

Ingredients:
For the base –
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
For the topping –
7 oz. milk chocolate
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Directions:
1. For the base – blend all of the ingredients together in a bowl with an electric mixer. Combine until smooth. Press the mixture into a greased 9 in. square baking pan.
2. For the topping – melt the chocolates and butter together in a double boiler. Immediately spread onto the base.
3. Place in the refrigerator to set. When cool, cut into small squares.

Spring Chicks and Egg Nests

It’s been an interesting spring so far: lots of rain with mostly chilly days, yet loads of daffodils and tulips blooming all over. There are moments when the sun peeks out from behind the clouds, and the warm rays remind me that it is really April, after all. There have been nights, clear and bright, when the air is fresh and fragrant with new growth, and I can smell the hints of spring all over. Today, the wind is gusting at monster speeds, but spring soldiers on: I’m on duty this weekend, monitoring and taking care of the baby chicks that are hatching out of their eggs, after meticulous care to keep them warm and safe. As of this morning, I can hear cheeping coming from a couple of the eggs, and these two have small pecked-out holes, where the chicks are planning to emerge. A few of the other eggs are rocking back and forth, the chicks presumably desperate to start on their way out.

I’ve never experienced this before, watching new life appear from inside an egg. It reminds me of some crucial themes of springtime: birth, life, growth. It also reminds me that Easter is already this weekend, and that there are many delicious egg-themed candies out there for children who have not yet seen real eggs hatching. Still, I tend to think of Easter candy as a great celebration of the major symbols of spring. Of course, I probably should go and eat some leek or rhubarb to celebrate spring, as opposed to another little bag of Cadbury eggs. But those eggs can come in handy when making spring desserts especially for little ones (or the young at heart, the perpetually sweet-toothed).

I saw these chocolate egg nests in a magazine a long time ago, and I thought that this year, what with eggs hatching and spring apparent all around me, these would be a good treat to try out. They’re simple to make, and though not complex in flavor, they still are absolutely yummy. My 4-year old neighbor will be receiving one of these that I made today, and although I hope she enjoys it, I’m not sure it will compare to the sight of newborn chicks, just out of their shells.

Chocolate Egg Nests

Yield: About 8 nests

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 oz. dark chocolate
7 oz. milk chocolate
¾ cup shredded wheat, shredded
About 24 candy-coated eggs

Directions:
1. In a double boiler, melt the butter and the chocolates. When just melted, remove from heat and let cool only a moment.
2. Add the shredded wheat to the melted chocolate and combine. With your hands, form small mounds, about 2 or 2 ½ inches across. Place these mounds on parchment paper. After a few moments, firmly place 2 or 3 candy-coated eggs in the center of each mound.
3. Cool completely (preferably not in the refrigerator).