CRIMSON RHUBARB
My mother would be 100 years old this year, and my grandmother would be 136. Seeing those numbers just now created an aha moment. My mother was about the same age when I was born as my grandmother was when my mother was born—both in their mid-thirties. My mother was in the middle area of a range of thirteen children, and I was the product of a second marriage, with an older sister and brother. Both were strong, hard-working, intelligent women. Both had green thumbs and performed kitchen magic in the way of good southern cooking and glorious pies, cakes, and other desserts. Rhubarb is one of the dessert treasures I remember from my early childhood and family history. Since April is generally the start of natural rhubarb season, I thought you might like some recipes of the interesting vegetable that is usually cooked and eaten as a fruit.
RHUBARB COCONUT COOKIES
Ingredients: ½ cup shortening, ¼ cup sugar, ¾ cup corn syrup, 1 egg, 1 cup thick cooked rhubarb, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cloves, 1 cup coconut, ½ cup chopped nuts, ½ cup raisins.
Directions: Thoroughly mix shortening, sugar, syrup, egg, and rhubarb. In a separate bowl, blend flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Blend both mixtures together. Stir in coconut, chopped nuts, and raisins. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake about 15 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven. Makes about 5 ½ dozen cookies.
Variation: Instead of rhubarb, you may also use 1 ¼ cups (a 1-pound can) of drained chopped peaches.
RHUBARB PIE
Ingredients: 4 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups sugar, two 9-inch unbaked pie crusts, 1 beaten egg.
Directions: Spread the diced rhubarb into one of the pie crusts. Combine the flour and sugar, and sprinkle it over the rhubarb in the crust. Cover the pie with the second unbaked crust, slicing 4 steam slots into the top crust. Brush the top crust with the beaten egg. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 35 – 45 minutes until the crust is golden. It’s delicious served warm with whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Not a lot of time to spend in the kitchen? Try this one:
HASTY RHUBARB PUDDING CAKE
Ingredients: 1 package yellow cake mix, 4 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup whipping cream.
Directions: Prepare the cake mix batter according to the directions on the package and spread it into your baking pan. Place the diced rhubarb on top, and pour the cup of sugar over the rhubarb. Pour the whipping cream over the entire mixture. Baking in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for one hour. Cook and serve with whipped cream.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Fantasy Romance
What a nice tribute to the memory of your mother and granny! It means it was delicious if you still remember this special dish.
I had to Google it as I’m not at all familiar with this vegetable. I trust you that it’s something yam-yam, given the combination of sour-sweet taste.
People often combine strawberries with the rhubarb– so tasty. Thanks for commenting, Carmen.
That’s a sweet story. My father in law loved rhubarb. We naught him some plants and would by him some pies his favorite. I saw these and thought of him. He passed away last August.
I remember your saying that I think in a blog, Cathy. And your father is the one with the sassafras?
I agree with Carmen. This post was a lovely tribute to your mother and grandmother. I’ve never really been a fan of rhubarb, but perhaps I would be if I’d had something they’d prepared 🙂
Yeh, I think so, Mae. Thanks for stopping by.