Rhubarb Slices with Buttered Almond Glaze

It's been awhile and I won't bore you with the details of my absence. Suffice to say that it has been hot and bothersome in these here parts. Recently, however, I was lucky enough to have a new double-oven range delivered to my kitchen. Thanks to Mixing Bowl and Frigidaire, I was the winner in the Frigidaire's Ultimate Recipe Contest on MixingBowl.com! I know the first thing I should have baked was the winning recipe, Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal Cookies, but I've been getting some requests for a rhubarb dessert. So, let it be rhubarb!

Rhubarb Slices with Buttered Almond Glaze

Printable Recipe

Filling:

1 pound rhubarb, fresh or frozen, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Crust:

2 1/2 to 3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup butter flavored shortening

2/3 cup cold milk

1 egg yolk (reserve the white for brushing on the crust)

Glaze:

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

Sliced almonds for garnish (optional)

In a large saucepan, combine the rhubarb with 2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to simmer and continue to cook until the mixture is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Stir the beaten eggs into the cooled rhubarb mixture and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt. With a fork, cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Beat the egg yolk into the cold milk and slowly add it to the flour mixture, stirring it together until it forms a ball. Turn the dough onto a floured surface  and gently knead a little more flour into it if it is too sticky (avoid handling it too much, or the crust will be tough).

Divide the dough in half. Sprinkle a little flour on a piece of parchment paper or a silpat and roll out one half of the dough into a large enough rectangle to cover the bottom and sides of the 9 X 13 inch pan. Turn the dough into the pan and gently press it into place. Prick several holes into the dough with a fork.

Beat the egg white with a fork until frothy (add a couple drops of water if desired). Brush about 1/2 of the egg white over the crust.

Spread the rhubarb mixture evenly over the crust. Roll out the other half of the dough and carefully place over the rhubarb mixture. Prick the crust to vent and brush the remaining egg white over the top.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Remove to a cooling rack. Drizzle with glaze while still warm. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if desired.

For the glaze, simply blend the melted butter, almond extract, powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon milk together with a fork until it is smooth. Add additional milk, a teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Since I just had to try out the range right away, I grabbed a pan and fried an egg. I have to confess that my air conditioning was on the blink and the heat index outside was hovering around 113 degrees....so I waited until nightfall to turn on the oven. The little one on top is perfect for just one item---and it doesn't heat up the entire house (not that it would have made much difference, lol).

If you look close, you can see the condensation on the pan. It was quite warm, so I didn't bother with cutting fresh rhubarb--I confess to using frozen.

Feel free to double the filling. I wanted to be able to pick the slices up by hand, so I just used less rhubarb. I also just pushed the crust halfway up the pan.

Rhubarb is actually considered a vegetable and it is very tart. If you prefer a sweeter filling, it is OK to add a little more sugar.

These slices are just a variation of my Strawberry-Rhubarb Slab Pie, and my original recipe for Apple Pie Slices. The dough is a bit denser than traditional pie crust and it allows for portability--really important if you want to pick up a piece and run! My next try at this will be with peaches...stay tuned.

Newtons Fruit Thins....A Review

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastmaker program, I was sent a package of the new Newtons Fruit Thins.

 I love trying new things, don't you? It's especially nice when it's delivered to your door. These cookies were waiting for me when I came home the other day...on the day that the temperature in the Twin Cities was a record 103 degrees. Yikes. No way was I going to turn on the oven and bake anything. Perfect timing.

Of course I had to haul out some ice cream--actually some Culver's Frozen Custard--to try with them.

I had actually tried these cookies a couple of weeks ago...the Chocolate Raspberry....and I liked them. In fact, I was going to pick up another package. Pete didn't like the Chocolate Raspberry flavor, so I had the whole package to myself. Too bad, he likes the Fig and Honey.

These are crispy cookies. Says so right on the package.

One of the reasons I like these cookies (besides the fact that they are tasty), is because I can portion them out nicely when I'm counting my calories. They aren't diet food, nor do they advertise themselves to be. But, I don't really do diet food...I just like to be aware of how much is much. Three of these cookies count up to 140 calories. Not bad. Plus I get 2 grams of fiber out them. That beats a glazed donut.

They come in a nice resealable package. I had to quickly open them myself. Why am I the only one around here who can open a package the right way? You can't reseal it if it isn't opened right. Sheesh.

So what do they taste like? This particular flavor, Fig and Honey, tastes like a cross between a fancy graham cracker and an oatmeal cookie. There are figs in there...little pieces...and some raisins. I couldn't discern between the two of them, but does it matter?

Crumbled on ice cream. Good suggestion.

The Newton Fruit Thins come in four flavors. Besides the Chocolate Raspberry and the Fig and Honey, there are the Cranberry Citrus Oat and the Blueberry Brown Sugar (my next try). They all have the little bits of chewy fruit in them and they are all crispy. I'll say it again...I like them.

PB&J Cupcakes

A few weeks ago, a representative from Hero Fruit Spreadables sent me an email asking if I would be interested in reviewing their product. Well, who doesn't like to try new things? Of course I agreed, and look at the lovely basket of goodies that arrived at my door:

Isn't that the cutest little banana spreader?

Now, I had seen these fruit spreads before, but frankly, since they are marketed for kids, I had little reason to look at them closely. What caught my interest in the initial email, though, were the flavors that the spreads come in: Strawberry Red Currant, Mixed Berry, Strawberry Banana, and Cherry Banana. Strawberry and Cherry Banana? I mentioned those to the hubby and his ears perked right up! I have to admit that we stopped and pick up a jar of the Cherry Banana even before I got the package in the mail---we just had to try it.

I think everyone has those little childhood favorites that they still indulge in. For me, I remember my mother mushing up bananas and adding a little sugar and cream....it was so smooth--I loved it! Maybe that's what attracted both Pete and me to the banana element in these fruit spreads. The texture is so smooth, no seeds or lumps, and the banana is real--there aren't any artificial ingredients. Huh--there isn't any High Fructose Corn Syrup, either!

While I loved the taste of these spreads (the Mixed Berry turned out to be my favorite) on my peanut butter sandwich, my mission was to pair up the fruit spreads and peanut butter in another form, something that kids and adults could both enjoy. How about a cupcake? Yes, please. I did scan the Internet for ideas and eventually came up with my own version:

PB&J Cupcakes

Printable Recipe

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 ° F.

Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Lightly spray each liner with cooking spray.

Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter and sugar together for two minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, on at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour and the milk, half at a time, beating until just blended.

Spoon the batter evenly into each paper liner. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Pipe or spread frosting on each cooled cupcake, leaving a well in the middle. Place about a teaspoon of fruit spread, jam or jelly in the middle of each cupcake.

Frosting:

4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup smooth peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
½ cup seedless fruit spread, jam or jelly

In a medium sized bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Add the powder sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating after each addition. Add the milk and beat until creamy.

Take them out of the oven before they get too brown...they should still be a little light in color.

 

I used the Strawberry Banana flavor with this batch, but any of the flavors will work.

Now, aren't these cute?

 

Not the most attractive picture, but it does show the crumb. These cupcakes will be a little more dense than from a box, but not so dense that they are dry. If you refrigerate the cupcakes, allow them to sit out at room temperature for a bit before you serve them.

I liked the peanut butter flavored cake, but next time I might try a chocolate version....

I have to say, since I started thinking about all of the ways I could combine the peanut butter and jelly, I couldn't get this little tune out of my head:

 I'm evil. Now the song is in your head.

A few more things about Hero Fruit Spreadables---they are sold exclusively at Super Target stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $2.49. Besides being free of artificial ingredients, they contain more fruit than traditional jams, and, just so you know this isn't a fly by night company, Hero first started making natural fruit jams in Switzerland in 1886!

 

Just for the record, I did receive free product in order to write this review. Am I lucky or what? Now, I'm thinking maybe a PB&J Cinnamon Roll might be in order......