Strawberries, rhubarb share culinary spotlight in fab desserts
Today, we’ll explore some wonderful spring/summer recipes that showcase strawberries and that versatile rhubarb. We’ll begin with a real show- stopper so dig out your old double boiler for this gorgeous, delectable pie.
Glace
Strawberry Pie
1 cup pure cane sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 baked plain pastry shell
3 cups strawberries, neatly stemmed
1 cup real whipping cream
Bring water to a slow boil in bottom of double boiler; reduce to simmer. In top saucepan of double boiler combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, water and lemon juice. Cook, stirring, over low heat, until mixture thickens. Place pan over simmering water in boiler bottom; simmer 20 minutes; cool. Slice berries into baked shell, saving most beautiful berries for top.* Pour cornstarch mixture over berries; cool, chill. Whip cream until stiff and use for topping around pie.
*Tip: Rather than using whole berries to top the pie, cut stemmed tops evenly from the most beautiful berries leaving even-sized pointed ends to stand upward. Slice remaining berry parts with other sliced berries in pie shell.
Note: To make topping for our illustrated ice cream pie, simply cut all berries evenly and stir into glace mixture. Cool slightly before pouring over ice cream.
Our featured fruits join to tantalize tastebuds with their unique flavors: Rhubarb offers welcome tartness, while strawberries offer fragrant sweetness and they go together beautifully in this scrumptious pie.
Strawberry/
Rhubarb Pie
9-inch prepared unbaked pie crusts for two-crust* pie
4 cups fresh cut rhubarb (small pieces)
3 cups sliced strawberries (small cuts)
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup plus ¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons plus 1 ½ teaspoons quick-cooking tapioca
½ teaspoon grated orange peel
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
Glaze: 1 egg, beaten; 1 tablespoon sugar
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make pie filling: Combine rhubarb and strawberries in large bowl. Combine 1 1/3 cups sugar, flour, tapioca, orange peel, cinnamon and nutmeg in medium bowl. Stir well. Add to fruit. Toss to coat. Spoon filling into pie crust. Dot with butter. Moisten pastry edge with water. Cover with top crust and pinch edges together in pretty design. Cut slits or decorative designs in top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush top crust with beaten egg white, then sprinkle with the tablespoon of sugar for glaze. Bake 40-50 minutes or until filling in center is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Cover edge with foil if necessary to keep from overbrowning until pie is done. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. You may also cut top pastry into strips for a pretty lattice top if you wish. Be sure to pinch edges securely to bottom pastry.
Note: Some ovens are hotter than others: If your pie begins to get too brown, tent it with foil until done.
A few years back, I “invented” this simple recipe for offering luscious fruity enjoyment, using it for huckleberries. It also serves just fine with ripe strawberries! Enjoy!
Fruity
Fluff
3 cups cut-up ripe strawberries (or huckleberries), frozen/thawed or fresh, chilled overnight if possible
¾ cup pure cane sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon real butter
1 pint real whipping cream
Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt in pan, then add 1 cup of berries and the water. Bring to a boil, stirring and cooking until thickened and clear. Remove from heat, stir to cool slightly then stir in the butter and 1 cup of the remaining berries. Fold and stir until well mixed and chill for 1 hour, then stir in the last cup of berries. (Mixture does not have to be thick, a syrupy consistency is OK.) Whip the entire pint of heavy whipping cream in a large, deep, chilled bowl until fairly stiff. Do not add sugar or vanilla. Fold in berry mixture with a large spoon to mix completely with the whipped cream. Chill for later serving in dessert cups, or scoop into pie crust and chill.
Many years ago, I made this recipe with huckleberries for a party at which Gunther Schuller proclaimed it “A miracle!”( It’s particularly good when served with chilled flutes of Champagne).
By the way, you can use the berry sauce without the added whipped cream as an elegant crepe or pancake topping.
Last year, I ran this old recipe from our own lovely “hat lady” Mary Faux; I have received two requests to reprint it, so here it is again. Thanks, Mary!
Rhubarb Cake
½ cup shortening
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream or buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 ½ cups fine-chopped rhubarb
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup chopped walnuts
Combine topping ingredients and set aside.
Set oven at 350 degrees. Cream shortening and brown sugar. Add egg and blend well. Combine soda with sour cream/buttermilk and add alternately with flour. Stir in cut rhubarb, nuts and vanilla. Put in greased 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle with topping. Bake in 350 degree oven 35 to 40 minutes. Serve dolloped with whipped cream if you wish.
Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com or by phone at 208-265-4688.