Greet Mom with a rhubarb cake

  • By Judyrae Kruse / Herald Columnist
  • Thursday, May 11, 2006 9:00pm
  • Life

While it’s always nice to take your mother out for breakfast, brunch or dinner on her day, for a happily boisterous, really rollicking good time, home might be the best place for a great family get-together.

Which might be why you’re planning a special home-cooked meal for mom this Sunday. If so, Camano Island cook Reda Gross shares a recipe for an oldie but a tremendously popular goodie. It’s a rhubarb concoction that’s fast and easy to fix, but is nonetheless said to delight all at the table.

“Try it, it’s terrific,” she says and adds, “I cut back on the sugar, but do it to your taste. I also use sugar-free gelatin. This is a favorite with everyone I serve it to, and I like to pass it on.” She notes she originally found it at Allrecipes.com.

Rhubarb upside-down cake

2tablespoons butter, softened

4cups diced rhubarb

1cup granulated sugar

1package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin

2cups miniature marshmallows

1package (18.25 ounces) white cake mix

Spread butter in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Spread the rhubarb in an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with sugar, then sprinkle with the dry gelatin. Cover with an even layer of miniature marshmallows. Prepare cake mix according to package directions and spread on top of the marshmallows. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool. To serve, cut into pieces and flip over so the rhubarb is on top.

Makes one 9-by-13-inch pan, about 12 servings.

Note to Arch Whisman: Thanks!

Note to Nancy Thurmond: Punch up www.surejell.com – lots of recipes to choose from.

SOS: Arlington reader Joan Diegert hopes someone can share a recipe for the brown sugar crust/glaze used on commercially prepared specialty hams. “It’s brown sugary and crunchy and yummy,” she says. She’d also like to have a recipe for fried eggplant sticks similar to the Mrs. Paul’s brand she bought in the other Washington and tells us, “They were readily available back there and they were fabulous. I think about them often.”

If you can help, please write to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.

We are always happy to receive your contributions and requests, but please remember that all letters and all e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code. No exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com.

The next Forum will appear in Monday’s Time Out section.

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