New ways to use your rhubarb

Published 9:23 pm Monday, April 20, 2009

With her request for a reprint of a certain rhubarb cake, the old classic made with red gelatin and miniature marshmallows, Maxine Welly cleverly managed to plant an idea with Forum cooks that’s already bearing fruit.

Everett cook Irene Seidler offers us a totally different spin on rhubarb cake, while Sharon Parris antes up with something not only new, but unique — lemon rhubarb bars.

Irene says, “I’ve never written before, but love this recipe from my sister-in-law, and want to share it. It is so simple and tasty, we all just love it.”

And Sharon chimes in, “I enjoy your column and thought you might want to add a wonderful rhubarb bar to your other ways to use rhubarb. I got this from a church cookbook put out by the Mountain View Baptist Church in Darrington. It has lots of great recipes. This particular one I often fix for potlucks and am often asked for the recipe.”

Ready, set, go:

Irene’s sister-in-law’s rhubarb cake

2eggs

11/3cups sugar

1cup cream

2cups sifted flour (I just fluff)

11/4teaspoons baking soda

4cups sliced rhubarb

1/2cup brown sugar

1/2cup chopped nuts

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugar; add cream and blend. Add the flour and baking soda. Stir in the rhubarb and pour batter into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. (No need to grease the pan.) Combine the brown sugar and nuts and sprinkle over the batter. Bake at 325 degrees about 40 minutes.

Makes one 9-by-13-inch pan.

Lemon rhubarb bars

Crust:

2cups flour

1/2cup sugar

1cup margarine

Filling:

4eggs

2cups sugar

6tablespoons flour

1cup coconut

6tablespoons lemon juice

2teaspoons vanilla

2teaspoons grated lemon rind (optional)

2cups finely diced rhubarb

Powdered sugar for garnish (optional)

For the crust, in a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and margarine until crumbly. Press mixture into a 9-by-12-inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown on the edges.

For the filling, in a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar and flour. Add the coconut, lemon juice, vanilla, lemon rind and rhubarb and mix well. Pour over the baked crust and bake at 350 degrees 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan. If desired, when cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Makes one 9-by-12-inch pan.

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