rhubarb Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Cherry Rhubarb Crisp with White Wine

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:27:37 +0000

Rhubarb is an important plant to all Minnesotans. Not only can it be found in nearly every neighbor’s garden and growing alongside walking paths and trails in local parks, but for those of us living in the North, it is also a symbol of winter’s end. As its green leaves and pink stalks start to peek out of the ground, there is a collective sign of relief among us all. Winter has come and gone. Spring is here at last. I grew up in a neighborhood where neighbors and friends often sent over a rhubarb crisp, and wanted to recreate the nostalgia while also giving this dessert a little update. Sweet cherries were a delicious addition and also added beautiful color (some rhubarb is green and bakes up a disappointing brown), and sweet white wine added flavor while also helping me use up the end of that box of wine. About this recipe Using Wine in a Fruit Crisp I often bake with alcohol; I find the addition of wine or liqueurs adds good flavor and moisture to what I am making. I added sweet white wine here on a whim and loved how the cherries, rhubarb, and wine all […]

The post Cherry Rhubarb Crisp with White Wine appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

Raspberry Rhubarb Streusel Pie Bars

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 11:43:13 +0000

I’ve always loved using rhubarb as an introduction to Spring baking, and these bars hit all the right notes. You get this amazing contrast between the sweet, jammy raspberries and the tangy bite of rhubarb, which keeps every bite from being too sweet. The easy, press-in crust has an oat base that holds everything together, a sweet-tart, jammy filling, topped with a golden, crumbly streusel that adds just the perfect amount of crunch. When this is in the oven, the whole kitchen smells incredible. These bars are delicious on their own, but I’ll never turn down a dollop of fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

The post Raspberry Rhubarb Streusel Pie Bars appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

Rhubarb Blackberry Streusel Buns

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 15:31:49 +0000

Rhubarb blackberry streusel buns might be my new favorite breakfast indulgence, coming in right behind my beloved all-stars: straight-up cinnamon rolls. These rolls remind me of a perfect coffeecake, with a tender dough, a swirl of jam, and then plenty of streusel and icing gracing the top of each. I have a recipe for the rhubarb blackberry jam included here, but if you are in a hurry, any store-bought jam you love will also work fine. The photo above shows them in a gorgeous 10-inch copper round pan from Mauviel, and it’s the pan I most often use to make cinnamon rolls and other buns. The streusel rolls always bake up beautifully, and it’s a great serving piece as well. A few other things: The new Bake From Scratch Magazine is out (July/August Issue) and I am honored to be included in the 2018 ‘Baker’s Dozen’, with a spot-light on my pan-banging chocolate chip cookies. We are two days away from summer vacation at our house! I’m reading Harry Potter outloud to my kids, and have started the Flavia de Luce Book Series for myself. But I’d love any other suggestions you have for good summer reads! ZoeBakes made Coffee No-Churn […]

The post Rhubarb Blackberry Streusel Buns appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

rhubarb lemonade

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 21 May 2017 16:44:04 +0000

I took a much needed trip to Winona last weekend – my husband surprised me for Mother’s Day and sent me to a bed and breakfast, along with my old college roommate (and still dear friend), Kate. Kate and I lived together for several years in Winona, so we spent most our time walking around the Winona State University campus feeling nostalgic and dreamy, and catching up on everything. So much has changed since our time there, yet so much is still the same. We ate and drank plenty at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse as well, and guzzled down this rhubarb lemonade after a long stroll. After arriving home I immediately emailed Colleen for the recipe, and she graciously shared it with me. A trip to Winona always involves a date with Larry and Colleen, and they kindly invited both Kate and I over for dinner. It was an incredibly warm evening for May, so we all sat outside, along with their son Erik, sipping vodka lemonades and nibbling on all the goodness Colleen had waiting for us. The Wolner’s house is rather magical, and if you’ll allow me to pull out some nerdery, I’d say it rather has a […]

The post rhubarb lemonade appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

Rhubarb Puff Pastry Tart

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 01 May 2015 02:17:38 +0000

Rhubarb finally made an appearance at my local co-op. It’s ruby red stalks called to both me and the puff pastry tucked away in my freezer, so I took it home with me and set to work. I had this rhubarb tart recipe in mind, and didn’t change anything except to stir some raspberry jam into the crème fraîche, and sprinkle the tarts with a good amount of granulated sugar. It’s a truly delicious rhubarb tart. My brain is temporarily on lockdown, after a month of sick kids and allergy season slowly setting in. So here are some links for your Friday: Murmuration. Pretty amazing. I can’t get enough of Melody Gardot‘s latest song. All the things Anne Lamott has learned in 61 years. This is a good rumor. The perfect cookbook to get your mom. John Steinbeck and his diary. NANCY DREW. Super flattered to be included in Inspired: Top Food Blogs. There are 100 blogs listed, so you can find some new reads. Also! If you have had trouble in the past signing up for my post via email, it’s now been fixed. You can sign up on the side bar if you are so inclined.

The post Rhubarb Puff Pastry Tart appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

buttermilk cake with rhubarb buttercream and cardamom cream

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 03:14:17 +0000

This buttermilk cake was made in celebration of Saveur Magazine’s 20th birthday. When it comes to cake I only think in chocolate, but I got the idea of rhubarb buttercream in my head and thought it would pair better with a white buttermilk cake (although, after eating it, I think it could go either way). Rhubarb Buttercream I was really happy with how this buttercream turned out, which I adapted from Martha Stewart. Usually this type of frosting is too sweet and rich for me, but the tart rhubarb balances thing so well. I did need to use just a few drops of food coloring to get the frosting looking pink. The rhubarb will leave a few tiny strings in the frosting, but I liked how they looked. I’ve had good luck with this buttercream, but it did break on me once. If you have the same trouble, here are some great tips from The Kitchn on how to save a broken buttercream. Cardamom CreamMy family was split down the middle about this cream; half of them loved how it complemented the rhubarb flavor, and the other half wanted it just to be rhubarb buttercream in the layers. I personally […]

The post buttermilk cake with rhubarb buttercream and cardamom cream appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

Rhubarb Blueberry Apple Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 07:00:43 +0000

Last week I received my copy of The Homemade Flour Cookbook by Erin Alderson in the mail. I’ve been a fan of Erin’s site Naturally Ella for a long time, and last September had the pleasure of meeting her (and photographing her wedding). Erin is a hardworking, go-getting woman, and one of the most generous souls here in blogland. I’ve been terribly excited about her book. The premise of the book is exploring ‘the different ways to grind flour including electric and non-electric grinders, food processors, blenders, and even coffee grinders, making it easy for any do-it-yourself homemaker to have fresh flour whenever needed.’ The flours range from barley and einkorn, to gluten-free grains like quinoa and corn, and even legumes: chickpeas, lentils, and beans all are used. Erin explains the different ways to grind them, and has a vast array of recipes for all kinds of eaters. I had a pile of rhubarb in our garden, and a pint of blueberries that were on their way out, so Erin’s Whole Wheat Rhubarb Blueberry Apple Pie immediately jumped out at me. It’s a jem, and one I will look forward to making each summer. (Also, A few things:) Sara had […]

The post Rhubarb Blueberry Apple Pie appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

whole wheat waffles with rhubarb-blueberry-cardamom compote

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 21 May 2013 02:38:06 +0000

{most my anxiety and nightly begging pleading praying musings summed up in a nutshell. just throw in some fear of dying and you’ve got me:} ‘The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof. What I want is so simple I almost can’t say it: elementary kindness. Enough to eat, enough to go around. The possibility that kids might one day grow up to be neither the destroyers nor the destroyed. That’s about it. Right now I’m living in that hope, running down its hallway and touching the walls on both sides.’ – Barbara Kingsolver {still, the morning comes, and she is kind. I am greeted with kisses and whispers, little arms and legs rushing with smiles and snuggles and demands for waffles. so we break our bread together and spend our days giving in to joy, hoping it will once more bring us through the night…} Whole Wheat Waffles with Rhubarb-Blueberry-Cardamom Compote For the waffles, I always use the FauxMartha’s whole wheat waffle recipe. It’s never […]

The post whole wheat waffles with rhubarb-blueberry-cardamom compote appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

meringues with rhubarb curd and rosehip

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 08 May 2013 02:45:22 +0000

I’ve come here, several times now, trying to write this post. The things I want to write about, well, I don’t know what they are. Something brilliant, of course. I’d tie in Hemingway, since I just finished his book. I’d whisper lovely, thoughtful sentences to move you, and inspire you to bake and love and live. Or I could instead be quite honest; tell you that I’ve been so anxious, brimming with fear: of life, of death, and of everything in between. My mind feels like an enormous chalkboard, recently erased. I could peer at it and make out some words, but it’s mostly a mess of gray dust that will set off a coughing spell if I get too close. So maybe I’ll just tell you about these meringues: beautiful white circles glimmering on parchment! They are a lovely treat, a recipe from the amazing Zoë François. I had actually never made them before, and was delighted to find how easily they came together. One sweet-but-not-too-sweet bite will bring some comfort, and cheer hearts when words seem to fail. Meringues with Rhubarb Curd and Rosehip I used Ms. Zoë François‘ meringue recipe, which can be found here. It’s fantastic: […]

The post meringues with rhubarb curd and rosehip appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

raspberry-rhubarb yogurt jars

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 06:00:46 +0000

I spent this past weekend in a lovely stupor: warmer weather has arrived! finally! I was barefoot in the backyard, spending every waking moment basking in the warm sun. There were sassy coffee drinks to sip with good friends, dinner dates and long walks, spring cleaning and windows wide open all through the night. I even got to spend some time with Mr. Hemingway on our front porch; his well-known words lived out among us: we ate well and cheaply and drank well and cheaply and slept well and warm together and loved each other. He left me with a notebook scrawled with quotes and too many unfinished thoughts. But, they will just have to wait, for there is lettuce to plant and bikes to ride and ice cream stops to make and hands to hold on a perfect spring day. You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintry light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains […]

The post raspberry-rhubarb yogurt jars appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.