More Rhubarb

I've been having more fun with rhubarb. I have it so I have to use it. As I just got a new gluten free baking book, I leafed through that to find a recipe for rhubarb bread. Not finding it. No matter, I am the adaptation queen. Find a recipe that looks like it could take rhubarb, add more sugar and ta da!! That is exactly what I did and I have to say the results were good. A moist bread with a tang to it from the rhubarb and slightly sweet. My sugar addict man has eaten half the loaf by adding sugar concoctions to his. One looked like maple syrup. Another looked like brown sugar. He did whipping cream, sugar and a bit of vanilla this evening. I'm good as is -- I may be just sweet enough.

The new book that I used was the Culinary Institute of America - Gluten Free baking. As I mentioned in a previous blog they have 5 different gluten free mixes. I don't feel as though I can post the exact ratios of the flours, but I will say what flours are used.

Rhubarb, by the way, is a good source of potassium and vitamin C. It does contain a high amount of Calcium, but the absorption is poor as rhubarb is high in tannins that bind the calcium. Rhubarb is very low in calories, but that is usually negated by the amount of sugar needed to make it less puckery.

So here goes my rhubarb bread recipe adapted from a strawberry bread recipe. It was very easy to make and did I mention yummy. Another plus is it does not scream "gluten free" weird stuff. The bread came up nice and high, not like a brick and the texture is good. Not as crumbly as a wheat flour bread, but not grainy like some gluten free products can be.

Rhubarb Bread

1 1/2 cups diced fresh rhubarb

1/2 cup flour blend #2 (rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch)

1 cup plus 2 tbsp flour blend #4 (white rice flour, tapioca starch and soy flour)

pinch of salt

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp canola oil

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp buttermilk - can use skim milk plus 1 tsp vinegar or dried buttermilk plus water - the buttermilk plus the baking soda make the batter more bubbly making the bread lighter and come up higher.

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 eggs (yes 6)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. combine flours, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar thoroughly.

3. In a separate bowl ,combine oil, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs thoroughly.

4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend completely until smooth. I will be like a cake batter.

5. Fold in rhubarb.

6. Pour into oiled loaf pan, bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from the center of the loaf.

Rhubarb Crunch

My family also has a universal love for rhubarb. I am thinking that this is a New England thing, because when I mention rhubarb to people from other parts of the county they have no idea what I am talking about. When I was a kid we used to eat the stalks dipped in sugar, puckery but good.
Mu rhubarb plant gets bigger every year. This year the thing is huge. Some of the stalks are a good 2 inches in diameter and the leaves could hide a 3 month old baby.
I was able to harvest enough to make a rhubarb crunch and a rhubarb bread, with enough to freeze and more awaiting harvest. Last year I harvested enough to make a few batches of crisp during the winter. I was also able to make several batches of strawberry rhubarb freezer jam.
The following recipe is another one that I have made for years. I adapted the original by cutting down the sugar, using whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose and increasing the oats. this increased the fiber content and decreased the total sugar. The original was too sweet for my taste.
I adapted it again to make it gluten free. It's yummy warm with vanilla low fat icecream or whipped cream. Sometime I add chopped walnuts to the topping.

Rhubarb Crunch

3/4 cup brown rice flour or gluten free flour mix
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup tranfat free mararine, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
4 cups diced rhubarb (or just fill the pan)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp corn starch
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a glass bowl, melt the margarine. Add flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon - toss with a fork until well mixed and crumbly. Lay 1/2 of bottom of 9 inch square dish or 11 x 7 inch pan.

Cover with diced rhubarb.

In a small sauce pan mix water, sugar and corn starch (I like to put the corn starch through a small mess collander to free it from lumps) Cook over medium high heat until thick and clear, it will start to bubble. Takes about 10 minutes.

Pour sugar mixture over the rhubarb. Top with remaining crumb mixture. Bake 350 for 50-60 minutes, until bubbly and rhubarb is softened. Serve warm.