Finnish Rhubarb Tart

I love rhubarb and my rhubarb patch!

It is time to harvest the last of my rhubarb for the season. I get a variety of thicknesses in my rhubarb.

I use the thickest stalks for Finnish Kisseli (Cold Rhubarb Soup).


I use the medium stalks in pies. My cousin gave me the best rhubarb pie I've had. Try it!

Ric's Mom's Rhubarb Pie

For the innards:

3 heaped cups chopped rhubarb.

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup tapioca

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

I save the thinnest stalks for the topping on this Finnish Rhubarb Tart I found on ScandiFoodie's blog. Click to see her step by step photos and a photo of the final product! Below I added the American measurements to her metric measurements. 

My neighbor said this recipe makes rhubarb taste like candy!

Finnish Rhubarb Tart

2 eggs
100g or 1/2 cup sugar
50g or 4 Tablespoons or 1/2 stick butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla extract
150g or 1 1/4cup plain flour, sifted
100ml or 1/2 cup pouring (light) cream
1 bunch rhubarb, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes I use my narrowest stalks for this topping.
2 tbsp sugar, extra
demerara or brown sugar

Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in melted butter and vanilla sugar. Stir in flour and finally the cream. Mix well and pour into a greased tart tin (24cm or 9inches). Sprinkle the extra sugar on the rhubarb and mix. Spoon the rhubarb on the dough and sprinkle with demerara or brown sugar.

Bake in 175C for 345F or about 20 minutes. Serve with custard or cream (or on its own).

Raspberry Pie

ingredients
1 bottom pie crust
4 oz. light cream cheese
1 small pkg. rapberry Jello (four 1/2 cup servings)
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar to taste
4 cups clean raspberries (chilled if possible)
1 cup ice
1/2 cup boiling water

directions
Put cream cheese on counter to soften.
Bake pie shell.  I keep my Mother-in-law's bulk pie mix on hand.
Cool on rack.
Set aside 1 Tbsp. of cream cheese. When pie shell is cool,
use rubber spatula to gently and completely cover pie shell
bottom and sides with an even layer of softened cream cheese.
Leave the top 1/2 inch or so of crust plain.  Put pie crust into
fridge to chill.

Filling
Set out one cup of raspberries.
Microwave 1/2 cup of water for 1 minute.  Pour into blender.
With blender on low speed, slowly add Jello/cornstarch/sugar mix
until fully dissolved.  Add tablespoon of cream cheese.
Blend in the cup of raspberries.
Add the cup of ice and increase speed to blend thoroughly
until all ice dissolved and ingredients are completely incorporated.
If desired, continue at high speed until sauce is both thickened and
light in texture like a chiffon.

Option 1:
Fold sauce mixture into the remaining 3+ cups of raspberries and
pour into chilled pie shell.

Option 2:
Pour layer of sauce into shell.  Top with layer of raspberries.  Add
another layer of sauce.  Add raspberries.  Etc. until shell is full.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes and serve.

Savory and Sweet Pies for Supper

Tonight I used my mother-in-law's pie crust mix as the crust for both savory quiche and apple pie. So we had pie for dinner and pie for dessert!

This is the quiche base I used.
3 /4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk (or any you have on hand works)
3 large eggs
 2 oz cheese
Pour in pastry/pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, until filling is just set. The center will giggle slightly when moved. I baked the apple pie at the same time at the same temperature.

 It is creamy and velvety. Add whatever meat (optional), vegetables, and cheese mixtures you desire. Tonight I simply added  feta cheese and sauteed tomatoes, onions and garlic.

At dinner when I asked "What did you learn today?", as we usually do at dinner time, our youngest said, "I learned I like quiche!"He ate 3 pieces.

My Mother-in-law's Pie Crust Mix

My Mother-in-law's Pie Crust Mix

Description:
Bulk recipe for pie makers like my Mother-in-law. Good to have on hand for the holidays or family gatherings. Remember, true pie lovers only cut a pie once, so you'll need several pies:)  

Ingredients:

5 lb. bag Gold Medal white flour plus 1 cup = 21 cups if you don't have a 5 lb. bag on hand
 

3 lb Crisco (don't substitute) I like the butter flavor, but she uses original.
3 T sugar (optional)
3 T salt

Directions: Mix carefully, but well until the mix has pea sized balls. Store in a plastic container or Crisco can.  Keeps well in a cool place or refrigerator.

 

For every 1/2 cup of mix you use, add 1 T cold water.  I end up using 1 1/2 c of mix with 3 T cold water for each regular sized bottom crust.  For 1 cup use 2 Tablespoons of cold water.  

Mix with a fork.  The less you work the dough both in preparing the mix and in rolling it out the flakier it is.  You want enough to go over the edge of your pie pan.  

Fold the pie crust under and pinch about every inch to make a design. Press fork in the bottom and around the sides to vent.

 
Sunday my husband made strawberry pie filling to go in these 3 pie shells I baked for him.   Our youngest had a piece of crust left.  Thinking he must not want it I asked him if I could eat it.   He said, "No! I'm saving it.  It's the best part!  I wanted fewer strawberries!"


My husband's favorite pie is boysenberry.  What's your favorite pie? 

Father's Day included prime rib, strawberry salad, key lime pie

When I was asking some friends for a new salad recipe, K recommended this strawberry salad everyone enjoyed when she served it at Easter, so I took it to Father's Day dinner at B&D's with a similar result.  You add strawberry jam to the dressing and strawberries to the salad.  We love strawberries and I learned to add fruit to a green salad from K! 

I thrill to find my Mother's handwritten menus of dinner parties so I'll include D's menu with the recipe below. This strawberry salad is pictured in the back left corner in the wooden bowl my Mother loved to serve salad in.


D's Father's Day Menu
prime rib w/ horseradish
mashed potatoes w/ gravy
corn
jello salad
green salad

fresh fruit:
cherries, grapes, strawberries
pineapple, honeydew and cantaloupe
Drinks: 
cucumber water
raspberry lemonade
Desserts:
chocolate pie
pineapple pie
*key lime pie

Here's a link to * Paula Deen's key lime pie recipe! Once you get there just scroll down to see the recipe and comments.  D used chopped pecans in the crust and grated white chocolate on top.

Strawberry Salad
Lion House Cookbook


Dressing:
2 T red wine vinegar
3 T sugar
1/2 c canola oil
1/2 t dry mustard
1/2 t salt
1/2 c strawberry jam
Mix and let sit in refrigerator to let flavors blend.


Salad:
1 head of red leaf lettuce
1 pkg of spinach
1/2 c red bell pepper chopped
1 purple onion sliced
Mix these vegetable salad ingredients together.  

Then prepare the remaining ingredients but wait to add them 

along with the dressing until right before serving,
so they don't become soft or soggy.
1 c strawberries sliced
1 c cashew pieces
1/3 c bacon pieces
1/2 pkg wonton skins (cut in 1/2 (strips) and fried)

Cranberry Apple Pies and Finnish Meat Pies

Today, for our daughter's birthday,

I made

Finnish Meat Pies

Click here for my Mother's Recipe

and 

Apple Cranberry Pie 

Click here for Recipe Girl's Recipe

and I've added her text below.

A different take on the apple pie.

CRUST:
3 cups rolled (old fashioned) oats
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp (rounded measure) salt
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup + 2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted

FILLING:
7 cups peeled, sliced Granny Smith apples
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice (or ground cloves)
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (fresh is best!)
½ tsp grated lemon rind
3 Tbs unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar (packed)
½ cup sour cream

1.  Prepare crust: Combine all crust ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, and mix well. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9 or 10-inch pie pan, forming a thick crust. Reserve about a cup of the crust mix for the topping.

2.  Preheat oven to 375°F.

3.  Place sliced apples and cranberries in a large bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with spices; toss until well coated. Add rind. Sprinkle in flour and mix again. Gradually add brown sugar and sour cream as you mix. Don't worry if the apple slices break a little while being mixed and tossed.

4.  Distribute the filling into the unbaked crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust crumbs over the top and pat neatly into place.

5.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the apples are soft and the crust is nicely browned on the edges. Note: If the top appears to be browning too quickly during baking, cover loosely with foil (check after about 30 minutes).

6.  Serve hot, warm or at room temperature. This is doubly good with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 1 pie

Cooking Tips

*Depending on how thick you'd like the crust, you may have some crust mix left over. Use any remaining crust crumbs in little ramekins to make a couple of extra "apple crisps!"

Recipe Girl's Recipe Source
Adapted significantly from The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest

Sweet Potato Pie

I've been served Sweet Potatoe Pie before and really love it.  I've never made it before and no longer live near the acquaintance who made it for us, so I googled and found this recipe to try which sounds so good.  

It's also the first time I'm emailing my post to my blog.  So fun and handy!

Visit the Imperial Sugar Recipes Web site for other great Imperial Sugar and Dixie Crystals recipes! If you enjoyed this recipe, subscribe to our newsletters.

Check out this delicious recipe!

Janie's Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (cooked)
1 cup firmly packed Imperial Sugar Dark Brown Sugar or Dixie Crystals Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2  tsp. ground ginger
1/2  tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2  tsp. cinnamon
1 unbaked 10-inch pastry shell
Whipped topping (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, egg yolk, salt and spices in a large bowl.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add evaporated milk.  Mix just enough to combine.  Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until foamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff.  Fold into large bowl.  Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake additional 45 to 50 minutes or until set.  Cool.  Top with whipped topping, if desired.

From the kitchen of Janie R., Austin, TX

*dark brown sugar is key:)