Mom's Lasagna

I haven't made this yet, but I'm going to blog the recipe so that I don't lose it in my email archives. This lasagna is so good I really can't eat anyone else's lasagna, it just tastes inferior.

From Mom. No website involved.

Ingredients:

12 lasagna noodles

1 lbs. ground beef

Chopped onion, to taste

Chopped bell pepper, to taste

3 small cans tomato sauce

Thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, other herbs to taste

1 tsp. salt

2 lbs. ricotta cheese

1 lbs. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 C. shredded parmesan cheese

1 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Boil 12 lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse thoroughly with cold water and lay out in a single layer on waxed paper to drain.

2. Scramble ground beef, drain, stir in and cook until limp minced onion and bell pepper to taste. Stir in tomato sauce and season to taste with herbs and salt.

3. Combine cheeses, additional parsley, salt, and beaten egg.

4. Spray the bottom of a glass 9x13 dish with oil. Spread a thin layer of sauce then place three unbroken noodles lengthwise in the pan. Divide the filling into three equal portions and spread one portion carefully on the noodles. I find it best to distribute the filling in small bits all over then very carefully spread the bits with a small knife to form an even layer. Carefully spread a thin layer of sauce over the filling. Put three more noodles in the dish. You can use your broken noodles for the inner layers. Repeat with the filling and sauce until you have made three layers. Put your last three unbroken noodles on the top. Cover with the remaining sauce.

5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

6. Remove the foil and decorate the lasagna with some parmesean cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 15 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to set for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. I know you will be tempted to serve it sooner than that, but the wait really does make the lasagna easier to cut and serve. Enjoy!

Creamy Mac and Cheese

It sounds like a good idea, right? And multiple bloggers had gone on and on about how easy and perfect this recipe was. And I had been wanting to learn to make a mac and cheese I really like, since I feel like I don't have a mac and cheese recipe in my arsenal. And I was supposed to make dinner for my friend J., and it looked like a good let-me-bring-you-dinner food...

This all to say that I will never be making this again for ME. Maybe for my family, or the Robber, but not for me. It was just too much. Too creamy. Too cheesy. Too garlicky. And what finally nailed this as never ever again was having to wash the pot and watching the cheese stick all over the sink and clog my drain and imagine what it must be doing right now to my poor little stomach, intestines, and arteries.

Mac and cheese, we might not be friends for a while. Nonetheless, the Robber liked this. He thought it tasted like cheesy breadsticks. And the recipe is versatile-- you can mix and match a bunch of ingredients. So I imagine it has its uses, but for me, in this time of life, it is not a winner.

What DID redeem it for me was adding finely diced walnuts to mine, which gave it an unusual twist, some nutty flavor, and a little crunch.

From Annie's Eats, by way of the Curvy Carrot, originally from some cookbook by Marlena Spider called Macaroni and Cheese:

http://annies-eats.net/2011/10/27/creamy-stovetop-mac-and-cheese/

Ingredients:

12 oz. dried pasta (any old shape, we used elbow macaroni)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 shallot, finely minced (can also use yellow or green onion)

8 oz. cheese, shredded (suggested cheeses from various bloggers include Gouda, Gruyere, Emmenthal, Appenzeller... we just used Muenster and some sharp cheddar)

2 oz. fresh grated Parmesan

1/4 C. milk, half and half, or heavy cream

4 oz. Greek yogurt (sour cream, creme fraiche, regular plain yogurt can work too)

3 T. unsalted butter (can omit this, I think)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional: pinch of nutmeg, I recommend diced walnuts

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta as directed until it is al dente and drain, reserving 1 C. of the cooking liquid.

2. Return the pasta to the saucepan immediately. Add the garlic, onion, and cheese to the top and mix lightly to coat.

3. Add the yogurt, butter, and spices (salt, pepper, etc.), stirring well.

4. Add 1/4 C. of the hot cooking liquid to the mixture and stir the cheese until it is thoroughly melted, adding more hot water if needed.

5. Stir until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Walnut Pancakes

I made these for my friend J. for brunch and they were sweet and autumnal and light and delicious as a pancake should be in the fall. You can either put the walnuts in the pancake or sprinkle them on top, it's pretty equivalent either way. The recipe is originally from Mirror Lake Inn at Lake Placid in New York (there's a little nostalgia here for upstate New York in the fall), found on the internet by way of Epicurious, but I have modified it somewhat here as per the reviewers comments.

The original recipe at Epicurious:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Walnut-Flapjacks-108613

Ingredients:

1 1/4 C. buttermilk

3/4 C. canned pure pumpkin

4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

2 T. sugar

3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

1 1/3 C. cake flour (can also use regular or 1/2 whole wheat)

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. ginger

3/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Vegetable oil or butter

1/2 C. finely chopped walnuts

Pure maple syrup

Directions:

1. Whisk buttermilk, pumpkin, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend; whisk in melted butter.

2. Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl to blend.

3. Add dry ingredients to buttermilk mixture and whisk to combine.

4. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Fold whites into batter.

5. Lightly oil or butter heavy large skillet set over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto skillet; cook until bubbles form on top, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn flapjacks over and cook until second sides brown, about 1 minute.

6. Transfer flapjacks to plates. Sprinkle with nuts. Serve with syrup.

White Bean Chicken Chili

This recipe I did not make, but rather enjoyed at the home of our friends H&J D. I asked H for the recipe because it was so delicious, but also rather different than the chili I make and I like having two or three versions of a dish in my box o' dishes, just because. I loved the white beans and the lighter feel of this chili, and the Robber ate two big bowls (I think mostly to get away with eating four more pieces of cornbread, bless his cornbread loving heart.)

From All Recipes:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/white-bean-chicken-chili/detail.aspx

Ingredients:

4 T. olive oil

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth

3 tomatillos, chopped

2 16 oz. cans seasoned diced tomatoes

1 jar salsa verde

2 7 oz. cans diced green chiles

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground coriander seed

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

4 ears fresh corn or one bag frozen corn

2 lbs diced, cooked chicken meat

2 15 oz. cans white beans, drained and rinsed

Chili powder, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Lime slices for garnish

Directions:

1. In large pot, heat oil and saute onion and garlic until soft.

2. Stir in broth, tomatillos, tomatoes, chilies, and spices. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add corn, salsa, chicken, and beans: simmer for 45 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Maple Pumpkin Pie with a Gingersnap Crust

Sounds intriguing, no? The maple and the pumpkin are really good together, and gingersnap crusts are always my friends, but somehow the combination didn't WOW me like I wanted it to. This recipe has wowed other women in large numbers, however, so it is worth giving it a try and it is worth making again, to mix the pumpkin pie world up and to give the boringness of most pumpkin pies a little zing. But I think the "throaty" Sokolov pie elsewhere on this blog has my true pumpkin pie heart.

From Kimberly at Pie Love You:

http://pieloveyou.blogspot.com/2010/11/45-maple-pumpkin-pie-with-gingersnap.html

Ingredients:

For the crust:

14 2-inch gingersnaps (about 4 oz)

1 C. pecans (about 4 oz)

1/4 C. granulated sugar

1/4 C. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the filling:

1 C. pure maple syrup

2 C. canned solid-pack pumpkin

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. heavy cream

2/3 C. milk

2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Use a small amount of the melted butter to grease a 9" (1 quart) pie pan. (Note: Use a big one, this is not your average thin pumpkin pie.)

2. In a food processor grind gingersnaps, pecans, and sugar until fine and add remaining butter, blending until combined well. Press mixture onto bottom and up side of buttered pie plate. Bake crust in middle of oven 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden around edge, and cool on rack.

3. In a 3- to 3 1/2-quart heavy saucepan gently boil maple syrup until a small amount dropped into a bowl of cold water forms a soft ball, about 210° F on a candy thermometer, and cool slightly. In a bowl whisk together pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cream, milk, and eggs and whisk in maple syrup.

4. Strain filling through a fine mesh sieve. Use a spatula to stir and press mixture through sieve. Once you get almost everything through the sieve (no need to force the small amounts of stringy or flavorless pumpkin, which are the only things remaining in the end, through the sieve), pour filling into cooled shell. (I skipped the straining part and didn't half a problem.)

5. Bake pie in middle of oven 1 hour, or until filling is set but center still shakes slightly. (Filling will continue to set as pie cools.) Transfer pie to a rack to cool completely.

Caramel for Apples 2

This is the second recipe the Robber and I tried and the flavor, as promised on Epicurious, is fantastic but unfortunately I overcooked our half batch (not having a thermometer) or something and it came out hard as a rock. :( Will have to try again on another day.

From Epicurious:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Caramel-Dipped-Apples-102427

Ingredients:

1 lbs. dark brown sugar (about 2.25 C.)

16 T. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 C. dark corn syrup (used light)

1/3 C. pure maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. robust-flavored (dark) molasses (used light)

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in heavy 2 1/2-quart saucepan (about 3 inches deep). Stir with wooden spatula or spoon over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves (no crystals are felt when caramel is rubbed between fingers), occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 15 minutes.

2. Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium-high; cook caramel at rolling boil until thermometer registers 236°F, stirring constantly but slowly with clean wooden spatula and occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 12 minutes.

3. Pour caramel into metal bowl (do not scrape pan). Submerge thermometer bulb in caramel; cool, without stirring, to 200°F, about 20 minutes.

Caramel for Apples

The Robber loves caramel apples and wanted to make some caramel to dip apple slices in and so I scoured around on the internet and found two recipes: one that I knew would work and one that I thought would actually be interesting. This is the one that the Robber made... and it worked. We made a half batch, which was plenty for us, and it is plenty delicious and perfect for its task although nothing exceptional. Problem is, my supposedly exception caramel is rock hard and this one is the perfect consistency for just about anything. Which, perhaps, makes it exceptional.

From Real Mom Kitchen, by way of Annie of course:

http://annies-eats.net/2009/11/25/caramel-apples/

Ingredients:

8 T. unsalted butter

2 C. packed brown sugar

1 C. light corn syrup

Pinch of salt

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Optional:

10-12 small Granny Smith apples, stems removed

Popsicle or lollipop sticks

Directions:

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Mix in the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil. Stir in the condensed milk. Cook and stir until a candy or instant-read thermometer reads 248° F (firm ball stage.) Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

To make candy apples: 2. Insert a lollipop or popsicle stick into the top of each apple so that it is firmly in place. Dip the apples one at a time into the caramel mixture, turning slowly to coat evenly. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with wax paper and allow the caramel to set. Decorate as desired, with melted chocolate, chopped nuts, or candy pieces.

Sweet Potato Home Fries

I am never quite happy with the potato fries that I make at home. Somehow they lack the crispy-ness of my mom's fries and the fries at the Counter and every wedge fry that I love because it is crispy on the outside and softer on the inside. How is the crisp done? I tried these sweet potato fries from Mark Bittman, and got no closer than I had on previous attempts. I think part of the problem is that I have a little oven and never give each wedge the space that it needs on the pan. But what else? I am still on the hunt for that perfect fry.

These fries were seasoned alright, but if I had to do it I would season them either just with salt or with the seasonings of the squash fries recipe on this blog.

From the NYTimes Thanksgiving section: Entire Meal In Three Hours:

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/19/dining/the-minimalist-give-thanks-in-three-hours-from-scratch.html?pagewanted=5&src=pm

Ingredients:

4 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 3 or 4 large potatoes), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 C. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. minced garlic

1 C. chopped parsley leaves

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it; add the potatoes, and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook.

2. Drain the potatoes, then plunge them into a large bowl filled with ice water. When cool, drain again. In a roasting pan large enough to hold the potatoes in one layer, toss them with the olive oil and the garlic.

3. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Roast the potatoes, tossing them occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss with parsley, salt and pepper, and serve.

Yield: 12 servings.

Time: 30 minutes.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 180 calories, 6 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 20 milligrams sodium (before salting), 2 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrate.

Chicken Tikka Masala ala the Robber

The Robber made this awesome chicken tikka masala, and just the chicken alone would make a pretty awesome meal, quoth the Robber. "What I would almost want to do," says he, "the grilled chicken is always super tasty coming right off the grill and I think the chicken tikka masala is going to be better on day 2, so we should make extra chicken and eat it fresh with rice and veggies and use the leftover chicken in the masala sauce." Good logic Robber!

For the marinade:

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chicken, boneless skinless breast and thigh meat

2 C. plain yogurt

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1) Pound the chicken to flatten it and prepare it for the marinade. Mix together the yogurt and spices. Pour the marinade over the washed chicken and refrigerate overnight.

Next day:

2) Take the chicken out and scrape off the yogurt. Heavily salt the outside of the chicken according to your salting preferences.

3) You can broil or grill the chicken.

-- To broil: Cover the inside and edges of a baking dish with tin foil. Broil for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

-- To grill: Heat the grill on high, once the grill is maximum temperature (20 min or so) put the chicken on, let it cook for two minutes and flip it, then allow it to cook two minutes more. May need to cook additional minutes if not done.

4) When chicken is cool, chop into desired size of pieces for dish.

For the sauce:

Ingredients:

1 C. heavy cream

2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

1 T. minced garlic

2 tsp. ground cumin

1-2 tsp. paprika

1-2 tsp. chili powder

2-4 tsp. garam masala

1-2 T. white sugar

Optional: additional cayenne pepper

Optional: 1/4 C. ground almonds

Directions:

1) Saute onion and garlic in a small amount of olive oil until onion becomes translucent. Add spices. Stir fry 1-2 min more.

2) Add in tomatoes (including juice) and sugar. Simmer for 10-20 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Add in cream. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

3) Add chicken. Simmer for another 10 minutes until ready to serve.

Serve over basmati or brown rice.

Caramel-Apple Pecan Cake

My approach to Thanksgiving this year is instead of trying to make everything in two days, why not just spread the recipes out and have Thanksgiving all fall long? This recipe is one I found a year ago from the NYTimes, and re-browsing my files it sounded like something the Robber would love. The cake part itself is delicious-- and of course the pecans and the apples are a great idea to go with it. Unfortunately, the caramel was too--- just not right. It is not very sweet and detracted from the other strong elements of the cake. Next time I make it (as I probably will as the rest was so good!) I will either make it without the caramel part, maybe pre-cook the apples a little bit (saute them or something), or use a milk-product based caramel that has more flavor. Of course none of this stopped the Robber from downing 3/4 of the cake in 16 hours. He's good for getting rid of calories that way. :)

From the NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/dining/183drex.html?ref=dining

Ingredients:

1/4 C. pecan halves

2 large tart apples, like Fuji, peeled, cored and sliced

For the cake:

1/2 C. flour

3/4 C. sugar

1/2 C. pecan halves, finely ground

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 stick (4 oz.) soft unsalted butter

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the caramel:

1 C. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Use a little butter to grease a 10-inch glass pie plate. Arrange 1/4 cup pecan halves in a pattern in pie plate. Arrange apple slices over and around pecans, in a single layer in a pattern. Scatter any extra slices randomly on top.

2. Heat oven to 350F. In a food processor, finely grind remaining pecan halves. Mix with flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

3. Whisk 1 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a skillet and mix with 1/3 cup water. Cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, until mixture turns amber. Swirl pan from time to time if necessary. Immediately pour caramel over apples in pie pan.

4. With a mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla extract. Fold in flour mixture. Spread batter over apples. Bake 30 minutes, until nicely browned. Cool.

5. Run a knife around edges and invert cake onto a serving dish, one that is heatproof if you want to warm cake before serving. Serve with butter pecan ice cream.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Swirly Fudge Cookies

I made these because my sister-in-law L. sent me the link with a really excited exclamation mark next to it. The recipe comes from this blog Picky Palate, which, no offense to the Picky Palate author, looks like a direct path to morbid obesity. The idea is that all the recipes on it would be enjoyed by say, a three year old. So while I am sure everything on the blog is very good, it's a little antithetical to what I am trying to do with my life right now. But the Robber and I had contracted to bring goodies to a family in the ward with a three year old, so why not give these a whirl? I'll be honest. The dough was very very good but the cookies were too crumbly in the peanut-butter parts and too tough in the chocolate parts unless warmed up into a goo-ball and overall not very exciting to someone who thinks cookies are the enemy. Nonetheless, I'll blog these because who knows? Some day I might have a three year old too.

From Picky Palate:

http://picky-palate.com/2011/08/01/chocolate-chunk-peanut-butter-swirl-fudgy-cookies/

Ingredients:

1 C. creamy peanut butter

2 sticks softened butter

1 C. sugar

3/4 C. brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 T. vanilla extract

1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 C. good quality chocolate chunks (I used chocolate chips)

1 C. cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place peanut butter into the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well combined.

3. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add to wet ingredients along with cocoa powder, and chocolate chunks, slowly mixing until just combined. Drop dollops of frozen peanut butter into dough and turn mixer on for just a few turns of the mixer to get swirls of peanut butter through the dough.

4. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve with milk.

Yield: Makes 3 dozen cookies

Roasted Applesauce

This is the featured recipe on the Epicurious home page this week. I am a big fan of homemade applesauce, but it takes such a long time to peel the apples and then stir it for a really long time while the apples soften on the stove. Perhaps by roasting the apples I could save a little time? I think in the end that turned out to be true, and I find the sweetness of this applesauce to not be overbearing but quite pleasant. Roasting may be my new go to method of making applesauce.

Note: Of course I six-tupled the recommended amount of cinnamon.

From Epicurious:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/ROASTED-APPLESAUCE-50149126

Ingredients:

4 1/2 lbs apples, cored and peeled

2 T. lemon juice

3 T. butter

1/4 C. honey

1/4 C. maple syrup

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Chop cored and peeled apples into 1-inch size pieces and toss in a bowl with the lemon juice.

2. Place a thick-bottomed skillet over medium heat and place the butter in it and melt. The butter will foam but it will subside. When the butter smells nutty and takes on a light tan color remove it from heat immediately and place the butter in a cold glass container to stop the cooking process (I skipped this step).

3. Preheat oven to 425 F. In a large pan toss together the apples, butter, honey, maple syrup, salt, and cinnamon. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing the apples every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking.

4. Using a fork or potato masher mash the apples. Serve hot/warm/cold or store in the fridge for up to two weeks for later use.

Baked Acorn Squash With Walnut Oil and Maple Syrup

I was hoping this would provide a way for me to fall in love with squash. They are so appealing, the fall and winter squashes, round and fat in their wooden bins in Wegmans. I first found this recipe last year but didn't make it, and this year I have decided to cook what would be Thanksgiving recipes all fall long if and when I have time. Unfortunately, the acorn squashes themselves that I purchased lacked flavor and so while the toasted walnuts were delicious, the squash itself remains lacking. The Robber, however, is adding melted butter and some maple syrup to his quarter squashes and in so doing is happily making his way through the lot. His stomach is amazing. Now what to do with all the leftover walnut oil?

From Recipes For Health:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/health/nutrition/13recipehealth.html

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons walnut oil

Freshly ground nutmeg

Ground walnuts (I used finely chopped)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until soft enough to easily cut in half. Cut in half, and scoop out the seeds and membranes.

2. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Stir the maple syrup and walnut oil together in a bowl, then brush over the cut surfaces of the squash. Sprinkle with a very small amount of ground nutmeg. Place in the oven and bake one hour, brushing every 10 minutes with more oil and maple syrup. When the squash is tender, brush once more, then spoon a tablespoonful of finely chopped walnuts into each cavity and return to the oven for five to 10 minutes, until the walnuts are toasty. Remove from the heat. Serve hot or warm.

Yield: Makes four large servings or eight medium servings.

Rhubarb "Big Crumb" Coffee Cake

This recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen by way of Eggs On Sunday to this little bloggo here. Our neighbors the Reams have a beautiful rhubarb plant still growing away and have been urging us to partake of it and this morning we made a pre-Conference trek out to their place with a little chopping knife and devoured part of their rhubarb plant. The Robber thinks this is not so much coffee cake as just cobbler-ness, but regardless he ate over half the pan in one go so that tells you what he really thought of it. More work than a regular coffee cake, but definitely delicious. Ultimately, however, if the amount of rhubarb you have is limited, this is not a good way to use it because the rhubarb gets lost in the cake and the flavor isn't emphasized as much as it is in rhubarb pie or just rhubarb puree, which we have also been making lots of and eating on Greek yogurt. The cake would probably be just as delicious without the fruit or with pears/plums/other fruit as substitution for the rhubarb.

I found the recipe here:

http://eggsonsunday.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/rhubarb-big-crumb-coffee-cake/

Ingredients:

For the rhubarb filling:

1/2 lbs. rhubarb, trimmed

1/4 C. sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

For the crumbs:

1/3 C. dark brown sugar

1/3 C. granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, melted

1 3/4 C. cake flour (I’ve used all-purpose as well and it works fine, but do use cake flour if you have it)

For the cake:

1/3 C. sour cream

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 C. cake flour (see note above about AP flour substitution)

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

6 T. softened butter, cut into 8 pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan.

2. Slice the rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces, toss with the sugar, cornstarch and ginger, and set aside.

3. Make the crumbs: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, spices and salt. Add the melted butter and whisk until smooth. Dump in the flour and stir it into the sugar/butter mixture until fully incorporated. It will look and feel like a solid dough. Set aside.

4. Make the cake: In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the pieces of butter along with a spoonful of the sour cream mixture, and mix on medium speed until the flour is moistened and the butter is broken into bits. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds, then add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and set aside 1/2 cup batter.

5. Scrape the remaining batter into the pan, spoon the rhubarb over the batter, and dollop the reserved 1/2 cup batter over the rhubarb (don’t worry if it’s not even).

6. Break the topping mixture into big crumbs with your fingers. The recommended crumb size is 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Sprinkle the crumbs over the cake, and bake cake until a tester comes out clean (it might be moist from the rhubarb), 45-55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.