"Botanically a vegetable, pink-stalked rhubarb (sometimes called pie plant) is treated by cooks as a fruit..." Ann Willan, 'LaVarenne Pratique'
Wow, another week has flown by and it's Friday again!
Well, hopes for a BBQ at my parents house got washed out (big time!!), so I put everything in the oven... Chicken in my 'Souvlaki Marinade' and 'Vegetables in Foil with Herbs and Feta Cheese' (both on my 'Recipes' page). After dinner, my Mum and I went over to my Nanny's place for a visit. I love visiting with my family and my Nanny always has a few good stories up her sleeve! Being a rainy day, we decided to get out and headed over to Fortino's for a cup of tea and a grocery shopping trip. We saw some rhubarb and it reminded me of when we were kids and my parents had rhubarb growing in the backyard. My Mum and Nanny would give us tea cups filled with sugar so we could dip in our freshly picked rhubarb and crunch away! Yum! Nanny told me last night that she would do the same thing as a child growing up in England. My Nan's Mum would send her to a woman up the street to buy her rhubarb. My Nanny told me that she would buy a large bundle for two pennies... Wow! I bought about the same amount last night for almost $9!! My word! So, with inspiration from my Nan's stories, I've decided to do a quick and easy rhubarb dessert. Now, I'm certainly not the great baker my Nanny is and doing pastries are a bit out of my comfort zone, but what the heck!! It's rhubarb season and we need to appreciate this yummy... vegetable!
Quick Recipe:
Individual Rhubarb Pastries with Orange and Whipped Cream
(makes 8)
1 1/4 cup rhubarb, rinsed, thinly sliced
1/3 cup + 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 large navel orange, zested and juiced (including some pulp)
1 sheet of store bought butter puff pastry, rolled out 5 mm thin (President's Choice is the best out there, that is readily available. That's what I use.)
1/2 cup 35% cream
*turbinado sugar (optional)
.preheat your oven to 375 degrees
.combine the rhubarb, 1/3 cup sugar, 2/3 of the orange zest and the orange juice in a bowl, set aside
.roll out the puff pastry and cut out 8 rounds (I used a pint glass with a 9 cm diameter), place on an ungreased tray
.score the pastry with a sharp paring knife, following the edge, about 1 cm in from the edge (this will allow the outside edge to puff higher than the centre where the rhubarb will be placed)
.with a fork, left the pcs of rhubarb out from the liquid and place on the pcs of pastry, keeping them within your score mark
*.with your finger, put a little of the cream around the pastry edge and sprinkle with the turinado sugar (optional)
.put in the oven for 15 to 20 mins, until the puff pastry is browned and crispy, meanwhile...
.put the marinating juices into a small sauce pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, simmer and reduce to a light syrup (about 15 mins)
.when the pastries are done, remove from oven and immediately spoon over or brush with the syrup, allow to cool
.in a bowl, pour in the cream and whisk for about a minute until thickened, add the 1/2 tsp sugar and the rest of the orange zest, whisk for about another minute until whipped stiff (do not over whip or you will separate the cream and you'll eventually make butter! Actually, there's nothing wrong with that!!!)
.serve your pastries warmed or cool, with the whipped cream on the side or on top, enjoy!!
Well, I did it! The pastries are a bit tart, but the cream adds a sweetness that is heavenly! I'm not much of a sweets lover, so these really aren't to sweet. If you would like, add a bit more sugar. With the leftover bits of pastry, roll them up and put them in a bag in the freezer. I keep everything! These puff pastry bits can be thawed, rolled out and use again. They won't rise properly, but it's always nice to have pastry handy! These desserts can be made with any summer fruit and any citrus fruit! I can guarantee you that as Ontario has it's new fruit to offer, I will be making these pastries all season long! How exciting!
Alrighty followers, I'm working a catering tonight and another tomorrow in Toronto... I hope they both go well! Then, on Sunday, Kev and I have a birthday/pool party to go to! Yippy! Be safe everyone, have a great weekend and we'll catch up Monday!
(Behind the scenes... How do yo like my 'studio?')
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