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Rhubarb Surprise

Rhubarb Surprise

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Three textures offer a triple taste surprise in this vintage treat. Slightly tart and creamy rhubarb custard forms the middle layer, sandwiched between a crisp cookie crust and a fluffy vanilla meringue crown. This rhubarb delight serves 15 guests and is easy to make. The recipe requires 6 cups of rhubarb and six eggs. Historically, both were plentiful on most farms in June and July. 

There are many variations of this recipe in old cookbooks. Some home cooks add cream of tartar to the meringue. I refrigerated this dessert overnight, and the meringue remained stable without cream of tartar. I also froze leftover Rhubarb Surprise, and it held its shape. I eat this dessert cold from the fridge or at room temperature. If you aren't feeding a crowd, half the recipe for an 8" square dessert.

To Make the Base:

2 cups flour

1 cup butter

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

I usually add the sugar and salt to the flour and cut chilled butter into the mixture using a pastry cutter. Press the crumbs into a 9" by 13" cake pan.

Bake the crust at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Don't overbake the crust because it will continue to cook during the next baking phase.

To Make the Custard Filling:

1 cup evaporated milk

¼ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups granulated sugar

6 egg yolks, beaten (keep whites for topping)

Mix the above ingredients and add 6 cups of rhubarb. Pour the rhubarb mixture over the base and bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes or until the custard is set. 

Create a Meringue Topping:

6 egg whites

6 teaspoons of granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla
Spoon the meringue on top of the rhubarb custard and return the dessert to the oven to bake until the meringue is golden brown, which usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. 

 

A Celebration Trifle for Any Season

 

Despite having many trifle recipes, I often return to this easy, child-friendly version after a holiday season. A trifle is a desirable reinvention of leftover baking. If you made my Cherry Bundt Cake, as featured in the winter 2021 issue of Saskatoon HOME, and are lucky enough to have some left, try this recipe. 

It's fun to serve this trifle in long-stemmed glasses with small spoons or in antique teacups. The great news is that you can freeze the remainder of this trifle in small containers to serve at a later date. It is the texture of fine ice cream when it's frozen. We love it! 

A Berry Cherry Celebration Trifle

Adapted from an Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe

 

Ingredients:

1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 ½ cups cold water

1 package (4 servings) instant lemon pudding mix 

2 cups whipping cream, whipped

300 grams of frozen Bundt cake, thawed and cubed 

4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries or berries of choice 

½ cup strawberry jam

Berries to garnish

In a large bowl, combine Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk and water. Add the instant pudding powder, beat well, and place the mixture in the refrigerator to set. 

Beat the whipping cream until peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the milk and pudding mixture. Refrigerate.

Assembly:

Spoon 2 cups of pudding mixture into a 4-quart glass bowl. 

Add a cake layer using half the cubes.

Then add half of the fruit.

Dot with half the jam.

Add half of the remaining pudding mixture.

Then repeat layers of cake, fruit, and jam.

Top with the remainder of the pudding mixture, and chill for at least four hours before serving.  

This trifle serves 10 to 12 people.  

Make it Your Own: 

~Use the cake you like best. I always use the last of my Cherry Bundt Cake, but you could choose white, chocolate, or mocha.   

~Use the flavour of pudding that would best complement your cake choice.

~Choose a complementary jam as well. I can imagine cherry jam with chocolate cake. 

~Buy the fresh or frozen fruit of your choice. Mixed berries are also delightful.

~This trifle should be refrigerated for three to four hours before serving to allow the flavours to develop. 

 

Fresh Pineapple Marinated in Rum

This straightforward, mind-blowingly delicious recipe is for adults only! 

Ingredients:

1 pineapple, cut into cubes

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons rum, preferably dark

Cut the top and bottom from a pineapple. Cut down the sides to remove peel and eyes. Cut the pineapple into quarters. Remove the core. Cut the quarters into cubes. 

Or:

Use a handy pineapple slicer like the one I borrowed from my daughter. This tool cores and slices the pineapple all at once, and I will buy one the minute I find one. Remove the stack of sliced pineapple from the device and cut it into cubes. 

Method:

Place the pineapple cubes in a medium-sized bowl. Mix the rum and brown sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour rum mixture over the pineapple and stir to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or a few hours. 

Serve the pineapple in chilled stemware and garnish with berries. 

This simple fruit preparation is delicious on a warm day or after a robust meal. I have also served it over a slice of Chameleon Cake with a dollop of whipped cream. Yummy. 

This recipe was adapted from Anne Lindsay’s The Lighthearted Cookbook. Healthy never tasted or smelled so good!!

 

Layered Raspberry Marshmallow Dessert

 

We recently dined on this refreshing blast from the past. As soon as I took a bite, I was transported to my aunt’s farm in the 1950s. She used to make it using fresh garden raspberries. This recipe is easy to make, pretty, and delicious. If you don’t have a 7” by 11” pan, ask your aunties and grandmothers if they have an extra. You can still buy this size on occasion but inheriting a piece of family history is better. Many vintage cake recipes suggest a pan this size. I love to shop at antique stores and garage sales while carrying a tape measure. Always measure the bottom of the pan, not the top edge.  

Crumb Crust:

In a medium-size bowl, mix the following ingredients: 

1 ¼ cups graham wafer crumbs (Gluten-free graham wafer crumbs are available from Kinnikinnick.)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup melted butter

Press into a buttered 7” by 11” pan and refrigerate until ready to assemble. My aunt was reluctant to heat the house with her oven on warm summer days, so she didn’t bake this crust. For added flavour, bake the crust at 350°F for ten minutes. Once cool, refrigerate until ready to assemble. 

Center Layer:

1 small raspberry Jell-O powder (85 g)

1 cup boiling water

1 small (425 g) package of frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed a bit, with some ice remaining

OR

1 bag of fresh-frozen raspberries (400 g) Add ¼ cup of sugar to the berries, which creates some syrup. 

Dissolve the Jell-O powder in the boiling water and add the partially thawed raspberries with half a cup of syrup. If using fresh-frozen raspberries without syrup, remember to add ¼ cup of sugar and mix well.   

Place the Jell-O mixture in the fridge to partially set. This doesn’t take long. I set the timer for 10 minutes, stir, and refrigerate again for about five minutes. When the raspberry filling is partially set, pour it over the crust and return to the refrigerator until completely set. 

Whipped Topping:

While the raspberry mixture is setting, prepare 1 envelope of Dream Whip according to package directions. With an electric hand mixer, whip for two minutes, add 1 heaping cup of miniature marshmallows to the topping and whip for another minute or two. Chill the marshmallow Dream Whip until the raspberry layer is completely set.

Spread the marshmallow topping over the dessert and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Sprinkle a few extra graham wafer crumbs on top for garnish. 

Enjoy! 

 

 

Lemon Cheesecake Refrigerator Dessert

 

I have fond memories of serving this refreshing dessert when my children were small. Even as I post this, I long for a slice of this tangy, chilled treat. If you have gluten-intolerant friends or family, purchase Kinnikinnick Graham Wafer Crumbs or crush biscuits of your choice. On hot summer days, this crust is fine unbaked as well.    

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F

 

Crust:

2 ¼ cups of graham wafer crumbs 

½ cup melted butter

¼ cup brown sugar

Mix the above ingredients and press into a 9” by 13” oven-proof pan. 

Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, remove from oven and set aside to cool. Baking creates a crust with a delicious, caramelized flavour. 

Filling:

1 small package lemon or lime Jell-O

1 cup boiling water 

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar 

2 cups of whipping cream

½ teaspoon of vanilla

Step One: 

Add 1 cup of boiling water to 1 small package of lemon or lime Jell-O. Stir until granules are dissolved. Chill until slightly thickened.

Step Two:

Using an electric hand mixer, cream 1 cup of sugar with 8 ounces of room temperature cream cheese until smooth. 

Step Three: 

Fold the cream cheese mixture into the slightly thickened jelly mixture and refrigerate.

Step Four:  

Whip 2 cups of whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the refrigerated mixture and pour over the graham wafer crust. To garnish, sprinkle the top of the dessert with graham wafer crumbs. Refrigerate until serving time. 

Topping:  

Top squares of this refrigerator dessert with blueberry pie filling or fresh fruit.

 

    

 

 

Vintage Pineapple Refrigerator Desserts

The last recipe in this grouping is my favourite, and I make it in a double boiler. 

My husband, the boy in the Get a Bigger Wagon books, happens to love and remember a decadent and refreshing refrigerator dessert his mother used to make in the 1950s and 60s. In his mother's old cookbook, it's called Pineapple Slice. In those days, refrigerators were more common than air conditioning, so, in summer, people avoided heating the kitchen with an oven by making refrigerator desserts. Barbequing was all the rage, and setting the table on the patio was fashionable. Salads, and cold meats, were popular evening fare on weekdays.

During this time, packaged ingredients became available, offered shortcuts, and were instantly popular. The Pineapple Slice dessert called for canned pineapple, packaged graham wafers, and icing sugar. The recipe says to bake the crust for ten minutes, but that wouldn't be necessary. Baking improves the flavour, though, because the butter and sugar mixture caramelizes slightly.  

Initially, I adapted the recipe because it called for raw eggs in the middle layer. There is a bit of a controversy about eating raw eggs. To read suggestions for properly handling eggs, visit www.getcracking.ca. Historically, I prepared my eggnog with raw eggs, and Gord devoured dozens of pans of Pineapple Slice, including the raw eggs. Today, it's an individual choice. We no longer eat raw eggs at our house. My friend, a home economist, who also taught Food Safety to commercial cooking students, prefers her eggs well cooked.  My husband has Crohn's Disease and, today, we take no chances.

I have included three recipes in this column. The first recipe is the original dessert that my mother-in-law made, frequently, every summer. Serving it ice cold from the fridge on hot summer days created a taste memory for everyone who took a bite. I remember it well. She would whisk it from the fridge, bring it to the patio, and slice it before our eyes. Her apron was always tied, in a nice bow, behind her straight skirt or perfectly pressed pedal pushers.

Pineapple Slice

The Boy's mom's original recipe

Crust:

2 ½ cups of graham wafer crumbs

½ cup of butter, melted

Mix and save ¼ cup of this mixture for the top.

Press the rest into a 9" square pan (or 7" by 11")

Bake at 350° F until brown (10 minutes)

Cool completely.

Middle Layer:

½ cup of soft butter

1¼ cups of icing sugar

2 well-beaten eggs

Cream the butter with icing sugar until it is smooth. Add the two eggs and continue stirring to form a thick paste. Spread this on the cooled crust.

Topping:

1 cup of whipping cream

1 cup of crushed pineapple, drained until quite dry.

Whip the cream until stiff. Fold in the well-drained pineapple. Spread this mixture over the icing layer. Top the dessert with reserved crumbs. Refrigerate for several hours.

 

In the second recipe, I created an alternative middle layer incorporating Bird's Custard powder rather than raw eggs. My husband loves this new adaptation, and I make it regularly. I have also frozen this dessert, in slices, with great success.  

I made the adapted recipe for my husband's birthday this year. As they said in the 1950s, "It is easy to impress the man in your life with a simple refrigerator dessert."

Pineapple Refrigerator Dessert

The Boy's wife's adaptation

Crust:

2 ½ cups of graham wafer crumbs

½ cup of butter, melted

Mix and save ¼ cup of this mixture for the top

Press the rest into a 9" square pan (or 7" by 11")

Bake at 350° F, until brown (10 minutes)

Filling:

2 tablespoons of Bird's Custard Powder

3 tablespoons of milk

¼ cup of soft butter

Beat in 2 cups of icing sugar until smooth

Spread mixture over chilled crust

Chill for 15 minutes

Topping:

1 cup of whipping cream

1 cup of crushed pineapple, drained until quite dry.

Whip the cream until stiff. Fold in the well-drained pineapple. Spread this mixture over the icing layer. Top the dessert with reserved crumbs. Refrigerate for several hours.

 

The third recipe I have included is probably my favourite of the three. It is an old recipe from the above Paulin's cookie pamphlet. It has a delightful, cooked custard layer and maraschino cherries added to the pineapple topping. The eggs are cooked in the custard, the cherries add colour, and the result is company-worthy.
     

Graham Wafer Pineapple Pie

An old Paulin's recipe

The Crust:

2 cups graham wafer crumbs

¼ teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of sugar

½ cup of butter, melted

Method:

Blend graham wafer crumbs, salt, sugar, and butter with a fork. Turn into a 9" pie plate or square cake pan, reserving ¼ cup of crumbs for the top. Press the crumbs into the chosen pan. Bake the crust in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, Prepare Filling:

1½ cups of milk

¼ cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of cornstarch

Pinch of salt

1 egg yolk, beaten

½ teaspoon of vanilla flavouring

Method:

Heat 1¼ cups of the milk in the top of a double boiler. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt and blend into the ¼ cup of milk that remains.

Add this to the heated milk, stirring until the mixture thickens. Add the beaten egg yolk and vanilla and cook for four minutes. Cool.

Pour over the graham wafer crust. Chill.

Prepare the Topping:

1 cup of whipping cream

2 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of maraschino cherries, chopped

1 can of crushed pineapple, well-drained

Method:

Whip the cream until stiff.

Add remaining ingredients and spread over the filling.

Garnish with the ¼ cup of retained graham wafer crumbs.

NOTE: Pictured above is a Bowlie or Staybowlizer and it, safely turns two unmatched pots, or a pot and a bowl, into a perfect double boiler. 

I would love to know if your mom or grandmother made some form of pineapple refrigerator dessert while you were a youngster. Do leave a comment! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buckle Up - It's Better Than Pumpkin Pie

My mother made her own recipe binder from supplies gathered in my parents’ first printing office. I occasionally steep a pot of tea, curl up with her old binder, and reminisce. Not long ago, as I perused the binder, a little scrap of paper fell to the floor. The recipe for Magic Pumpkin Buckle was scribbled on the note. 

I began researching dessert buckles. Apparently, a buckle is, traditionally, a simple, streusel-topped cake with fruit, often berries, sprinkled throughout. After making this pumpkin buckle, a few times, I believe it is called a buckle because the biscuit portion of the dessert buckles up as it cooks, rising through the pumpkin mixture, creating a topping reminiscent of the way the earth’s surface formed. The first time I made this recipe, I panicked. It looked as if it was going to overflow. This is why the nine-by-thirteen-inch pan needs to be at least two inches deep.

I dared to serve my mom’s Magic Pumpkin Buckle at a little pre-Christmas gathering. Both my brother and my son-in-law proclaimed it to be better than pumpkin pie. This dessert serves 12 people easily, and leftovers freeze.

The original recipe actually called for more sugar. We like it this way. I encourage you to try this recipe and leave a comment. Once this dish goes in the oven, you will have an hour of excitement! Buckle up.

Magic Pumpkin Buckle

Preheat oven to 350°F

Step One:

Pour ½ cup of melted butter into a 13”x 9”x 2” baking dish.

Step Two:

In a mixing bowl, combine the following ingredients and pour into the prepared pan.

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ of a cup of sugar

4 teaspoons of baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

1 cup of milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Step Three:

In a kitchen machine, beat the following ingredients and pour the mixture over the base.

3 cups cooked or canned pumpkin

1 cup of evaporated milk

2 eggs

¾ of a cup of sugar

½ cup of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of flour

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

½ a teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon each of ground ginger, cloves, and nutmeg

Step Four: 

The plate above contains measured butter and sugar.

Dot the top with 1 tablespoon of butter, cut into pieces

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the surface

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes in a preheated oven.

Bake until a knife inserted near the centre comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Serves 12 

 

Raspberry Brandy Fondue

 

I served this fondue to my guests in 1970 and many times, since. Frozen raspberries came in 10 ounce cubes, with a sweetened syrup surrounding the berries. If you can only find bags of loosely frozen raspberries, you will need to add about 1/4 cup sugar to the berries during the cooking stage. 

Ingredients:

2 ten-ounce packages of frozen raspberries (Add sugar if you can't find the blocks of berries in syrup)

¼ cup of cornstarch

⅛ cup of water

4 ounces of cream cheese

2 Tablespoons of sugar

¼ cup of brandy

Assorted items like cake cubes and fruit pieces for dipping

1. Cook 2 ten-ounce packages of frozen raspberries, then strain the berries and juice through a sieve to remove seeds.

 Add ¼ cup of cornstarch and ⅛ cup of water to the syrup and berry mixture.

 Heat this combination until thickened.

2. Whip 4 ounces of softened cream cheese and stir into the above sauce. Set this mixture aside until ready to serve.

3. At the last minute, add 2 Tablespoons of sugar and ¼ cup of brandy. Pour the mixture into a fondue pot, light a warming flame beneath the pot and serve. If you want it to taste sweeter, add a little more sugar. The tart raspberies make a nice contrast for the extremely rich brownie, so taste before you sweeten. 

4. Dip cubes of pound cake, white and chocolate, and an array of fresh fruit such as strawberries, orange segments, pineapple chunks or banana slices.

I like to make my usual Chameleon Cake substituting 1 cup of gluten free oat flour, and one cup of Nameste gluten free blended flour, for the usual all purpose flour. The Gluten-Free Fudgy Pecan Brownies are a favourite with my family and can be found at Martha Stewart. Both of these treats freeze well. (See the photo above) 

Remember to click on the highlighted words to find those recipes. 

Dreamy Dessert Cloud

This impressive, easy, make-ahead dessert feeds 16 people generously. In the unlikely event that any of this is leftover, it freezes well. The cloud itself is gluten-free and takes on different personalities depending on the choice of topping.

I have been making this dessert since the early 1970s and am not sure where I got the original recipe. However, Betty Crocker published a recipe for Berries on a Cloud in the mid-seventies and included the Cherry-Berry sauce I often make. I suggest you let your imagination lead you to new taste explosions. My Pineapple Sauce, which I have included, is often a favourite at our house. My husband enjoys his cloud drizzled in maple syrup.  

The beauty of this recipe is in the wait times required between making the layers. Use this to your advantage. If you want to serve the cloud on Saturday evening, you will make the meringue base on Thursday evening, bake it for one hour, turn the oven off, and leave it in the oven until noon the next day.

This is a make-far-ahead dessert! At noon on Friday, make the topping, layer it over the base, cover the pan with foil, and refrigerate the cloud until you want to serve it. It will be ready for Saturday evening but will be lovely on Sunday, too.  

I bought myself a spring form 9 x 13-inch cake pan, and I really love it for this recipe because the cloud looks truly beautiful from the side. It is easier to lift the slices for serving when there are no sides on the pan. Of course, I have made and served this recipe many times without the luxury of such a pan. Other pans work well, as long as they are buttered thoroughly.

 

The Base:

Heat oven to 275°F

Butter a baking pan, 9 x 13 x 2 inches  

Prepare the Base:

6 egg whites

½ teaspoon of cream of tarter

¼ teaspoon of salt

1¾ cups of sugar

In a large mixer bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until foamy. Beat in the 1¾ cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do NOT under beat. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan—Bake for one hour. Turn off the oven, and leave the meringue in the oven with the door closed for 12 hours or longer.

The Filling:

2 cups chilled whipping cream

1 package of cream cheese (8 ounces)

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 cups of mini-marshmallows

In a chilled bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff. In a separate bowl, blend cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla, until smooth. Gently fold the whipped cream and marshmallows into the cream cheese mixture; spread over the meringue base—Chill 12 to 24 hours. Cut into serving-size pieces and top with Cherry-Berry Topping, Maureen’s Pineapple Sauce, or the topping of your choice.

 

Suggested Sauces to Top Your Dessert Cloud

Cherry-Berry Topping

Stir together:

1 can of E.D. Smith Cherry Pie filling

2 cups of sliced fresh strawberries or 1 package (16 ounces) of frozen sliced strawberries, thawed

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Mix and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve over the fluffy cloud or other cheesecake.

 

Maureen’s Pineapple Sauce

Serve over dessert cloud, ice cream, white cake, or fill tiny pre-baked tart shells

½ cup of firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

1 (14 ounce) can crushed pineapple, including juice

3 tablespoons of butter

Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in a medium-size saucepan; stir in pineapple.

Cook, constantly stirring, until mixture thickens and boils for three minutes. Stir in butter just until melted.

Serve warm or cold over your desired treat.

This sauce is gluten-free.