ASK Aunt Daisy

New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 385, 8 November 1946, Page 26

ASK Aunt Daisy

SPRING RHUBARB

FTER the winter, the early spring rhubarb is very welcome, giving promise of the other fruits to come. There are lots of dainty dishes to be made with rhubarb, as well as just serving it stewed with custard, or junket, or sauce. You can also bake rhubarb-which gives it a different flavour. You just cut the sticks into pieces, put them in a casserole or pyrex dish with one-third its weight of sugar sprinkled over, a very little water-not even enough to cover, and a strip or two of lemon rind, Then you put the lid on and bake it in a slow oven-quite useful when the oven is on to cook the. meat. Of course, rhubarb can also be made into jams and chutneys; if I have room I will add one or two. Rhubarb Suet Pudding Spread inside a basin 3 tablespoons each of brown sugar and butter, mixed together. Then make a suet crust as usual-flour, half as much shredded suet, salt, and water to mix. Line the sugared basin with this, as well. Now half fill the lined basin with cut-up rhubarb; sprinkle with brown sugar, and lemon juice. Add a little water, pile in more rhubarb, and put on a top crust. Bake in a quick oven; and then turn it out on to a hot dish. Rhubarb Meringue Half fill a piedish with stewed rhubarb, cover with thick fingers of stale bread. Beat 1 egg yolk with 2 teaspoons of sugar, into half a cup of milk, and pour this over the bread. Whip 1 egg white stiff with a pinch of salt, and then beat in 1 small tablespoon of sugar. Drop thi¥ in heaps on top of the bread, and bake in a moderate oven till brown, about 20 minutes. This is delicious hot or cold. Rhubarb and Strawberry Delight Simmer some cut-up rhubarb with sugar and water, in the usual way, Just before removing it from the fire, add some strawberries, which have been hulled, washed and halved. Let this all cool-in a refrigerator if you are lucky, and serve with cream or mock cream. Rhubarb Upside-down Cake Mix 2 cups of rhubarb, cut in ¥4-inch lengths; 4% cup of sugar; 1 teaspoon of grated orange rind, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and line the bottom of a greased and floured tin. Choose a rather flat big tin. Now mix up this cake. Half a cup e eae or cod-fat; 1 cup of sugar; parate the whites and yolks; aie ps sifted flour; 1% teaspoon of salt; 2 teaspoons of baking powder; ¥2 cup of milk; and about YY teaspoon of vanilla, Cream the butter well, and gradually add the sugar, beating "well all the time and keeping it light and fluffy. Beat the egg yolks separately till thick, and then add; mix thoroughly. Now add the sifted dry ingredients and the milk alternately-say one third of each at a time. Also add the vanilla. Beat the egg whites stiff, then fold into the cake mixture lightly. Spread this mixture over the rhubarb, bake in a moderate oven-350deg.-for about 45 minutes, or until done, Turn out-and

it may be served hot or cold, and lucks pretty with the fruit on top. Rhubarb Crisp Butter a piedish thickly, and sprinkle with sugar. Now coat with wheatflakes. Put in a good layer of stewed sweetened rhubarb; cover with more wheatflakes, sprinkle with sugar, and dot with butter. Bake for about 20 minutes, and a chocolate sauce served with this is very nice. Honolulu Rhubarb Pie Wash and cut Ilb. of rhubarb. Stir together 2 small cups of sugar; 2 tablespoons of flour; and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, Add 1 beaten egg, and about a dessertspoon of melted butter. Mix all together. Now line a deep pie-plate with that pastry, add the rhubarb, and cover with a top crust.‘ Sprinkle the rhubarb with sugar, of course, and squeeze some lemon juice in. Bake about 45 minutes in a hot oven. Rhubarb and Raisin Jelly One cup of good raisins or sultanas, 1 cup of sugar; 1 cup of cold water; 2 cups of cut-up rhubarb, 1 packet of orange jelly crystals, and 3% pint of hot water. Add the raisins to the cold water, and simmer gently until tender. Remove the raisins from the pan; and add to the raisin water the rhubarb and sugar. Cook the rhubarb till tender, and arrange in a mould with alternate layers of raisins, Dissolve the orange jelly in the hot water, pour over the mixture, and allow to set. Rhubarb and Banana Jam Cut up 1lb. of rhubarb, and put with 1lb. of sugar overnight. Boil till soft. Then add 2 or 3 bananas mashed, or cut finely. Bring the jam back to the boil, boil about 3 or 5 minutes, and then bottle. Rhubarb and Orange Jam * To every pound of rhubarb allow 2 oranges and %4lb. of sugar. Wipe the rhubarb, cut it into half-inch lengths, Cut up the oranges’ as for marmalade, put it all on together and boil for an hour or more, or until it will set. Spiced Rhubarb This. is very nice served with hot or cold roast lamb. Three pounds of rhubarb, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon; ¥% teaspoon of ground cloves; 1% teaspoon of nutmeg; a teaspoon of allspice. Tie the spices in a bag, and simmer with ¥ cup of vinegar; 1% cup ¢ of water; and 2Ib. of sugar, for 20 Remove the spice bag, add the rhubarb, which has been cut into inch Add 11b. of seeded raisins,.as well. Simmer till quite thick, put in jars, and seal when cool.