RHUBARB TARTLETTES

Recently I stumbled upon a recipe for a Portuguese Tart, formerly called Kuejadas.  I have been looking for recipes to try which have rhubarb in them since my garden is overflowing with rhubarb.  The recipe was for a caramel custard tart but I easily adapted it in order to use rhubarb. 

They are soooooooo good, it is hard to stop at just one.  And it doesn’t help that you can pick it up and in two bites it is gone.

Start with one cup of sugar.  (Note:  I have a new helper in the kitchen.  Biggest problem is that she will not stay down on the step stool.  She insists on being on the counter and up close.)

Pour in 4 Tablespoons of melted butter

Add two eggs

Pour in a can of sweetened condensed milk and one teaspoon of vanilla

And one cup of flour.  Now mix this all together until thick and creamy.

I turned my back just to get the milk out of the fridge and she was scooping the batter out by the handfuls and eating it!  She said it was dewicous.

Pour in two cups of milk and stir.

Grease your muffin tins and pour the batter in with a 1/3 cup measuring cup.  The 1/2 cup was too much.

Now add one Tablespoon of chopped rhubarb to each tart.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 and bake an additional 25 minutes.

Let them cool in the pan for about 15-20 minutes and remove with a fork.  They are delicious served warm or cold.

Top with whipped cream.  I learned a new trick when whipping cream.  Instead of using granulated sugar, use powdered sugar to sweeten the cream.  It keeps nicer in the fridge and doesn’t get runny.

See how it forms its own crust and the creamy custard filling cooks up in the middle. 

 

RHUBARB TARTLETTES

1 cup sugar

4 T melted butter

2 eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

2 cups milk

5-6 stalks rhubarb, chopped

This is pretty much a dump it all in and mix recipe.   Mix all except the rhubarb together.  Pour by 1/3 cups into greased muffin tins.  Add 1 Tablespoon chopped rhubarb to each tart.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 325 and bake an additional 25 minutes.  Serve with whipped cream.

 

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and
pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive
their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

CHOCOLATE POWER BARS

I will not deny it, I am a lover of chocolate.  In the past year I have resorted to satisfying the chocolate urge with eating a Dove dark chocolate but these bars are even better and there is no sugar!  You do need a food processor to make them.
Here’s the ingredients:  Almonds, Cocoa  Powder, Whole Dates, Vanilla, Stevia, Agave, Craisins and Coconut.


Start by putting 2 1/4 cups of almonds into the food processor.  I use the raw almonds, not the salted and roasted ones.  You can roast them in the oven for 5 minutes if you want, just make sure you let them cool completely before processing. 

Add 1/2 cup of coconut flakes or unsweetened coconut.

And 1/4 cup cocoa  powder.

Blend until combined and coarsely ground.  It should look like this.  Not fine ground but with some chunks.

Next we add the dates.  The recipe calls for 15 but I usually throw in a couple extras because I love dates!    Use the whole dates that are pitted of course.  I tried the chopped ones one time and it was a big mistake!

Process again until the dates are chopped up.

Add one Tablespoon of vanilla and 10 drops of stevia.

Now put in 2-3 Tablespoons of Agave.  You could also use honey if you don’t have any agave.  I use the 3 Tablespoons because it makes them a little gooier, chewier, which is how I like them.

Blend again until it all starts sticking together.

Dump in 1/2 cup of dried cranberries and just pulse a few times to combine them into the mixture.

Grease an 8 x 8 glass pan.  I like to use coconut oil because I love the taste of it.  Otherwise use some butter.  Either way make sure you grease it generously.

Press the mixture into the dish and freeze for one hour, just until firm. 


Cut into small squares.  Store them in the refrigerator and eat them when you need that chocolate fix. 



CHOCOLATE POWER BARS
2 1/4 cups Almonds, (or pecans)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup cocoa  powder
15 whole pitted dates
1 Tablespoon vanilla
10 drops Stevia
2-3 Tablespoons Agave
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Blend almonds, coconut and cocoa powder in a food processor until combined and coarsely ground.  Add dates and process again.  Process in vanilla, stevia and agave until well combined.  Pulse in cranberries.  Press mixture into a well greased  8x8 glass dish.  Freeze for one hour until firm.  Cut into squares.

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.  Philippians 2:14-15

MOCHA PUNCH

This punch is a tradition for our Christmas celebration.  It is cold and creamy and bursting with chocolate!  I doubled it because a single batch isn’t enough for our group. 

Start out with 1 1/2 quarts of water in a kettle.  Add 1/2 cup instant chocolate drink mix.

Add 1/2 cup of sugar

And finally add 1/4 cup of instant coffee granules.  Don’t make a mistake and use coffee grounds!  You need instant coffee granules.

Stir this all together and put on a medium / low burner.  Do not bring to a boil.  We just need to heat the water and dissolve the ingredients.

Remove from the heat and let it cool down.

Pour into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the punch.  I made this three days ahead of time.  This looks like a big jar but remember I was doubling the recipe so I have twice as much here as you would have. 

About half an hour before you want to serve the punch, scoop 1/2 gallon of vanilla and 1/2 gallon of chocolate ice cream into a large container.

Pour the drink mixture over the ice cream.  I asked this tall dark assistant to help me since I couldn’t pour and snap pictures at the same time.

And begin stirring.

And stirring every few minutes, breaking up the chunks of ice cream.

Until it looks like a chocolate shake.  You can serve it right from this container or dump it into a pretty punch bowl.

Dump in the whipped cream and stir.  You can use it to garnish too but I just dump it all in. It just makes the punch that much more creamy.

Ladle into cups and serve. 

For the adults, add a Tablespoon of Kahlua and it makes quite the yummy drink. 

MOCHA PUNCH
1 1/2 quarts water
1/2 cup instant chocolate drink mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant coffee granules
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1/2 gallon chocolate ice cream
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Put water into a large saucepan.  Add drink mix, sugar and coffee.  Heat until ingredients are dissolved.  Do not boil.  Let cool and then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.  About 30 minutes before serving, spoon ice creams into punch bowl.  Add drink mixture and stir until ice cream chunks are gone.  Garnish with whipped cream.
Makes about 5 quarts of punch. 

The Law of Use
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  Matthew 25:29

RHUBARB DREAM DESSERT

This recipe comes from Bea who is a very good friend of our family. If you like a rhubarb custard pie you are gonna love this dessert.

Head on out to the rhubarb patch and force your 4 year old granddaughter to pick the stuff. Did I mention that if anyone wants any of this stuff to PLEASE help yourself?

Now demand that she play in the water and wash all that rhubarb.

Dice it into small pieces. I think I had about 12 cups here even though I only need four for this recipe.

The crust on this dessert is so good. I like to combine it in the food processor. Put 2 cups of flour into the processor.

Add one cup of cubed cold butter

And 10 Tablespoons of powdered sugar

Pulse it about a dozen times until you have a fine crumb consistency.

Spray your 9 x 13 pan with some of this stuff.

Pat the crust into the pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Singing a song helps the patting process.

Crack 4 eggs into a large bowl and then pick out all the shells

Whisk it up real good.

Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup flour and a teaspoon of salt

And of course a teaspoon of vanilla. This girl has been cooking with me too long.

She is learning the technique of no measuring.

Whisk this until it is well mixed

Dump in your four cups of rhubarb

Pour over the baked crust and bake for 40 minutes at 350 until the filling is set. You may need to bake a little longer, depending on your oven. Just test it by jiggling the pan to see if the filling moves. If it does bake a little more.

Top with a dollop of cream and enjoy!

RHUBARB DREAM DESSERT

Crust:

2 cups flour

10 T powdered sugar”

1 cup cubed butter

Combine ingredients and pat into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Filling:

4 beaten eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups cut up rhubarb

Blend ingredients and pour over baked shell. Bake for 40 minutes (or more) at 350 degrees. Serve with whipped cream.

Then the one who looked like a man touched me again and I felt my strength returning. “Don’t be afraid” he said, “for you are deeply loved by God. Be at peace; take heart and be strong!” Daniel 11:18