Rhubarb Muffins — Rhubarb Muffins Delight — Buttermilk Rhubarb Muffins — Rhubarb Crumb Muffins — Rhubarb Crumble Muffin — Rhubarb Donut Muffins with Lemon Glaze — Rhubarb Almond Muffins — Rhubarb Muffins with Greek Yogurt — Rhubarb Ruckus Muffins — Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Buttermilk Rhubarb Muffin

You can’t go wrong when you bake muffins.
Think about it.
Paired with yogurt and fruit they can be served for breakfast, or plain with a bowl of soup, or as a great dessert with cheese or fruit.
And they’re so quick and easy to make.
As we still have rhubarb in our gardens, why not use some to make a batch of muffins?
Rhubarb muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a mid-day snack.


These recipes work best with fresh rhubarb.
If you’re new at using fresh rhubarb, don’t panic.
About 2 to 3 stalks will give you 1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb.
A little more or less will be just fine.

Fresh rhubarb can be chopped and refrigerated or frozen for future recipes.
Frozen rhubarb gets soft and watery. If you’re using frozen rhubarb just thaw and drain it thoroughly before using it to prevent the excess moisture from affecting the recipe.

When ready to bake, be sure your ingredients are at room temperature for best results, especially the eggs and milk.
If you don’t have buttermilk just add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup milk, stir and use.

Muffin batter should be slightly lumpy. Do not over mix, or your muffins will be dense.
Stop mixing as soon as the flour is blended. Don’t worry about a streak of flour.

Each muffin cup should be about two-thirds to three-quarters full.

Be sure you have a properly preheated oven to get muffin tops with a golden crust.
Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots.

The tops should be golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin should come out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then remove them and place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Wrap muffins individually in plastic wrap or foil, and place in a freezer-safe bag or container to freeze for up to three months.
Microwave a refrigerated or thawed muffin for 15 to 20 seconds.
For a crispier top, reheat in a toaster oven at 325°F for 5 to 8 minutes.


You’ll find more rhubarb recipes in these posts:

https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2025/07/lemon-rhubarb-loaf-with-glaze-rhubarb.html

https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2025/06/sour-cream-rhubarb-coffee-cake-sour.html


The ‘Buy Canadian / Avoid American’ lists of companies is here
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2025/02/buy-canadian.html

Hints:

About the Rhubarb Muffins…
You can add about 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or cardamom to the dry ingredients.
For less tart muffins, replace half the rhubarb with chopped strawberries.
You can also fold in 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
You can double the topping recipe or replace the topping with a confectioners’ sugar glaze.
Rhubarb Muffins can be frozen.
Serve warm, at room temperature, or reheated briefly with butter, a drizzle of honey, or as is, with coffee or tea.


About the Rhubarb Muffins Delight…
For sweeter muffins you can add an additional 1/4 cup of sugar.
For a healthier option substitute whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour.


About the Rhubarb Crumble Muffin…
These muffins only require one bowl and freeze really well.


About the Rhubarb Donut Muffins with Lemon Glaze…
Adjust the thickness of the glaze by adding more sugar for a thicker glaze or more juice for a thinner drizzle.


                                       Rhubarb Muffins

Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by either lining with paper muffin liners or greasing lightly.

Cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 Cup fresh rhubarb

For the crumb topping place in a small bowl
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix together, then add
2 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed
Use a fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you have coarse crumbs.
Set  aside.

Preheat oven to 400° F

Place in a large bowl
1 3/4 Cups flour
1/2 Cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Stir lightly to combine.

Place in a medium bowl
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 Cup milk (whole milk or 2% recommended)
1/4 Cup oil (use a neutral oil, like canola)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk together until the mixture is smooth.
Fold in the chopped rhubarb and stir to coat.
Pour the rhubarb mixture into the dry ingredients.
Stir gently until just combined.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
Top each muffin with a generous spoonful of the crumb mixture. Just let it rest lightly on top.
Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes.


                                       Rhubarb Muffins Delight

Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by either lining with paper muffin liners or greasing lightly.

Cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 1/2 Cups fresh rhubarb

Preheat oven to 350° F

Place in a medium bowl
2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Stir lightly to combine.

Place in a large mixer bowl
1 Cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
Cream together until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add, one at a time
2 large eggs
Mix well after each addition.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla

Making 3 dry and 2 wet additions add the dry ingredients alternately with
1 Cup buttermilk
Stir until just combined.
Gently fold in the chopped rhubarb with 1/4 Cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional).
Stir gently until just combined.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
Bake the muffins for 18 to 22 minutes.

                                       Buttermilk Rhubarb Muffins

Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by either lining with paper muffin liners or greasing lightly.

Cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 1/2 Cups fresh rhubarb

Preheat oven to 375° F

Place in a large mixing bowl
2 Cups flour
1 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Stir lightly to combine.

Place in a medium bowl
1 Cup buttermilk
1/3 Cup oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk together until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Stir gently until just combined.
Gently fold in the chopped rhubarb with 1/2 Cup chopped walnuts (optional).
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes.


                                       Rhubarb Crumb Muffins

Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by lining with paper muffin liners.

Cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 Cup fresh rhubarb

For the crumb topping place in a small bowl
1/4 Cup flour
2 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Use a fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you have coarse crumbs.
Set  aside.

Preheat oven to 375º F

Place in a large bowl
1 1/2 Cups flour
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Stir lightly to combine.

Place in a medium bowl
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 Cup milk
1/3 Cup oil
Whisk together until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Stir gently until just combined.
Fold in the chopped rhubarb.
 
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
Top each muffin with a generous spoonful of the crumb mixture. Just let it rest on top.
Bake the muffins for 18 to 22 minutes.


                                       Rhubarb Crumble Muffin

Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by lining with paper muffin liners.

Cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 Cup fresh rhubarb

For the crumb topping place in a small bowl
1/4 Cup flour
2 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed
2 Tablespoons sugar
Use a fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you have coarse crumbs.
Set  aside.

Preheat oven to 375º F

Place in a large bowl
1 1/2 Cups flour
1/2 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Stir lightly to combine.
Stir in
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 Cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
1/3 Cup butter, melted
Stir gently until just combined.
Fold in the chopped rhubarb.
 
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
Top each muffin with a generous spoonful of the crumb mixture. Just let it rest on top.
Bake the muffins for 18 to 22 minutes.


                                       Rhubarb Donut Muffins with Lemon Glaze

Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by either lining with paper muffin liners or greasing it lightly.

Place in a medium bowl
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 Cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk together until the mixture is smooth.

Cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 1/2 Cups fresh rhubarb

Preheat oven to 375° F

Place in a large bowl
2 Cups flour
3/4 Cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Stir lightly to combine and aerate the flour.
Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Stir gently until just combined.
Fold in the chopped rhubarb.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
Top each muffin with a generous spoonful of the crumb mixture. Just let it rest lightly on top.
Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the glaze, place in a small bowl
1 Cup confectioners’ sugar
2 to 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
Whisk together until the mixture is smooth. Adjust thickness if needed.
Dip the tops of the muffins into the thickened glaze or drizzle the thinner glaze over the tops.
Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving.


                                       Rhubarb Almond Muffins

Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by lining with paper muffin liners.

Place in a medium bowl
1/4 Cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 Cup milk
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract
Whisk together until the mixture is smooth.

Cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 1/2 Cups fresh rhubarb

Preheat oven to 375° F

Place in a large bowl
1 1/2 Cups flour
1/2 Cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Stir lightly to combine.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Stir gently until just combined.
Fold in the chopped rhubarb.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes.


                                       Rhubarb Muffins with Greek Yogurt

Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by either lining with paper muffin liners or greasing lightly.

Cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 1/2 Cups fresh rhubarb

For the topping place in a small bowl
2 Tablespoons coarse sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375° F

Place in a medium bowl
1 3/4 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Stir lightly to combine.

Place in a large mixer bowl
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 Cup brown sugar
Cream together until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add, one at a time
2 large eggs
Mix well after each addition.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla

Making 3 dry and 2 wet additions add the dry ingredients alternately with
1 Cup Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
Stir until just combined.
Gently fold in the chopped rhubarb.
Stir gently until just combined.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
Sprinkle the topping over the tops.
Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes.


                                       Rhubarb Ruckus Muffins

Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by either lining with paper muffin liners or greasing lightly.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Melt and slightly cool
1/2 Cup unsalted butter

Cut into 1/4 inch pieces and place in a large bowl
1 1/2 Cups fresh rhubarb
Add
2 Cups flour
Toss until well combined.
Add
3/4 Cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 Cup whole milk
the melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
Stir gently until just combined.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
Top each muffin with a generous spoonful of the crumb mixture. Just let it rest on top.
Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes. 


                                       Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by lining with paper muffin liners.

Cut into 1/4 inch pieces and place in a medium bowl
1 Cup fresh rhubarb
Add
1 Cup sliced strawberries
1/2 Cup sugar
Toss to coat the fruit. Let the fruit sit for 10 minutes.

Place in a medium bowl
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Stir lightly to combine.

Preheat oven to 375° F

Place in a large mixer bowl
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, softened
Cream together until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add, one at a time
2 large eggs
Mix well after each addition.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla

Making 3 dry and 2 wet additions add the dry ingredients alternately with
1/2 Cup buttermilk
Stir until just combined.
Gently fold in the sugared rhubarb and strawberries.
Stir gently until just combined.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes.

Anna Sultana’s Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake, French Toast Casserole, Crescent Cheese Danishes, Mini Cherry Cheese Danishes and Puff Pastry Palmiers / A Big Kid’s Christmas by Margaret Ullrich

Wishing you all the blessings of the season

and a New Year filled with all the best!

A huge thank you for visiting, 

I hope to see you again in the new year!

~ Margaret

Puff Pastry Palmiers

 
We’re done with 2023!!!

That alone gives us a reason to celebrate.
Before we get too excited, let’s realize that 2024 might have a few surprises.
We’re not totally done with Covid-19, so please stay safe and take precautions.
Maybe a bit of menu planning will give us some more luck as we enter 2024.


To give good luck a bit of a push in the New Year, Southerners say Peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold.


A list of other foods (along with recipes) that are supposed to bring you good luck, wealth and health are in this post
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2022/12/happy-new-year-anna-sultanas-cotechino.html


These are the foods you should avoid on New Year’s Day:

Hollow bread - the air bubbles symbolize coffins and may mean 2024 will be cut short.
                      Avoid an unsliced loaf of bread… you just never know.

Tofu, rice, eggs, any white food - in China the colour white is connected to death.
              An egg salad on white could double your risk of this being your last New Year.

Catfish - as a bottom dweller it may condemn you to a year of living on scraps.

Lobster and Crab - unlucky for both New Year’s Eve and Day.
                 They move backwards or sideways, and may prevent you from moving forward.

Chicken - they scratch backwards and could jinx your progress, just like lobsters and crabs.
              Any poultry’s flying ability means they can fly away with your potential good luck.

Beef - cows stand still when they eat and eating beef may prevent you from progressing.

Broken noodles - in China long noodles represent good health and longevity.
                        Short noodles are their version of hollow bread.
                       But in Japan broken soba noodles symbolize a new beginning.
                       To be safe, reach for the brown rice.

Leave a bit of food on your plate so you’ll be more successful in the new year.



Hints:


About the Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake…

It can be made 4 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.



About the French Toast Casserole…
It can be served topped with maple syrup and whipped cream or with confectioners’ sugar.
It is also good served with fresh fruit, such as strawberries.

It is great reheated if you have any left over.   

About the Mini Cherry Cheese Danishes…
You can use either soft or regular cream cheese and any fruit pie filling.

About the Puff Pastry Palmiers…
If the filled roll falls apart use your fingers to reshape them or squish while you are slicing them.
Stored in a sealed container, they last for a few days, but they will lose some of their crunch.

                        Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake

Place rack in middle of oven.

Lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch or 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
Line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on both long sides.

Place in a medium pot
1 1/2 Cups apple cider
Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until cider is reduced to 3/4 cup.
Pour 1/4 cup reduced cider into a small bowl and set aside.
Transfer remaining reduced cider to a small bowl and let cool 5 minutes.
Stir in
1/2 Cup sour cream or buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Set aside.

Place in the same medium pot
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter (or 6 Tablespoons oil)
Melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Don’t wash the pot. You'll be using it again.

Place in a medium bowl
1 1/4 Cups plus 2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons cornstarch or flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 325° F  

Place in a large mixer bowl
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 Cup sugar
Beat at medium speed until pale and frothy, about 2 minutes.
Gradually add melted butter (or oil). Continue to beat until fully combined.
Making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions add
the flour mixture and the apple cider / sour cream mixture
Beat just until no lumps remain. Batter will be thin.
Scrape batter into prepared pan.
Rotating halfway through, bake cake 60 to 80 minutes until deep golden brown and a tester inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Place pan on a wire rack and poke top of cake all over with a toothpick.
Spoon 3 Tablespoons of reserved reduced cider over cake. Let cool 10 minutes.

Place in a small bowl
1/4 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Place in the same medium pot you used before
1 Tablespoon butter (or 3/4 Tablespoon) oil
Melt butter and mix into remaining tablespoon of reduced cider.

Using parchment paper, remove the cake from the pan and place on rack.
Set rack on rimmed baking sheet and peel away the parchment paper from the sides.
Brush the warm butter mixture over the top and sides of cake.
Sprinkle the sugar mixture to coat every surface.
Remove parchment and let cool completely before slicing.


                        French Toast Casserole

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan

Slice
day old loaf of French bread
You want 12 slices about an inch to an inch and a half thick.

Place in a large bowl
4 large eggs
1/2 Cup evaporated milk (or regular milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Whisk together.
Dip each bread slice in the mixture and place in 2 overlapping rows in prepared pan.

Topping
Place in a medium pot
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup butter
1/3 Cup evaporated milk (or regular milk)
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
Stirring regularly, cook over low heat until hot but not boiling.

Pour topping mixture over the bread in the casserole dish.
Cover casserole dish and refrigerate overnight.
Before baking remove the covering and sprinkle over the top
1 Cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 400º F

Bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.


                        Crescent Cheese Danishes

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Filling
Place in a medium mixer bowl
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 teaspoon lemon juice
Whip until light and fluffy. Set aside.

Icing (optional)
Place in a small bowl
1 Cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons milk or water
Mix well.

Place in a small bowl
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
Mix well.

Open the container but do not unroll the rolls in
1 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls XL Grands
Using a sharp, serrated knife cut the roll to make 8 slices.
Place each slice on prepared baking sheet.
Slightly stretch out each slice and make a depression in the centre for the filling.

Preheat oven to 350° F

Brush each dough circle with the melted butter/sugar mixture.
Place a scoop of the filling in each of the 8 rounds.
Bake for 15 minutes. Crescents will be golden brown, and feel slightly firm to the touch.
Cool for 10 minutes before drizzling icing onto each Danish (optional).


                        Mini Cherry Cheese Danishes

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Filling
Place in a medium mixer bowl

4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

1/3 Cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Blend until smooth.

Open the container but do not unroll the rolls in
1  Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Using a sharp, serrated knife cut the roll to make 10 slices.
Place the 10 slices on the prepared cookie sheet.
Use a glass to flatten each roll with a small wall edge around it.
Flour your hands and press each round to make it a bit larger.

Place a scoop of the filling in each of the 10 rounds.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Top the centre of the filling with a teaspoonful of
cherry pie filling

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

While danishes are baking make the icing.
Place in a medium bowl

1/3 Cup confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons milk

Mix well.


Allow to the danishes to cool, then add a drizzle of icing.


                        Puff Pastry Palmiers

Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Place in a small bowl
8 ounces brick cream cheese, softened
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Mix until well blended.

Lightly toast then finely chop enough to make
2/3 Cup finely chopped pecans

Place on lightly floured surface
2 pre-rolled puff pastry sheets, thawed
Unroll 1 pastry sheet
Spread half the cream cheese mixture, then sprinkle half the nuts.
Even the ends of roll.
Roll both short sides of dough to centre; wrap with plastic wrap.
Repeat with second pastry sheet.
Put the wrapped pastry rolls in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425º F

Place in small bowl and beat
1 large egg

Remove rolls from freezer and slice each into 20 1/2 inch thick pieces.
Place pieces, 1 inch apart, on prepared baking sheets.
Brush with egg and sprinkle with
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until cookies are puffed and golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on baking sheets.
Remove to wire racks; cool completely.


                                                            ~~~
In 2004 I wrote a story about when I was 5-years-old and worried if Santa Claus would find me after we moved. I read it on our CKUW radio show '2000 & Counting - Older & Wiser'. For a few years it was an annual tradition for ‘2000 & Counting’ and for ‘Better Than Chocolate’.

After I had first read the story we chatted about when we were children and had realized that our parents were Santa’s main helpers. Here is what I remember of that discussion. Merry Christmas!

So, Santa did find me and my nine-month-old sister.

My fifth Christmas was a time of change for our family. I was becoming American. Thank you, Nonni.

Christmases marked the milestones in my family’s changes. The next Christmas, in addition to a sister, I had a 15-day-old brother. Well, it was the 1950s.

That was a huge Christmas for our family. Santa was in a very generous mood that year. Pop was in his glory. He finally had a son, an heir. Pop's dynasty could begin. He was one up on England’s Prince Philip. We had his family's name. Visions of grandsons were dancing in Pop's head. And there'd be hundreds of descendants to come. He'd be another Abraham. In the 1950s all things were possible.

Another thing that was possible was my learning how to read and write. The next year I was able to write my own letter to Santa. I wanted a bicycle. I asked my parents if they thought Santa would give me a bike. Pop said that I'd been a good girl, helping Ma with the two babies. Ma agreed, saying that I was becoming really good at changing diapers and giving bottles. Yes, they thought Santa would grant me my wish.
 
My siblings were also growing and going after what they wanted. While George had barely been aware of his first Christmas, that year he was a toddler and was fascinated by the Christmas tree. He kept trying to grab the ornaments. Every chance he got, he'd climb onto the sofa and reach out to the branches.

We weren't worried. He just sat on the couch and reached.  

Then George figured out that he'd get closer to the tree if he got on the armrest and then reached for a shiny ball or two. I think he'd have done it, if he hadn't lost his balance and landed on the three kings' camel. That camel wasn't exactly built to carry a toddler. No problem. There were more camels in the 5 & 10.


The big day came.  
I got my bike.
It was blue.
I called it Blue Bird.

I was so glad that I had learned how to write and read. I read anything and everything I could, including the labels on Blue Bird. The seat had been made in one country. The tires in another. The frame in yet a third.  

Suddenly, I had an awful thought.  
The parts of my Blue Bird had been made in different countries.  
Not one label said made in the North Pole.
Nothing had been made in the North Pole.
Nothing had been made by Santa's elves.   

My parents looked at each other, shrugged, and finally admitted that, yes, my bike hadn't been made by Santa's elves. They had bought it. Didn't I like it? Was blue still my favourite colour?
I admitted it was perfect. But what about Santa? Didn’t he like me any more?

They smiled, hugged me and said I was a big girl. I was too big to still believe in Santa. But, since I was a big girl, it was now my job to help the babies believe in Santa for as long as possible.

I was seven… the oldest… not a baby anymore.

In a way I was proud when they called me a big girl.
But I was also scared.
I wasn’t ready to be a big girl.
I felt like I was George reaching for the shiny balls.
I was afraid I would lose my balance and fall on the camel.

Anna Sultana’s Raisin-Filled Cookies, Honey Bun Cake and Sugarplums / Would Santa Ever Find Me? by Margaret Ullrich

Happy Holidays, everyone.
  Wishing you and yours 

a Christmas filled with all you hold dear!

Thank you for visiting ~

Margaret

 

Well, good for us, we’ve made it!
Here we are, at the start of the Christmas weekend!

It's time to relax, set aside the plans we didn’t achieve - there’s always next year - and accept this year’s celebration for what it is.
It will be special in its own way, it will have its good and bad moments - just as every Christmas always has had - and for that we can be grateful.

Even with the problems in the supply chain we’ve managed.
Maybe even learned a new recipe or two that have become family favourites.
Honey, molasses and jam are good for adding sweetness.
No need to miss recipes that depended on sugar.

Another way to avoid the sugar bowl is to use a cake mix.
They’ve already added the sugar, saving you the bother.
And who needs sugar when you have dried fruits in your cupboard?
Don't let dried apricots and prunes, raisins and dates go to waste.
Let the kiddies have their own ‘visions of sugarplums’ dancing in their heads.

Some Christmas trivia… 

The sugar plums mentioned in Clement Clark Moore’s poem Twas the Night Before Christmas and enjoyed in The Nutcracker were coriander seeds coated with sugar, formed into an oval shape and allowed to harden.

Hints:

About the Raisin-Filled Cookies…
For a thicker filling use less water.
if you prefer, or have a bag in your kitchen, use dates or figs.

About the Honey Bun Cake…
If you have pudding in the mix cake mix use 2 large eggs and add 4 Tablespoons water.

Store leftovers in a cool place or refrigerated. It can be microwaved.  

About the Sugarplums…
You can substitute other dried fruits, nuts, and preserves. Use what you have.
Add a teaspoon of cinnamon for sweetness and a pinch of ground cloves for spice. For the adults add a teaspoon of brandy - real or extract.

Stored in an airtight container they last up to a month.
Place waxed paper between the layers so they won’t stick together.

 

   

                        Raisin-Filled Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

For Filling
Place in a medium sized pot
2 Cups raisins
1/4 to 2/3 Cup sugar
2/3 Cup water
Stirring occasionally, cook over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, until thick.
Remove from heat and stir in
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon butter
Let cool while preparing the dough.

For Dough
Sift into a medium bowl
3 Cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir together in a measuring cup
1/3 Cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place in a large mixer bowl
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup butter
Cream together until fluffy.
Add
1 large egg
Mix well.
Making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions, add the flour mixture and the milk mixture.
Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter or a glass.

Preheat oven to 350° F

Place a teaspoonful of filling on the centre of a round.

Cover it with another round and press edges together.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove to rack to cool.


                        Honey Bun Cake

Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan

For Topping
Place in a medium bowl
1 Cup pecan or walnut pieces
1 Cup sugar (white or brown)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Stir together.

For Cake
Place in a large mixer bowl
1 box yellow cake mix (not pudding in the mix)
3/4 Cup butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks)
4 large eggs
1 Cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon almond extract
Beat at medium speed until just blended.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.

Preheat oven to 350° F

Sprinkle topping over cake batter.
Using a knife gently swirl topping into cake batter.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Be sure to let it cool before adding the icing.

For Icing
Place in a medium bowl
1 1/2 Cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 5 Tablespoons milk, depending on how thick you want it for pouring
Mix together and drizzle over cake.


                        Sugarplums

Place in a food processor or blender
1 Cup pitted dates, chopped
1/2 Cup raisins
1/2 Cup pitted prunes, chopped
1/2 Cup currants or dried cranberries
1 Cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Grind together for a minute, then pulse the mixture a few times.
Add
2 Tablespoons cherry preserves
Pulse a few more times until the mixture begins to come together.
Keep the fruit a bit coarse. Do not over process it into a paste.
Add
1/2 to 3/4 Cup confectioners' sugar
You want enough to thicken, but leaving the fruit moist enough to form a ball.

Wet your hands to prevent sticking and form mixture into 1 inch balls.
Place balls on a rack to dry for 24 hours.
Before serving roll balls in white sugar. (optional)

                                                            ~~~
In 2004 I wrote this story and read it on our CKUW radio show '2000 & Counting - Older & Wiser'. For a few years it was an annual tradition for ‘2000 & Counting’ and for ‘Better Than Chocolate’. I got a few e mails asking if I could post the original story.
Here it is… Merry Christmas!

Change follows us from the cradle to the grave. When I was five years old I was hit with a megadose of change - I moved to another town, got a baby sister, got to go to kindergarten and got Santa Claus.
    
Five years earlier my parents and I had emigrated from Malta to New York and settled in Corona. We didn't have much choice. Five of Pop's brothers and sisters lived in Corona. So, we had to live in Corona, too. 
    
Corona was a little slice of Italy on Long Island. The store clerks were bilingual: English and Italian. The grocery stores in Corona were stocked with Italian necessities. Almost everything in all the other stores had been imported from Italy. 
Corona was where we learned how to be Americans. 
    
Nonni's children, Betty and Angelo, had married two of Pop's siblings, Joe and Helen. So, Nonni was a double Grandma in my family. Since all my grandparents were in Malta, Nonni treated me as a grandchild, too.     
    
Every Christmas Eve we gathered at Uncle Joe and Aunt Betty's home. A whole corner of their living room was filled with Nonni's manger scene. It was not just a shed with Mary, Joseph, three kings and one shepherd standing around Baby Jesus. Nonni had a complete village with houses, trees, hills, paths, ponds and animals. There were people walking around just minding their own business. Some of the figures were really old and we couldn't play with them. But each year Nonni added something new: a woman carrying a basket of eggs, a farmer carrying a head of cabbage, a man carrying a bundle of wood. Nonni’s manger scene was better than any store window on 5th Avenue in Manhattan.
    
Dinner was a feast. Fish was traditional - eel for the parents, bluefish for the children. There was also soup, pasta and vegetables, followed by ricotta pie, anise biscotti, pizzelle and cuccidati cookies, strufoli, creamy roasted chestnuts and torrone candy. My favourite was the huge golden mound of strufoli: tiny doughnut balls covered with honey and multi-coloured sprinkles. After dinner we played games and our parents talked until it was time to walk to the Midnight Mass at St. Leo's. After Mass we returned to Uncle Joe's for some panettone, a holiday bread made with butter, raisins, almonds and citron.

Then Nonni would tell us to look at the manger scene for the surprise. The blessed Bambino, Baby Jesus, had suddenly appeared!
    
Christmas Eve was a wonderful night. But the big day for us children was January sixth. The night before we had hung our stockings and waited for La Befana to bring us toys. 
    

For those unfamiliar with the story, La Befana was a little old lady who had been sweeping her house when the Wise Men knocked on her door. They were looking for Baby Jesus and asked La Befana for directions. They then invited La Befana to join them. The old woman refused, saying she had work to do.
    
When it was dark, a great light and angels appeared in the sky. La Befana realized that the Wise Men weren't kidding about somebody special being born that night. Broom in hand, La Befana tried to catch up with the Wise Men. She never found them or Baby Jesus. Every year she searches for Baby Jesus and leaves presents for good little boys and girls. 
    

La Befana took care of me for four years. Then we moved to College Point so we could live closer to Lily Tulip where Pop worked. Then it was time for my sister to be born. While Ma was in the hospital I stayed with Aunt Betty, Uncle Joe and their daughters, MaryAnn and Carol Lynn. It was nice living in Corona again. The next day, Nonni diNoto took me to the local 5 and 10 and gave me a quarter.      
"Buy for sister."       
I didn't have any idea what a baby sister would want. I liked westerns, so I grabbed a toy gun.      
"No. Buy a rattle."    
A rattle? That sounded boring, but I bought a pink plastic rattle. 
    
In those days children were not allowed to visit anyone in the hospital. When Aunt Betty visited Ma, she gave the rattle to my new sister. I waited outside the hospital and waved to the window of Ma's room. When Aunt Betty returned she had a gift from my new sister for me: three pieces of chocolate. 
    
Well, wasn't that nice of her. Not as nice as a toy gun, but maybe that was all she could get from where she'd been.   
    

After Rose was born we didn't go to Corona as often. It was easier to walk to the local church instead of driving to St. Leo's. I missed seeing my family. 
    
That September I started kindergarten in St. Fidelis School. Some of the good sisters had wanted to travel and meet exotic heathens in far away places. Well, they almost got their wish. I was the first Maltese child they'd ever seen. College Point had been settled by Irish and German families. It was time for me to learn about America through their eyes. 
    
As Christmas approached, the windows of the German bakeries were filled with the most beautiful cookies I'd ever seen. They were in all kinds of shapes: stars, angels, animals and wreaths. They were decorated with coconut, jam, icing and tiny silver balls. Some of my classmates brought in samples of their mothers' baking. I brought some biscotti. My friends were polite and tasted the dry, double-baked bread. Then we ate the lebkuchen, pfeffernuesse, zimtsterne, and jam filled spitzbuben. The stollen reminded me of panettone. I thought a German Christmas was delicious. I planned to eat German and Italian holiday food every Christmas for the rest of my life.

We helped Sister decorate the Christmas tree with sugar cookies which had been twisted into figure eights. Then Sister told us to gather around her. She was going to read us a story. Sister showed us the picture of Santa Claus and his eight reindeer. My friends were delighted.
    
I was confused. 
    
I had never heard any of this before. Santa was supposed to slide down a chimney and land in a fireplace. We didn't have a fireplace. We had a huge, oil-burning furnace in the basement. Ma hung our stockings, along with all the other wet laundry, on a clothesline near the furnace. It made awful noises and had fire in it. If Santa landed in it he'd fry like a strufoli. That would end Christmas forever. I didn't think Santa would take such a risk for a total stranger. The lovely cookies felt like lead in my stomach.
    
Sister talked about Santa checking his list of good little girls and boys. Santa had a list? I knew we were on the Registered Aliens list. Every January the TV reminded Ma to fill out green cards so we wouldn't go to jail or Malta. How could I get on Santa's list? Could Santa get my name from the Aliens list? Did I need to fill out another card? 
    
The afternoon went from bad to worse. Sister told us we could put our letters to Santa in the special mailbox in the classroom. A letter? What language did Santa speak? He'd never heard from me. I wasn't on his list. What could I say? 
    
"Hi, you don't know me, but I'd like some toys." I'd never written a letter to La Befana. She just gave me toys. Would Santa shoot La Befana if she came to College Point? Oh, boy… I was in big trouble.    
    
In kindergarten we learned about God the Father, about how we should pray to Him and tell Him what we needed. I didn't need another Father. I figured if my Pop was always busy working, this guy who took care of everything in the whole wide world would really never have time for me.
    
I needed a Grandma.
    
The next time we went to Corona I told Nonni about Santa Claus and that he was in charge of Christmas in College Point. Nonni listened patiently as I explained the rules.
    
She repeated the main points, "Santa Claus. A letter."     
I nodded.    
"I fix. I write letter to Befana. She give to Santa. No hard feelings. Christmas come."
    
I had my doubts. Nonni had never been to College Point. Maybe nobody ever had to change from La Befana to Santa Claus. Maybe Christmas was lost forever, like some of the packages we never got from Malta.
    
On Christmas Eve we all gathered at Uncle Joe and Aunt Betty's home in Corona. We had the Christmas Eve dinner. Then we went to St. Leo's for the Midnight Mass. Everything was familiar. Latin and Italian. Why couldn't we have stayed there? 
    
When we were leaving the church I saw a pale cloud in the sky. It looked long and thin, with a sort of lump on one end. For a moment I thought it looked like Santa and his sleigh with eight tiny reindeer. I kept looking at that cloud. It followed us from the church to Uncle Joe's house, where we had panettone. When we left, the cloud was still there. I watched from the car. The cloud followed us from Corona to College Point. 
    
I never noticed clouds before. Did clouds always follow people from one town to another? Was it really a cloud? Sister had told us that Santa had millions of helpers, tiny people called elves. Could it have been an elf picking up the letter from La Befana?
    
Christmas morning, Pop was eating breakfast while Ma was cleaning Rose. Ma sent me to the basement to get some dry diapers that were hanging by the furnace. Being a big sister wasn't much fun. I pulled down two diapers. Then I noticed some lumps by the furnace. I thought some clothes had fallen off the line. I walked toward the furnace. 
    
But the lumps weren't clothes. 
They were boxes. 
They were wrapped. 
They were presents! 
They were for me!!

Santa had found me.

Anna Sultana’s Blueberries: Pie, French Toast and Clafoutis / If I Name It, It Can Stay

Blueberry Clafoutis

 

In Manitoba Monday is Terry Fox Day.
On the first Monday in August we honour athlete and cancer research activist Terry Fox, who was born in Winnipeg in 1958.

Monday is also a holiday in a few other provinces, but they just call it August Civic Holiday.

Ah, well, a holiday is a holiday.
It’s time to relax and enjoy life.
And that means food.

A brunch dish adds a bit of dash to the holiday weekend menu.
Clafoutis is a French breakfast dish that is easy to prepare.
It has been described as a flan, pancake and soufflé in one, with a texture between a custard and a cake.

Prices have been crazy for the past couple of years, thanks to Covid-19.
Blueberries are in season, and are also available in the frozen food section.
Our Safeway has them on sale, so it’s a good time to use them.

These recipes also work with any other berries or stone fruit that are in season…
or in your freezer.
Whatever you have or observe, enjoy the holiday!


Hints:

About the Blueberry Pie…
You can also use a frozen pie crust.

Blueberry Refrigerator Pie is also easy to prepare
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2018/06/blueberry-refrigerator-pie-margaret.html


About the Blueberry French Toast…
You can use a one pound loaf of any type of bread.

Just a heads up - prepare this dish the day before you want it.


About the Blueberry Clafoutis…
If you don’t have buttermilk place 1 Tablespoon vinegar in a measuring cup and add enough milk to make one cup. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.

You can also use fresh blueberries in this recipe.

Clafoutis can be made up to one day in advance. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate, covered, overnight. 

It can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. You can briefly reheat it in the oven at the same temperature it was originally baked. It's traditionally not served with any accompaniment.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. It does not freeze well.

If your clafoutis seems rubbery reduce the cooking time 5 to 10 minutes or turn the oven down by 10 degrees.

                        Easy Blueberry Pie
 
Preheat oven to 425º F          

Place in a 9 inch pie pan
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar         
3/4 teaspoon salt
Mix together.

Place in a measuring cup
1/2 Cup oil
3 Tablespoons cold milk
Beat together until creamy, then add to the flour mixture, stir together and pat in to fill the pan.
Prick crust, place in oven and bake 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and set aside.

Place in a medium saucepan
2/3 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup cornstarch
1 Cup water
Combine well.
Add
1 1/2 Cups blueberries
Cook over medium heat, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick.
Stir in
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons butter
Remove pot from heat and let cool in the saucepan for 1 hour.
Stir in
2 1/2 Cups blueberries
Taste and add more sugar if you wish a sweeter taste.
Pour into the baked pie shell and chill until firm.
Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if you wish.


                        Blueberry French Toast

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan

Remove the heels of
1 loaf Italian bread
Slice on the diagonal to create eight 3/4-inch thick slices.
Arrange bread slices in prepared baking pan.

Place in a bowl
4 eggs
1/2 Cup milk
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stir together until well blended.
Slowly pour mixture over the bread, pressing down slices for full absorption.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Overnight is best.

Grease another 9 x 13 inch baking pan
Place in this prepared pan
5 Cups blueberries

Place in a bowl
1 Cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Stir together and sprinkle evenly over the blueberries.

Place oven rack in centre of oven.
Preheat oven to 425° F

Place the bread slices over the blueberries, wettest side up.
Brush bread with
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
Bake  for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Place slices of the toast berry-side down on warmed plates.
Scoop remaining berry mixture in the baking dish over the toast.
Sprinkle with
1/4 Cup confectioners' sugar


                        Blueberry Clafoutis

Grease a 9 inch pie pan with butter

Place in the prepared baking dish in an even layer
10 to 16 ounces frozen blueberries

Place in a small bowl
9 Tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Combine.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Place in a large bowl
1 Cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
6 Tablespoons white sugar
Beat together.
Add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture.
Stir until batter is smooth.
Add
1 teaspoon grated orange zest or 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Carefully pour mixture over blueberries in the baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with
1 tablespoon brown sugar, or more to taste
Return to the oven and bake until sugar is lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve warm or cold.

                                                             ~~~

This is a piece I wrote for my CKUW show in Spring, 2006.
The rhubarb plants are still with us, while the aspens were removed when they were in danger of falling over from old age. We now have milkweeds for the butterflies, and a basil plant near our tomatoes.
Gardening continues to be a learning experience for me.


   I'm trying to be a good Manitoban, but 20 centimetres of snow is not my idea of Spring.  In the movie Camelot they did not have snowball fights while singing The Lusty Month of May.  Who knew we could get travel advisories in the middle of May?  What the heck was that?  

   Okay, enough venting.  The snow melted.  It is Spring.  We have passed the Victoria Day Weekend.  It is time to get serious about gardening right here in River City.  Gardening in Manitoba is like being a Senior.  It ain't for wimps.

   My husband Paul and I are from New York.  People do garden there.  But it isn't as exciting as here.  Okay, New Yorkers get a hurricane or two, but for the most part it's just muggy in the summer.  Hydrangeas love it.

   This area was once a dairy farm.  Paul and I have tried to make our 35 by 100 foot piece of former farmland beautiful.  Our home was only four years old when we bought it in 1988.  We'd heard about its first owners.  After they'd installed a lawn, the wife planted a small tree, the husband yanked it out and then they filed for divorce.

   We fought the Karma.  After a priest blessed our home, we went to the nursery and picked up three cotoneasters, six evergreens, a grapevine, three lilacs and three michaelmas daisies.  We also got trees: two chokecherries and two Swedish aspens.  They were the cutest little things - Paul was taller than the aspens.  How big could they get?  Yeah…  

   We also bought five rhubarbs, something for homemade desserts while our son was in the hollow leg stage.  The clerk assured me that they - the rhubarbs - only lived about ten years.  Perfect.  That's all we'd need.    
 
   I read books.  According to a best seller, The Postage Stamp Garden Book, I could become Lady Bountiful dripping with fresh produce.  My garden would look like a miniature rain forest.  I could grow it all in very little space by intensive gardening techniques.  Translation: ignore the cute little stickers and cram everything together.  I bought 24 tomato plants, along with baby onions and zucchini, carrot, green bean and lettuce seeds.  I intercropped - that's planting seeds among the plants.  When the seeds sprouted, they looked about as hopeful as the folks in steerage on the Titanic.  They survived about as well.  The tomatoes didn't do much better.  My garden looked more like compost than a rain forest.  I tossed the book.

 
   People on gardening shows are so happy digging and planting.  We need someone who'll say, You idiot!  Stop doing that!  One of our first gardening purchases was a hose reel.  It had a short hose to attach the faucet to the hose.  We thought there was a safety reason for that.  Paul nailed the reel to the fence near the faucet which was nowhere near the garden.  For 14 years we shlepped around half the perimeter of our house lugging 150 feet of hose every time we had to water the garden.  With all that hose around it looked like we were fighting a four alarmer.  Two years ago the fence board keeled over.  Finally, it hit me.  We're talking water.  Why can't the reel be near the garden?  We could use a longer hose to attach the faucet to the hose.  Why isn't there someone to help the gardening impaired?  Don't they know some of us are clueless?  
      
   When we became empty nesters I got buggy and bought a butterfly starter kit.  I believed: if I plant it, they will come.  I also picked up some lovely pastel pansies.  Well, the butterflies did come.  They pigged out on the liatris, echinacea, sedum and rudbeckia.  My pansies disappeared.  From a CBC radio gardening segment I learned that butterflies lay their eggs in pansies.  Basically I had created a butterfly cheap motel - they came, got drunk on the flowers, then had unsafe sex in my pansies which their rotten kids then devoured.  Of all the nerve!  

                          
   Last year I got another gardening book.  The author had been on a Canadian show.  He promised we could have beautiful CANADIAN gardens with no work at all.  Yeah, that sounded like jumbo shrimp,  but he was serious.  All we had to do was plant perennials.  They'd come back every year.  Isn't that nice?  So I got one of every perennial available.  I was so pleased.  The cerastium, asters, pearly everlastings, black-eyed susans, mallows and yarrows just took over the place.  The dozen creeping jennies filled in all the bare spots.  Our two dogs, Popcorn and Bobo, couldn't kill a single plant.  I'd gone to garden heaven.  Then a neighbour dropped by.  I poured coffee.  She got down to suburban business.

   Eh, Marg, when are you going to get rid of the weeds?

   Weeds?  Okay, our lawn had an occasional dandelion, but let she without a single dandelion cast the first stone.  I was miffed.  I pulled out the little stickers that had come with my perennials.  See, I'd actually paid good (Okay, Canadian) money for my perennials.  My neighbour pulled out a dog-eared Golden Guide for Weeds.  There, along with a page on dandelions, was a page for each of my perennials.  My beloved pearly everlasting, with the oh so proper Latin name gnaphalium margaritacea, was a cudweed.  I felt like John Cleese in the Monty Python dead parrot sketch.  I was stuck with a yard full of dead parrots.  Beautiful plumage my Aunt ZuZu!!

   I had to face facts.  One may be closer to God in a garden than anywhere else on earth, but the guy at the nursery just wanted to make a buck.  How else does one explain catering to 'zone denial'?  They're selling plants that belong in zone ten, not our own zone three.  They're selling magnolias.  Did Scarlet O'Hara just come waltzing in?  Of course they won't guarantee the magnolia's health beyond this summer.  It's a miracle the plant survived crossing the border.  Those rhubarbs which were supposed to live ten years are now old enough for learners' permits.  The clerk would've said whatever I wanted to hear.  

   Okay.  The garden gloves came off.  I got a copy of the weed guide.  Time for me to apply some Yankee ingenuity to my garden.  It has been a while since cows roamed my yard so I wasn't worried about yarrows tainting anybody's milk.  The yarrows, along with his buddies, are staying.  If I can name it, it can stay.  Since I didn't need pedigreed plants for a garden show I decided I'd help myself to nature's hardy perennials.  Along the roads where I walk our dogs the fields are alive with perennials.  Armed with spade and bucket I got perennials that are as hard as nails.

   I now have an herb garden of mustard, winter cress and anise.  There's chicory for coffee and chamomile for tea.  Who needs basil for pesto?  Daisies - English, fleabane, field and shasta - thrive where I once struggled with fussier plants.
       
   One man's weed is another's cash crop or freebie.  This summer I plan to read Harlequin romances in a little corner where I've sown my love lies bleeding, also known as pigweed.  I've sown my wild oats.  Life is good.

Anna Sultana’s Milkless, Eggless, Butterless Cakes (Chocolate or Raisin) and Two-Egg Sponge Cake

Well, we’ve just gotten through about a month of living in quarantine.

To be honest, for many seniors in Manitoba staying home during early Spring is  just a regular part of our usual way of living.

During this time we have icy sidewalks, what with our usual freeze and thaw weather pattern.

But the shortages at the grocery store is becoming a bit unnerving.

Sometimes it calls for a bit of ingenuity in the kitchen before we can make dinner, or desserts.

Flour is a staple, but it can cause a problem if you run out.

Check the back of your cabinets.

If you have cake & pastry flour and the recipe calls for all-purpose flour, just add two tablespoons to each cup of cake and pastry flour.

If you have all-purpose flour and the recipe calls for cake & pastry flour, just remove two tablespoons from each cup of all-purpose flour.

I’m hoping that you've also got a bag of raisins just sitting on the shelves.

Depression Cake, also called Boiled Raisin Cake or War Cake, is a recipe that doesn’t call for milk, eggs or butter.

Neither does Ma’s Easy Raisin/Sultana Cake.

Got raisins? Got cake.

Hints:

About the Chocolate Cake, when we're over the virus crisis:

Instead of the water you can use 1 Cup lukewarm sour milk or buttermilk.

Instead of the oil, you can use 1/2 Cup margarine, melted.

If you’ve got a tin of frosting, or feel like making some, it would be appreciated.

Chocolate Mocha Frosting

Dissolve

1 Tablespoon instant coffee

in

1/2 Cup hot water

Set aside.

In a medium mixer bowl cream

3/4 Cup Crisco

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 Cup unsweetened cocoa

Making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions, add

4 1/2 Cups sifted icing sugar

Alternately with the prepared coffee.

Beat well until smooth.

You could split the cake to make it more like a layer cake.

                        Chocolate Cake

Grease an 8 inch square pan

Preheat oven to 350º F

Sift into a medium bowl

1 1/2 Cup flour

1 Cup sugar

3 Tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Add

3 ounces oil 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 Cup water

Mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake 40 minutes.

Insert a toothpick to test the cake to be sure it's done.

Place the cake in the pan on a rack.

Allow it to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a platter.

                        Two-Egg Sponge Cake

Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan

Preheat oven to 325º F

Note: This cake batter is thin.

Place in medium bowl

1 Cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend together and set aside.

Heat but do not boil

1/2 Cup milk

In a mixing bowl beat thoroughly at medium speed

2 large eggs

Slowly add

3/4 cup sugar

Continue beating for another five minutes.

Gradually add

3 Tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Make 3 dry (the flour) and 2 liquid (the milk) additions to the egg mixture.

Mix lightly, only enough to blend well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake 30 minutes.

Insert a toothpick to test the cake to be sure it's done.

Place the cake in the pan on a rack.

Allow it to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a platter.

Anna Sultana’s Buttermilk Pie (Old-Fashioned, Quick & Impossible)

A couple of weeks ago I posted the recipe for ma’s Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake.

I sure hope it helps you get through the stress of preparing for the back-to-school and holiday season.

A reader emailed and said she wanted to make a dairy dessert but she didn’t want to buy ricotta.

She wanted to know if a pie can be made from buttermilk, the way the quiche was made from cream and milk.

Of course it can.

Buttermilk Pie, like all really great recipes, has been around a long time and has become a favourite everywhere it’s been made.

As far as anyone knows, it was originally made in the United Kingdom, and it is now a considered a traditional pie of the southern United States. 

I’m not surprised at its popularity - it is a comforting custard pie with a slightly caramelized topping.

it’s easy to make and the ingredients are usually found in anyone’s kitchen.

Hints:

About the Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie…

You can double the vanilla and the ground nutmeg for a slightly stronger flavour.

It can also baked at 350ºF for 40 to 60 minutes, which is handy to know if you’re also baking a casserole. 

A knife inserted in the centre comes out clean before removing from the oven.

For a lemony flavour leave the nutmeg out and add

1 Tablespoon lemon zest or 1 teaspoon lemon extract

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

If you want to make this pie but don’t want to buy buttermilk, just combine in a measuring cup

1 Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice

enough fresh milk to make 1 cup

Stir and let it sit 5 minutes before using the mixture in the recipe.

The Quick Pie recipe just needs a 1/2 Cup buttermilk, so either halve this recipe or make two pies.

This mixture will make a fine substitute for a baking recipe, but it won't taste like regular buttermilk if you want a drink.

Well, nothing's perfect.

Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two to three days.

                                Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie

Heat oven to 400°F

Melt 

1/2 Cup butter

Set aside to cool.

Place in large mixer bowl

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

Beat until smooth.

Add

the cooled melted butter

3 Tablespoons flour

1 Cup buttermilk

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon of salt

Beat together until smooth.

Pour into 

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. 

The centre might jiggle a tiny bit. That’s fine. Don’t over bake - it could burn.

Place pie on a wire rack.

Cool 1 to 2 hours at room temperature.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of nutmeg… or not

                                Quick Buttermilk Pie

Heat oven to 350°F

Place in large mixer bowl

1 1/2 Cups sugar

1/4 Cup margarine

Cream until light and fluffy.

Add

3 beaten eggs

3 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 Cup buttermilk

Turn mixture into unbaked pie shell.

Bake 35 - 40 minutes. 

It should be golden brown and a knife inserted in the centre will come out clean. 

Cool 5 minutes before serving.

If you saw the post for Anna Sultana’s Coconut Cream Pie and enjoyed the Bisquick™ Impossible Pie you might also like this pie:

                                                

                                Impossible Buttermilk Pie

Heat oven to 350°F

Grease 9-inch pie plate

Melt 

1/3 Cup butter or margarine

Set aside to cool.

Place in medium bowl

1 1/2 Cups sugar

1/2 Cup Original Bisquick™ mix

1 Cup buttermilk

the melted butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

Beat all ingredients until smooth - 30 seconds in a blender on high or 1 minute with a hand beater. It can also be beaten with a fork.

Pour into the greased pie plate.

Bake 30 minutes. 

It should be golden brown and a knife inserted in the centre will come out clean.

Cool 5 minutes.

Serve with mixed fresh fruit if desired.