Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos
You are here: Home / Recipes / Baking (sweet) / 8 Rhubarb recipes you need to try this winter

8 Rhubarb recipes you need to try this winter

by Jeanne Horak on February 25, 2019 6 Comments in Baking (sweet), Dessert, Fruit, Recipes

P2PIrelandRhubarb © J Horak-Druiff 2013

April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.

So wrote one of my favourite poets, T.S. Eliot. But I’m afraid I beg to differ! I think that if you like in the Northern hemisphere, February is the cruellest. December is jam packed with the excitement of Christmas, all fairy lights and mulled wine and rosy cheeks, wrapping presents and debating the likelihood of a white Christmas. January is the month of rebirth and renewal – everybody is going to the gym, giving up alcohol, giving up meat and generally being so busy sticking to new year’s resolutions and trying to pay off December’s credit card bill that the month whooshes past without their even noticing. And then… February rolls in. Gym membership cards lie abandoned. Dry January gives way to Hangover February. And temperatures dip from the pleasantly bracing to bone-chillingly cold. Christmas is a distant memory. Easter is too far away to even contemplate. And nobody has money to escape to a beach any time soon. Wake me up at about a quarter to June please!!

The other issue I have with February is the dearth of all the fresh fruits I love. Oh, sure, you can go to the supermarket and buy fruit – strawberries at Christmas, peaches for new year, and blackberries at Easter.  But you can be almost sure that none of these were grown in the UK.  They were either flown in from the other side of the Equator where summer is in full swing; of forced reluctantly to ripeness in a greenhouse in one of the countries across the channel in Europe. You know, Europe – as in the EU? Our biggest trading partner and producer of a disturbingly huge proportion of what we see in the fresh produce aisle? That bloc that we have been hell-bent on severing ourselves from since the summer of 2016…?  As Brexit D-Day fast approaches, there are gloomy predictions of fresh food shortages, stockpiling of olive oil, and a colleague has even taken to clearing her local shop’s shelves of ibuprofen and paracetamol tablets in case there is a shortage after the end of March.  If the press is to be believed, as from April, if we want fruit that is not grown in the UK, we will be having to make do with tinned peaches.

But wait! There is a fruit that grows quite happily in the UK in the dead of winter! And it would seem that in the absence of imported fruits, it is on the cusp of a Cinderella moment.  Arise, Sir Rhubarb! Rhubarb originated in the frozen wastes of Siberia and as it turns out, thrives in the cold and wet winters of Yorkshire. There is even 9 square mile area of Yorkshire (between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell) called the Rhubarb Triangle which is famous for its forced rhubarb. In fact, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb has received  Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status by the European Commission’s Protected Food Name scheme. “Forcing” rhubarb involves growing and harvesting it in darkened sheds so that the stalks (the edible part of the plant) take on a deep crimson hue and a more tender texture than rhubarb grown outdoors (which is more green than red). This weekend marks the weekend of the Wakefield Food, Drink and Rhubarb festival, so what better time to share with you eight rhubarb recipes that you need to make this winter.

RHUBARB, CRANBERRY AND GINGER FOOL

If you are looking for a dessert so simple even a fool could make it, look no further than… erm… this rhubarb, cranberry and ginger fool! A fool consists of puréed stewed fruit folded into cream or creme fraiche – and the good news is that if you make the recipe just up to the compote stage, you can freeze it, meaning that this dessert can be ready in the time it takes you to defrost your compote and whip your cream.  You will love the combination of tart rhubarb, spicy ginger and sweet dried cranberries – you’d be a fool not to!

 

rhubarb-cranberry-ginger-fool

 

RHUBARB AND GINGER CLAFOUTIS

Clafoutis (also sometime spelled clafouti) is a French country dessert which originated in the Limousin region in Southwest France.  The word comes from the French word clafir which means ‘to fill’  and it is traditionally made with the first sweet cherries of the season, baked in a batter  rather like a pancake batter (heavy on the sugar and eggs, light on the flour).  The result is more of a baked custard than a cake or pudding, wobbly on the inside and crisp on the outside, studded with fruit.  For this recipe, the cream used to make the batter was infused with ginger, adding extra oomph to this classic French dessert.

 

Rhubarb-ginger-clafoutis

 

RHUBARB, STRAWBERRY AND GINGER TARTLETS

There comes a magical sweet spot towards the end of Spring when the very first strawberries start to appear in the shops, but the last of the rhubarb is still finding its way onto the shelves.  That’s the time you have to seize the day and take advantage of this to combine these two crimson glories in a tart. These delicious little tarts make the most of the bright red colours of both the strawberries and the rhubarb, while allowing the berries to make up for the sweetness that the rhubarb lacks.

 

RhubarbStrawberryTart

RHUBARB AND STRAWBERRY SPICED UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Pretty little tartlets are all fine and well, but sometimes only a proper cake will do the trick. This rhubarb and strawberry cake was inspired by my love of upside-down cakes, and the arrival in my kitchen of five sturdy stalks of rhubarb from the “share the bounty” surplus table at the local allotments.  Strawberries and rhubarb are a match made in heaven, especially combined with a moist, spiced, caramelly cake – a massive crowd pleaser and just as good cold the next day as it is fresh and warm out of the oven.

 

StrawberryRhubarbCakeTitle © J Horak-Druiff 2013

RHUBARB AND PEAR MUFFINS

Muffins – what’s not to love??  Smaller and less of a commitment than a cake; but not as fussy as a cupcake (who can be dealing with all that icing?) – and so forgiving in terms of tinkering with the recipe! You can make them super healthy and packed with fibre and vegetables, or you can make them decadent and sweet. Or you can go for a happy medium as I did with these deliciously seasonal and gently spiced rhubarb and pear muffins, made with half white and half wholemeal flour.

 

RhubarbPearMuffinstitle © J Horak-Druiff 2013

RHUBARB AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

For some reason, many people feel slightly nervous about making a baked cheesecake – quite unfairly so – because they perceive them to be “tricky”.  Part of the problem with baked cheesecakes is that contain a fundamentally different ratio of ingredients to “normal” cakes and behave totally differently when baked. But in reality, the cheesecake is no harder than other cakes to get right, provided you have the right equipment and pay attention to some simple rules (the post contains five top tips for baked cheesecakes!).  This rhubarb and white chocolate cheesecake is as visually impressive as it is delicious and as a bonus it’s great for gluten-free diets, provided you use gluten-free cookies for the base.

 

Rhubarb Cheesecake © J Horak-Druiff 2013

RHUBARB AND STRAWBERRY GALETTES

I have always described myself as a cook rather than a baker. With cooking, you get to add a dash of this and a splash of that and generally go off-piste with the recipe – and the stew still turns out delicious. But with baking you not only have to follow the recipe fairly carefully, you also need to shape the finished product carefully to make it pretty. My life is too short!! If you share my views on baking then galettes are for you.  Less fussy than a pie or tart with a pretty fluted edge, these galettes are rather rustic, free-form tarts made with a single crust of pastry, simply rolled out and roughly crimped around a fruity filling – no stress at all. And what better filling than bright red rhubarb and strawberries!

 

Rhubarb-strawberry-Galette-1

CLASSIC RHUBARB CRUMBLE

There can be few more satisfying fruit-based desserts than a crumble.  Fruit stewed with sugar and possibly spices, smothered in a crumb of butter, sugar and flour – what could go wrong?  And because of the sweet crunchy topping that loves to soak up the juices of the fruit beneath, cumbles lend themselves particularly well to rhubarb which is by its nature not overly sweet and releases a lot of syrupy goodness when cooked.  Served with a healthy dollop of warm custard, there can be few more clasically British sweet pleasures.

 

rhubarb-crumble

 

Feeling inspired yet?  Let me know in the comments if I’ve missed your favourite way to eat rhubarb! And if you enjoyed these, please have a look at my other recipes.

 

Pin this post to your Pinterest boards to keep for later!

 

Pinterest-Rhubarb-recipes

Let’s keep in touch!
You can also find me tweeting at @cooksisterblog, Instagramming as Cooksister, Snapchatting as Cooksisterblog or pinning like a pro on Pinterest.  To keep up with my latest posts, you can subscribe to my free e-mail alerts, like Cooksister on Facebook, or follow me on Bloglovin.

More deliciousness for you!

  • Rhubarb and strawberry galettesRhubarb and strawberry galettes
  • White chocolate cheesecake with rhubarbWhite chocolate cheesecake with rhubarb
  • Rhubarb and pear muffinsRhubarb and pear muffins
  • A spiced strawberry & rhubarb upside-down cake to celebrate 9 years of bloggingA spiced strawberry & rhubarb upside-down cake to celebrate 9 years of blogging

Never miss a Cooksister post

If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address here to receive a FREE e-mail update when a new post appears on Cooksister

I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!

« Saturday Snapshots #318
The Foyle Hotel Eatery: dining on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way »

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Audrey says

    February 27, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    A friend from Bangldesh stewed rhubarb with salt to make a sauce to eat with curry. It was really good.

    Reply
    • Jeanne Horak says

      February 27, 2019 at 1:07 pm

      Oh wow – that sounds interesting! I have also had rhubarb with grilled mackerel and it was heavenly!

      Reply
  2. louise says

    March 4, 2019 at 3:44 pm

    I don’t know which one to chooses! They all look absolutely stunning and so delicious – but as I am a cheeselover too – I would probably start with the rhubarb and white chocolate cheesecake! YUM!
    Louise x

    Reply
  3. Kavita Favelle says

    March 8, 2019 at 12:18 pm

    I’m totally with you that February is one of the hardest months, though I’m not fond of January either and at least in February I am able to notice the days getting longer! Loving all the rhubarb ideas!

    Reply
  4. Roseline Christin says

    March 12, 2019 at 2:07 pm

    I will try to make it at home. Everything Look very tempting, and that much more appealing and delicious! I feel hungry after seeing this picture.

    Reply
  5. Haley says

    March 18, 2019 at 4:18 pm

    Pure deliciousness.

    Reply
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Get my latest recipes delivered by e-mail!

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Perfect broccoli and Stilton soup [keto, low carb, GF]
  • Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley
  • Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]
  • Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]
  • Antillean
  • Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
  • Rustic blood orange and pistachio galettes

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Oxtail and red wine potjie
Nigella's Bakewell slices & the Big Bakewell Taste-off
Gem squash 101: how to find them, how to grow them, how to eat them!
My big, fat South African potato bake
Beef, broccoli and udon noodle stir fry from "The Japanese Larder" by Luiz Hara

Featured on

Also available on

The wonderful Museum of the Moon installation - a The wonderful Museum of the Moon installation - a 7 metre diameter scale model of the moon suspended in the Painted Hall at the  @oldroyalnavalcollege in Greenwich this week, by @lukejerramartist. A surreal and fabulous sight!
Do you enjoy free art installations? Then you need Do you enjoy free art installations? Then you need to get down to @canarywharflondon between now and Saturday 28 Jan to catch the free Winter Lights 2023 event, back for the seventh year.

My favourites include @lukejerramartist ‘s Floating Earth; Tom Lambert’s Out of the Dark; Fluorescent Firs; Toroid by This is Loop; and the surreal and mesmerising Anima by MEATS - a tunnel filled with hundreds of thin optical fibre lights that change colour and move in the breeze 😍 

Have you been to Winter Lights? What was your favourite?
“When we look down at the Earth from space, we s “When we look down at the Earth from space, we see this amazing, indescribably beautiful planet. It looks like a living, breathing organism. But it also, at the same time, looks extremely fragile.” - International Space Station astronaut Ron Garamond

To experience the “overview effect” (a phenomenon experienced by astronauts viewing the earth from space), head down to Canary Wharf in the London docklands this week where you can see @lukejerramartist ‘s beautiful Floating Earth installation as part of the Winter Lights event. 

This giant 10m diameter installation is created using high resolution NASA images to create a floating scale model of the Earth, lit from within so that it glows from its current home on the Middle Dock, surrounded by the headquarters of international banking and finance corporations.

The artist hopes that viewed in this context, the installation will make visitors and the bankers working in surrounding buildings question how their money in savings and pensions is invested, and whether investments can be greener.

Aside from being a thought provoking piece, it is also mesmerising and surreally beautiful, so make sure you visit the free Winter Lights event before ends on Saturday 28 Jan.
Happy lunar new year! [Invited] To celebrate the Happy lunar new year! 

[Invited] To celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, why not head over to @mamachensdumplings currently doing a residence at the @thegantrylondon in #stratford where you can feast on prawn & chive dumplings; pork, Chinese cabbage and shiitake mushroom dumplings; pork & prawn wontons with Mama Chen’s chilli oil; vegetable dumplings; smacked cucumber salad; and spicy noodles coated in garlic and Szechuan pepper oil.

And afterwards, make sure you head up to the @unionsocialoc bar for a cocktail - I loved the Moreish Fashion with bourbon, PX sherry, chestnuts and mandarin orange bitters!
Got leftover Stilton (or any blue cheese) from Chr Got leftover Stilton (or any blue cheese) from Christmas? Turn it into this super simple and super indulgent broccoli and Stilton soup! So easy to make and soooo delicious to eat - and it is low carb and GF. What more could you want?! Click the link in my bio for the full recipe. What’s your favourite soup?
CELEBRATE. So the fireworks are over, the champag CELEBRATE.

So the fireworks are over, the champagne is finished and the leftovers are all eaten. We are one week into 2023 and I have had some time to think about what my intent is for the year. 

In 2022 my brother had a life saving kidney transplant. Since the operation, he has had a Peanuts cartoon as his WhatsApp profile pic, where Charlie Brown and Snoopy are sitting on a pier talking. Charlie says “Some day, we all die Snoopy.” And Snoopy replies: “Yes - but every other day, we will live.”

Waking up in the morning is a gift, every day, and it is so easy to forget this. The last few years have been difficult for so many people and the coming year promises its own challenges. But every day that we don’t die is a day to live, to celebrate life in some small way.

So my intention in 2023 is to celebrate. Celebrate our achievements however small. Celebrate our friends and family. Celebrate small things. Celebrate life.

Did you make any resolutions or goals for 2023? I would love to hear them in the comments! Wishing you all the very best for 2023 🥂
Happy new year, everyone! Here are some scenes fro Happy new year, everyone! Here are some scenes from last night with friends in Deptford. My deconstructed avocado ritz; @twinkleparkstephen ‘s bobitie; Giles’ Ottolenghi tomato salad; and Jean’s clementine trifle - and the London night sky ablaze with fireworks!  How did you spend your evening? 🥂🎇🎆
Merry Christmas to all those celebrating - I hope Merry Christmas to all those celebrating - I hope your day was merry and bright, filled with family, friends and love 🎄🥂. Mine was spent alone at home - my choice and the result of a combination of Covid (not mine!) and rail strikes 🤦‍♀️ but very relaxing and indulgent!
Looking for a stylish and easy Christmas starter y Looking for a stylish and easy Christmas starter you can make ahead? Look no further than my individual smoked salmon terrine! Hot smoked salmon, cream cheese and chives wrapped in cold smoked salmon in a ramekin. Still one of the most popular Christmas recipes in my blog, it looks cheffy but is soooo simple to make - and will save you time and effort on the day! Get the recipe by clicking on the link in my bio.

How is your Christmas meal prep going? Are you entertaining at home or going to friends or family? 🎄🥂🎄🥂🎄
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Bowls of broccoli and Stilton soup
Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2023 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2023 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT