BaltimOregon to Maine

Rhubarb syrup

Rhubarb bread

Just can’t get enough of that astringent yet oh so sweet, ruby red rhubarb. It’s a tonic old souls swear by, and so I’m freezing a big bag of it and cooking up a storm with the scarlet stalks. You’ve got to make rhubarb spritzers, and with or without alcohol, they are just as intensely refreshing.

Rhubarb spritzer

Then Dan reminded about the rhubarb bread I made once from a recipe I clipped from The Sun’s food section. But so many recipes got misplaced in the move. I’m still working on a recipe archiving system. Which ones are bookmarked on Delicious? Which ones are hard copies? So I settled on this rhubarb bread recipe I found online instead. It didn’t disappoint, though I wish I’d chopped my rhubarb a bit more finely. I substituted hazelnuts for the walnuts, adding nutmeg and cardamom and diced crystallized ginger on top. All those aromatic pie spices really complement rhubarb’s tangy flavor.

I just stumbled across what I think is the recipe from The Sun (see below). I’ll try it next time. The buttermilk (or souring the milk as I did, with lemon juice) is a key component of these recipes.

Rhubarb Bread
Publication date: 04/19/2006
Yield: Serves 10 to 12

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour (divided use)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh (about 3 stalks) or frozen rhubarb (do not thaw)

3/4 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom only of a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan.

Beat butter, sugar, orange peel and vanilla in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine 2 1/4 cups flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating at low speed just until blended. Toss rhubarb with the remaining 1/4 cup flour; fold into batter with nuts. Turn into prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 80 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Per serving (based on 12 servings): 298 calories, 6 grams protein, 14 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 39 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 56 milligrams cholesterol, 236 milligrams sodium