Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

Judging from the heat and humidity we had the last few weeks, I think it's safe to say that summer is definitely here and has conspired against me so that I can't bake. And right when it gets a little cooler and I could stand to preheat the oven, we decided to paint. And not the colorful-artsy-fun kind of painting you hang on a wall. No, more of a the-dining-room-slash-living-room-needs-a-new-coat-of-paint kind of painting. At least we feel like we're in a completely new apartment and once we get those new curtains installed, it's gonna look pretty good too, if I do say so myself.


So, I give you today a treat of a recipe for Rhubarb Streusel Muffins I made a few months ago and never got around to posting. They are not too sweet, not too tart. They get a great crunch from the streusel but stay really moist from all the fruit they contain. And if I can find some fresh rhubarb at the market this weekend, and if the temperature stays a little cooler that 95F in my kitchen, I think I'll be making these again pretty soon!

Rhubarb Streusel Muffins adapted from Marzipan Mom who adapted from epicurious.com

Topping ingredients:
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Cake batter ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil (or 1/4 oil plus 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 cups fresh rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tbsp confectioners sugar

Preheat your oven to 375F and line muffin-tins with paper cups; set aside.

Start by making the topping: In a bowl, mix together oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and mix well until the mixture forms coarse crumbs; set aside.

And now for the batter: In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk together oil (or applesauce/oil mix), eggs, vanilla, brown sugar and granulated sugar; mix well. Switching to a wooden spoon, add the flour and buttermilk in 2 batches, alternating between the 2, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing just until combined. Add the confectioners sugar to the rhubarb at the last minute and toss to coat the rhubarb well. Add the rhubarb to batter and fold it in.

Now, depending on how big your muffin tins are, you can divide the batter between 12 to 18 muffin cups. Fill the cups about 3/4 of the way full. Crumble the streusel on top of the muffins. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Leave the muffins in the pan to cool a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. If the muffins are sticking to the pan, you can use a small knife to loosen them from the pan.

Note: If you don't have quite enough rhubarb to make this recipe, you can use tart apples, peeled and diced, to make up the difference.

Strawberry-Watermelon Yogurt Ice Pops

I'm having the toughest time finding ice-pop molds. I have shopped at countless stores, looked through I don't know how many websites, I can't find the one I want at an affordable price that wouldn't cost me more in shipping and taxes than the actual price of the mold! It doesn't help that I want the Norpro Popsicle Maker. No other one will do. I love the shape and design of it. There's still one store I want to go see and if I don't find it there, I'm giving up.

Of course, lack of an ice pop mold hasn't stopped me from making some anyway. The latest issue of Ricardo Magazine is chock full of ice pop recipes and ideas on how to shape them. My favorite way is to use a loaf pan and wooden popsicle sticks. I lined my pan with plastic wrap to make sure I could unmold my pops easily and voilà! ice pops! I adapted a recipe from Coup de Pouce Magazine and used the fruit I had on hand to make wonderful yogurt pops. They are delicious! I can't wait to try many other variations. I've even served these for breakfast to the kids, they couldn't believe they were having popsicles for breakfast! Hey, it's no worse than a bowl of yogurt with some fruit, right? ;) Bring on the heat!

EDIT: It was brought to my attention by a commenter that I had omitted to explain how to get the popsicle sticks to stand up straight in the loaf pan. I guess I was so excited to share this recipe with you guys, I forgot about that part! I've edited the recipe with the proper explanations, I'm sorry for any inconvenience this slip-up may have caused.

EDIT #2: For those of you wondering where to get food-safe popsicle sticks, I get mine at a craft store. As long as they're plain and not colored, they should be food safe. Here's a link on the subject.


Strawberry-Watermelon Yogurt Ice Pops
2 cups vanilla yogurt (not non-fat)
2 cups strawberries, sliced (fresh or frozen)
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Watermelon cubes (about 20 cubes, 1/2-inch each)
8 to 10 wooden popsicle sticks

Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with plastic wrap. Have your popsicle sticks on hand.

In a blender combine the yogurt, strawberries, lime juice and zest. Puree until well combined. Pour the yogurt blend into your prepared pan. Drop the watermelon cubes into the mixture, making sure there are a few cubes in each pop. Cover the pan with 2 or 3 layers of plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the top of the yogurt mixture. With the tip of a sharp knife, make incisions where you want your popsicle sticks to go, spacing them evenly. Place the popsicle sticks into the holes, standing them up straight. Freeze for about 6 hours, until the pops are completely frozen.

When you want to serve your pops, take the pan and run warm water over it to loosen the edges. Take the plastic wrap and lift the frozen "loaf" out of the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut in between the popsicle sticks. There you have it, Strawberry-Watermelon Yogurt Ice Pops!

Note: If you use a yogurt with a low-fat content the popsicles will be a bit icy and have a tendency to break easily. They're just as good, just a bit fragile.

TWD - Maple-Peach Ice Cream

Actually, it was Honey-Peach Ice Cream that Tommi of Brown Interior chose for us this week for Tuesdays with Dorie. But, I only like honey in small doses. So I went with maple syrup. It's very subtle in the ice cream and the peaches really stand out.

This ice cream is a treat, that's for sure! Check out Tommi's blog for the recipe and the rest of the Tuesdays with Dorie gang for more tempting, summery treats.

Tuesdays With Dorie - Dimply Plum Cake

This cake... This cake... It's driving me nuts. This Dimply Plum Cake, chosen by Michelle, of Bake-En, as this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, is now my new favorite recipe from Baking From My Home to Yours. I never thought that a cake, with plums, could be so delicious.


The first time I made it, I halved the recipe, because, well, I didn't know just how good it would be. And then I realized what a huge mistake I'd made. The combination of plums with the orange zest and tonka bean instead of cardamom, was just fabulous.

And if it wasn't for Isabelle who piqued my curiosity by using tonka bean in her Black and White Banana Loaf, I wouldn't have looked twice at the small container of tonka beans at the farmer's market fancy spice shop. Again, that would have been a huge mistake! Just the smell of the beans is enough to drive anyone nuts. They smell like amaretto and vanilla, and the tiniest amount adds something to a recipe that will have you wondering, what is that?

Along with the tonka beans and orange zest, I used tiny, almost cherry sized plums from, again, my favorite farmer's market. They are incredibly sweet and juicy, and so deeply purple. Being so tiny, they seem to just melt into the cake. So, you see, I had to make it again. And I did, just yesterday. And I keep going back for one more slice. And then, oh, just one more tiny slice.


I'm telling you, this cake is beyond delicious. Have I said that before? It's REALLY delicious! So, Michelle will probably have the recipe up soon, but for now either open up your favorite baking book to page 41 or visit Deb of Smitten Kitchen who made the exact same cake last month. Have fun baking!

Blueberry Daze

Time is truly flying by these days. School starts this Friday and oh, my, it seems we didn't get enough summer. That's why the Chocolate Banded Ice Cream Torte chosen by Amy of Food, Family and Fun for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie won't be making an appearance on my blog today. It just didn't fit into my schedule but I'll be baking with Dorie next week, I promise!

I couldn't go another day without giving you guys a recipe though. I made this bread pudding a few weeks ago and I never got around to posting it, due to the aforementioned time flying by! But it is truly worth a post as it is full of blueberry, cinnamony and mapley goodness.

Since we did get a lot of cold and rainy days this summer, we took advantage of them by going shopping for school supplies and clothes for the kids. I know, how boring. Not for me though, as I kinda like shopping for school supplies, but shhh, don't tell the kids! So anyways, when we go shopping we often stop by this coffee shop where they sell cinnamon rolls. Towards the end of the day, they pack bits and pieces of day old cinnamon rolls into plastic bags. They are absolutely perfect for making bread pudding so I always grab a few. And as I had seen this post from Aimée just days before, I knew I had to add blueberries to my usual recipe.


The blueberries add such a nice touch to this, they get all juicy and pop in your mouth and they marry beautifully with the maple and the cinnamon. Of course, I know that there are those (Hi Grace!) who would add even more cinnamon to the pudding and I'm sure it would be fantastic but I find just the hint of spice from the cinnamon rolls to be perfect.


Blueberry Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

About 6 cups of day old cinnamon rolls, cut into cubes
6 eggs
2 cups milk
4 tbsp maple syrup
1 cup of fresh blueberries
Coarse sugar
Maple syrup for serving

The night before you want to serve your bread pudding, mix the eggs, milk and maple syrup in a large bowl. Arrange the cinnamon roll pieces in a buttered 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle your blueberries over the cinnamon rolls. Pour the egg mixture over the cinnamon rolls and blueberries. Press lightly with your hands, making sure the rolls are mostly covered with the custard. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, when you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375F. Sprinkle your bread pudding with some coarse sugar and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until it is golden and the custard is set. Serve warm with maple syrup.

Tuesdays With Dorie - Summer Fruit Galette

From the moment I read the recipe for Dorie's Summer Fruit Galette, I knew I wanted to make it with peaches. But, I also knew I couldn't get Martin to buy peaches if they weren't Ontario peaches. They're the only ones we ever buy and they weren't in season yet.

So fast forward to this past weekend when we're at the store to get a few things for dinner and there they are, baskets full of gorgeous, ripe, fragrant Ontario peaches. Woohoo! As Homer would say. Since I had no problems with the Good for Everything Pie Dough for the Blueberry Pie a few weeks back, except for the fact that I found it too buttery, I decided to tweak it just a bit and reduce the butter by a few tablespoons. That did the trick.

I actually preferred the taste and texture of the crust this way. And it came together just as easily. I used amaretti cookies instead of graham crackers to absorb some of the juices, and peach jam, just to make sure the peach taste would come through. And I tossed my sliced peaches with a little cornstarch before assembling the galette as I didn't want it to leak.

The part I wasn't so sure about was the custard. But it was delicious! I love how it made the peaches glossy and the creaminess it gave to the galette was just right.

I can't think of one thing I didn't like about this recipe, except maybe that it was gone too quickly! That's entirely my fault though as I halved the galette recipe. But I do have enough pie dough in the freezer to make another one, that's not too shabby!

For the recipe, visit Michelle in Colorado Springs, she chose this beauty! I can't wait to see what the rest of the Tuesdays with Dorie gang came up with this week!

A Change of Taste

Can you imagine just a few short years ago, I didn't eat raspberries? Not because I didn't like the taste but because of the seeds. Then one day we had some friends over for lunch and they brought the dessert. A cream pie with fresh raspberries from the farmer's market to serve alongside. Not wanting to be rude, I had a few raspberries with my pie, and I couldn't believe I had been missing out for so long. The seeds didn't even bother me!
From that moment, I promised myself I would always taste something I thought I didn't like, just in case. Even olives. And someday I promise to give you the recipe a friend of mine uses for marinating olives, the only olives I've ever actually liked! But this is not a post about olives, it's about a fabulous raspberry sherbet that Cookie Baker Lynn posted very recently. The color and the simplicity of the dessert was just so tempting, I couldn't help but make it that very same day! It is so refreshing and you know what? No seeds, just that beautiful raspberry flavor. So if raspberry seeds bother you, this is the dessert to try! I was going to enter this in Grace's Beat The Heat event, but I have something else up my sleeve! Just wish me a few good picture taking hours and I'll be good to go. Heck, even just a few minutes would make me happy these days!
Give Cookie Baker Lynn a visit for the sherbet recipe, and while you're at it take a peek through her archives, you're bound to find one or a dozen recipes that make you go: "Oooh, I HAVE to try this!".

Tuesdays With Dorie - Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler

This is going to be another short and sweet Tuesdays with Dorie post as the only word that comes to mind when I think of that Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler is "uninspiring".

I was quite disappointed as I love cherries, I love rhubarb but the two together just didn't do it for me. Even Martin who usually loves fruit desserts like this just said it was good but ordinary.

I had really high hopes because as I said, I love all the ingredients separately and everything came together really easily. Plus it's a really beautiful dessert, the fruit filling turns a gorgeous red, and I had sprinkled some coarse sugar on top of the dumplings so they were really shiny and crunchy.

But once I scooped out a piece it was a whole different story. I found the filling was too soupy, the dough was bland and the fruit didn't complement each other at all, in my opinion. I'm not being negative or anything, but I couldn't just tell you guys this was a fabulous dessert and you should all try it right away. I'm not saying you shouldn't either though as I'm sure others in the group really liked it or tweaked it to their liking.

So should you be curious about it visit Amanda at Like Sprinkles on a Cupcake who chose this week's recipe. Now I'm off to visit the other members and see what they all thought of this cobbler!

Tuesdays With Dorie - Double Crusted Blueberry Pie

I've probably said this before, but I'll say it again, just in case you're new here. I'm afraid of pies. Not eating them but making them. I haven't had a lot of good experiences making pies so when I saw that Amy of South in your mouth had chosen Dorie's Double Crusted Blueberry Pie for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, I was afraid. But, when I told Martin of this week's choice he looked at me with a "you better make this pie" sorta look and well, I couldn't refuse the man his pie, it is one of his favorite desserts.


The part that I usually have the most trouble with is the dough. It's almost always too dry, never comes together for me, crumbles when I try to roll it out, every single problem you can have with pie dough, I usually have it. I made the dough by hand with a pastry cutter and my own two hands, no food processor here. So you can imagine my surprise when the dough did come together quite easily, no extra water required. I guess all that butter is in there for something! It rolled out pretty well too, although it was a little crumbly I managed to get it into the pie plate. The filling had me a bit perplexed, I actually read the recipe a few times before I could wrap my mind around the idea of flour in there. But, as I had decided not to tweak this time, since I'm so bad at pie making, I followed the recipe to the letter. I thought it looked a bit dry but I told myself the berries were fresh and hadn't given out their juices yet and I didn't want a runny filling, so I put the pie together sprinkled it liberally with sugar and into the oven it went.


After the alloted cooking time, the crust was beautiful but it was so buttery that there was butter dripping out of the pie plate! The filling wasn't bubbling much, it wasn't overflowing at all and my pies always overflow! I took it out of the oven anyways and waited, and waited while the pie took its sweet time cooling down. It was pure torture! After a few hours, and many a photo later, we finally cut this baby open. It is quite delicious, but... Yes there is always a but when I make a pie. Although the filling was very, very good, with the hint of lemon and the gorgeous blueberries, I think the flour in the filling was too much. Or maybe it works best with frozen fruit, but my filling didn't look the way it should. There were patches of whitish juices and it was a bit too thick.

As for the crust it came out so beautiful and golden but (there it is again) it was a bit too buttery for me. Martin didn't complain though, he just loved it. Maybe I'm just not a pie girl, or perhaps I haven't found the perfect pie yet. All I know is I enjoyed making, and eating this one so I'm really glad I made it. If you're big on pie or just curious to see what the other Tuesdays with Dorie members thought of this blueberry beauty, check out the blogroll! If you're interested in the recipe you can find it in Baking from my Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or on Amy's blog, South in Your Mouth.

Tuesdays With Dorie - Mixed Berry Cobbler

It's Tuesdays with Dorie time again! This was my first time making a cobbler and from the look of the photo in the book, it looked more like a fruit soup topped with a pie crust. Needless to say, it wasn’t one of the recipes that had caught my eye so I decided to tweak it a bit and end up with something that might suit my taste a bit better.

I started by halving the recipe, cutting the butter a bit and replacing it with some Quark cheese, and I used whole milk instead of cream. Then I decided to use half whole wheat flour, half all purpose, added some vanilla extract and used a bit more sugar than was called for. I ended up with a dough that was a bit stickier, like a dumpling, which is what I wanted. For the filling I used a mix of fresh fruit : cherries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. I mixed it up with some sugar, cornstarch, lime zest and a bit of lime juice.

I divided the fruit filling into baking dishes, topped it with my dumpling-like dough and sprinkled it with some coarse sugar. I ended up with more of an upside down fruit cake which was quite delicious with a bit of whipped cream. Using the soft cheese and a bit of vanilla in the dough gave it a lot of flavor. Of course, this might not be a traditional cobbler, but we liked it well enough.

The choice this week comes courtesy of Beth from Our sweet Life, you can find the recipe on her blog, or on NPR. For more takes on this dessert, check out the Tuesdays with Dorie blogroll.

Comfortably Sweet

Versatile, forgiving, comforting recipes are my favorite. Soup is one of them. Comfort food at its best, you can make it anything you like. Sometimes creamy, sometimes chunky, full of veggies, or not.


Chances are though, if I say “soup” you’re not thinking sweet. Needless to say, when I found this recipe for a “chocolate soup” I was intrigued. Fruit, chocolate and crème anglaise, what could be bad about that? Nothing! Except that I wouldn’t call it a soup, really. It’s more like a cross between a chocolate fondue and a crème brulée, a gratin of sorts. With each spoonful you get the creaminess of the crème anglaise, the sweet tartness of the warm fruit and gorgeous, truffle like chocolate sauce. If it’s as cold where you are as it is here right now, you’ll need this soup to get over the winter blahs.



I had fresh cherries, blueberries and oranges on hand but you could use any kind of fruit you like. Fresh strawberries would be wonderful, as would raspberries or blackberries. I must warn you though, this dessert is for someone with a serious sweet tooth. While the original recipe says it serves 4, I’m pretty sure if you use smaller gratin dishes and serve this with a cookie or two on the side, it could serve 6 easily. And if chocolate isn’t your thing (!) the crème anglaise, which is just a fancy term for custard sauce, is absolutely wonderful, warm over orange segments, or any other fruit you choose.



Food is comfort. Change things around and find what’s comforting to you, that’s what it’s all about.

Custard Sauce (Crème Anglaise)
Adapted from Allrecipes
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, cook and stir milk and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Stir in a small amount of hot milk mixture into eggs; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture reaches 160 degrees F or is thick enough to coat a metal spoon.

Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature, stirring several times. Transfer to a bowl; press a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap on top of custard. Refrigerate.

Hot fruit and dark chocolate soup
Adapted from IGA.net
1 litre (4 cups) of a variety of fruit, cut in chunks
150 g (15 squares) Lindt 70% cocoa dark chocolate
80 mL (1/3 cup) half-and-half
30 mL (2 tablespoons) butter
250 mL (1 cup) crème anglaise
60 mL (1/4 cup) brown sugar

Combine chopped fruit.

Melt chocolate, half-and half and butter in a double boiler or in a microwave oven until mixture is smooth.
Divide this chocolate mixture among 4 to 6 oven-proof bowls.
Divide fruit, crème anglaise and brown sugar equally into each bowl.
Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil under oven grill for 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately.