Rhubarb Crunch-Lorraine Ahlden Recipe/ Rhubarb Strawberry Pie-Diana Ahlden Recipe

            My boyfriend and I were recently at a restaurant that was serving Rhubarb Pie as the dessert special.  When the waitress, who was in her sixties, named the dessert special she said, “Oh wait, I’m sure you kids don’t even know what rhubarb is!”  Defensively, I rattled off all of the facts I knew from the few recipes Grams and I made last summer that had rhubarb in it.  For some reason, I felt that I needed to prove my bakers knowledge, as well as my understanding of Iroquois County native plants.  She looked at me like I was crazy that asked, “So do you want the pie or not?”  We didn’t try the restaurant’s pie, I knew me and Gram’s homemade rhubarb would be better anyway!

            This year our rhubarb came from “soon to be newlyweds” Jeremy and Chelsea (Robinson) Wichtner’s yard in Crescent City.  Grandma commented that it would be good because there is always good rhubarb grown in Crescent.  Before picking the rhubarb, I did have to Google how to harvest the plant (that was not one of the facts I rambled off to the waitress).  I learned that you are not supposed to break the stem, or else the plant will not grow back the following year.  To harvest rhubarb, you have to get a firm grip near the root, and twist it until the base comes above ground.  It seemed like I picked more than enough rhubarb for my recipes.  I bet that I had around twenty decent size stems.  Even with that many plants, I had just enough for the three cups I needed to make the Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and the four cups for the Rhubarb Crunch.  For those of you who are new to rhubarb, it takes a lot of stems to make the dessert.  Have more than you expect to need, and possibly then you will have enough!

            Grams and I made our last two rhubarb recipes on the same day while we had the fresh rhubarb picked and diced.  First we did the Strawberry Rhubarb Pie followed by the Rhubarb Crunch.  Overall, the recipes are very similar.  The crunch even has a bottom crust, making it seem more like a pie than a crisp.  Obvious by the name, the main difference in the recipes is that one also contains diced strawberries.  Grandma Ahlden said that she remembers making a rhubarb jam and a type of rhubarb bread with her mom when she was a little girl.  Rhubarb is surprisingly sweet, even before baking.

             Today wasn’t a great day for Grams.  When I picked her up, I noticed that she had a pan soaking in warm water and dish soap.  I asked her about it, and she told me that she was making something with meat and it burned.  Now I shouldn’t judge because my cooking skills are under par, and I often burn things.  That being said, it does make me wonder if Grams had forgotten that she was cooking while the burner was on.  Whatever was in that pan was no longer identifiable.  My suspicion about this was confirmed by the second part of this story.  When Grams and I pulled into my driveway a few minutes later, she confessed that she wasn’t sure if she had turned off the stove before we left.  This was about three o’clock in the afternoon, so if her stove was still on from lunch, it would have probably became a bigger problem by now.  Still, I told her that we weren’t in a rush, so we would go back to her house to check the burner.  We drove the short time it takes to get down the block in Danforth.  About a two minute drive later, we go into Grams house, and she asks me what we came back to get.  Grams had completely forgotten that we went back to check on the burner.  I looked, and the stove was turned off.

            It seems that Grams does better making the recipes in our family cookbook that were contributed by her.  The Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is a recipe submitted by Aunt Diane and the Rhubarb Crunch is a Grams recipe.  I think that the recipes she made often in the past come back to her memory through the routine of the next step of the recipe.  Many times she will question what recipe we are making or whose recipe it is, even when it is her own, but it seems she still vaguely remembers the next step if she doesn’t over think it too much. 

            Since I am biased as the baker which rhubarb recipe is better, I left it up to my dad to make the decision.  He concluded that if you enjoy the taste of rhubarb, and are looking for a dessert that highlights that, then the Rhubarb Crunch is the way to go. The pie was good, but the strawberries did overpower the taste of the rhubarb.  Of course, that is just one dad’s opinion.  Try both recipes and decide for yourself.  If you have a differing opinion, feel free to challenge Mr. Kevin Johnson.

Rhubarb Strawberry Pie—Diana Ahlden Recipe

9” pastry shell

Filling:

Mix together 3 cups chopped fresh rhubarb (1” pieces), ¾ cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1 ¼ cup or 10 oz. package of frozen strawberries, thawed and undrained.

Topping:

Mix together ¾ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, and ¼ cup butter.  Sprinkle evenly over filling.

Bake at 425 for 45 to 40 minutes until mixture is bubbly in center.  Serve warm or cool.

Note from Diana:  Both rhubarb recipes are Ronnie’s favorite as he just loves anything with rhubarb!

Rhubarb Crunch--- Lorraine Ahlden (Grams) Recipe

1 cup flour                              ¾ cup quick cooking oatmeal

½ cup melted butter               1 cup brown sugar, packed

4 cups diced rhubarb              1 cup sugar

2 T. corn starch                       1 cup water

1 t. vanilla

Mix flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, melted butter until crumbly.

Press half of mixture into ungreased 9 inch square pan.

Cook sugar, corn starch, water until mixture becomes clear.

Place diced rhubarb over crumbled mixture.  Pour thickened mixture over rhubarb.  Top with remaining crunch mixture.

Bake 1 hour at about 350.

Note from Lorraine:  This is a very old recipe which I made often when my family was growing up.  I double this recipe and put it in a 9 x 13 pan.

Both recipes are great with ice cream!!!

Savannah Praline Carrot Cake- Jan (Ahlden) Schuette Recipe

            I really wish there would have been a video camera in the room the day that me and Grams made Savannah Praline Carrot Cake!  We were dancing around the kitchen           like little girls on Christmas morning.  Grams and I were giddy proud of ourselves for making this cake and having a finished product that actually look edible and beautiful.  Aunt Jan’s recipe for carrot cake is a layered cake with frosting in between the layers.  I suggested to my mom that perhaps me and Grams would just go the old 9 x 13 inch pan style and frost the top.  My mom said, “Well you know, a layered cake would be really cool.”  Thanks, Mom.  Grams and I decided we would give the layering our best shot since it was going to be served at our Mother’s Day gathering.  We hoped to show off all the hard baking work we have been doing; and show off we did!

            There are a lot of steps to the carrot cake, but the steps themselves aren’t overly difficult.  As I said, it is the layering that is the challenge.  I decided to grate the carrots and chop the pecans before Grams came over for the actual baking part.  When Grams arrived at my house, we made the actual cake, the frosting, and the candied pecans. 

            The morning that we made Savannah Praline Carrot Cake, Aunt Jan had stopped by Gram’s house before work to tell her about Mother’s Day dinner with her six kids and spouses.  Because Grams had seen Aunt Jan this morning, she was truly obsessed with what, where, and how Aunt Jan was.  Repeatedly Grams would say, “I wonder if Jan is working today?”  “I need to call Jan.”  “I better go now because Jan needs me.”  I would always ask her, “Grandma, Do you need something from Aunt Jan?”  And after several minutes, she would always reply that she didn’t need Jan for anything.  I love my Aunt Jan to death, but that day, I was so tired of hearing about Jan, Jan, Jan (At least it wasn’t Marsha, Marsha, Marsha :))

            Grams and I never really did figure out how to candy the pecans.  We tried to batches, and each time, the sugar coating got to crunchy in the skillet.  I think that maybe we let the sugar cook to long, and should have put the pecans in earlier.  We decided that since they were more for decorative purposes, we would just go with our “sorta” candied pecans.  The day we made carrot cake, Grams was also confused about our families Mother’s Day plans.  On the night we baked, she was supposed to go out to dinner with her six children and her spouses, and then a few days later, the entire family: aunts, uncles, cousins, great-cousins, were all to meet for a day at the park.  She kept going back to the idea that I and the other cousins were not invited to dinner that night.  No matter how many times I told her that dinner that night was “just for the adults” and we would all be with her on Sunder, she could not get it right.  She kept telling me that it wasn’t fair that they didn’t invite me. 

            So, although it was a trying morning with Grams, it as all worth it when we got our carrot cake to layer.  We really had no clue what we were going to do for this part.  Grams had the idea to put the plate that we wanted it on the open end of the cake, then flip the cake over and lift off the pan.  She had a great idea, and the bottom layer of the cake turned out easy. We put a n ice think layer of frosting on that cake to act as a glue for the second layer.  This layer was trickier since we couldn’t just flip over a plate with cake already on it.  We decide to flip the second cake unto a flat cookie sheet.  We did that, and then just looked at it for a few minutes wondering why we did that and what our next step was.  I decided our only hope was to try for a lucky flip of the baking sheet until the original layer.  We did a one-two-three count, and it actually landed on top of the other layer!   This is when our kitchen dancing began; this is when my stressful morning with Grams became worth it.  I am very guilty about looking over the simply joys and pleasure that pop up in life: Getting a cake to layer, seeing a summer blue jay, finding your favorite movie on TV, or receiving a cheery text message from an old friend.  Smile for the small things because the small things always add up to something big!

Savannah Praline Carrot Cake- Jan (Ahlden) Schuette Recipe

1 - 18 oz pkg. carrot cake (I use Betty Crocker)

3 lg. eggs

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 lg. carrots, crated

1 cup chopped pecan toasted

1 – 8 oz crushed pineapple, well drained

2/3 cup sugar

24 pecan halves

Can use 3 (8”) round cake pans or a 9 x 13 pan.

Because it is so moist, it is a great one to do in layers.  If you use round pans, line with wax paper and grease.  Grease 9 x 13 pan also.

Beat first 4 ingredients on low for 30 seconds.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add carrots, 1 cup pecans, and pinapple. 

Pour into prepared pan or pans.  Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.

Coat a sheet of wax paper with cooking spary.

Place sugar in a heavy skillet.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon 5 to 10 minutes or until sugar melts and turns light brown.  Remove from heat.  Working quickly, drop pecan halves in sugar a few at a time, turning to coat.  Remove to wax paper.  Cool completely. Use for garnish around edge.

Cream cheese frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar               4 oz. cream cheese

½ stick butter                                        2 t. vanilla

Mix together. Frost cake and garnish with sugared pecans. 

Pumpkin Cookies - Lindy McIntyre Recipe

          Our oven has stayed cold and our pans have been collecting dust.  It has been far too long since our house smelled of fresh baked cookies.  Since I have been away at college, my poor father has been living off Oreos and Chips Ahoy.  That is simply unacceptable.  Thank goodness I have returned from college, and reunited with my baking mentor, Grandma Ahlden!  What makes me most eager to get my hands in some dough is that Grams has also noticed my absence in the kitchen.  Just a few weeks ago, Grams asked my mom when I was going to want to do some baking with her.  Mom reminded Grandma that I am away at school most of the year, but I would be home soon for the summer.  Although I feel bad that Grandma felt somewhat abandoned by me, it makes me smile to know that she missed our baking bonding.

          Lucky for her, I am part of today’s “boomerang generation.”  We go off to college and live on our own, then find our way back to our parents’ house.  Although I am grateful to have parents who welcome me back with free laundry and a stocked kitchen, I am less than thrilled about the decrease in entertainment and peer interactions in the five-hundred populated town of Danforth.  At least I have Grams to spend time with! I moved home yesterday, unpacked last night, and called Grams this morning.  “Are you ready for a cup of coffee and a morning of baking?” Of course she was!  This morning Grams and I made Aunt Lindy’s recipe for Pumpkin Cookies.  Grams thought this would be a great fall recipe to make today…It’s May 10^th.

          It is always a recipe plus when the ingredients are things most people have on hand.  The only item that I had to purchase for today was canned pumpkin.  Canned pumpkin is cheap, so I didn’t even charge it to my dad’s tab.  That would be the tab for the father who is letting his 23 year old daughter live at his house free of charge :) Grams and I fell back into our usual pattern: I find the ingredients and measure; Grams stirs and mixes.  Something that has stood out for me during our baking experience is that Grandma can no longer follow a recipe or remember which recipe we are doing.  In our cookbook, there are two to four recipes on each open page.  Every time that Grandma looks at the cookbook, she reads something from recipe that we are not baking that day.  If I wasn’t there to redirect, she would be combining four different recipes into one.  That could taste interesting!

          Pumpkin is a vegetable of the squash family, but Pumpkin Cookies have no healthy component to them.  As I added loads of sugar, shortening, and chocolate chips, Grams and I talked about an assortment of things.  Recently, I have noticed that Grandma Ahlden jumps quickly from topic to topic.  We were talking about my prom dresses, and that soon our great-grand-girls would be going to prom; next thing I know, we are talking about the accident that took Grandpa Ahlden’s life. For a while, she spoke about how it is hard to know what God’s plan is, and why things are the way they are.  Grams said how young Francis was when he died, and how lucky she is to still have her boys who were also in the accident.  Then we started talking about the cats who hang out on her porch.

          The recipe calls for a white frosting on the pumpkin cookies.  Since we had cream cheese in the fridge, Grams and I decided to make a homemade cream cheese frosting.  Who doesn’t love cream cheese! If anyone makes these cookies, I would definitely recommend frosting them with a cream cheese frosting.  We thought it made them more rich, and more velvety that a store bought frosting.  The pumpkin cookies are very moist, so you have to be gentle when you frost them.  Today, Grams and I talked about how proud we are of all our great grandchildren.  They all have special talents and unique personalities!  Today, we would like to give a special GOOD LUCK to Jacob as he heads to the state track tournament this weekend!

          I have restocked our cupboard with sugar and baking soda, and our cake pan has been moved to the front and center drawer.  Get your sweet tooth ready for another summer of baking our way through the Ahlden Family Cookbook!

Pumpkin Cookies-Lindy McIntyre Recipe

1 cup pumpkin                   1 t. baking powder

½ cup shortening              1 t. soda                

1 cup sugar                       1 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 cup chocolate chips       1 t. vanilla   

1 ½ cup flour

Mix together.  Drop by teaspoons on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes.  Frost with white frosting.  

“Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”

-Jim Davis “Garfield”