Ok so I’m still stuck on rhubarb!  I can’t get enough of this veggie and this is the season.

INGREDIENTS:
• 4 cups of fresh strawberries sliced in half
• 4 cups of fresh rhubarb sliced
• 3/4 cups of granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tsp of orange zest
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of light brown sugar
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
• 10 tablespoons of butter diced

DIRECTIONS:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Toss the berries and rhubarb together with ¾ cup of sugar and zest.

• Mix corn starch and orange juice then add to fruit mixture.

• Pour into an 8×11 baking dish.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

• For the topping, combine the flour, remaining brown sugar, salt and oatmeal.  With a           mixer and paddle attachment add in the butter until all the dry ingredients are moist and it   looks like crumbs.

• Sprinkle on top of the fruit, completely covering, and bake for approx 1 hour.

• Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

I love spring for many reasons and one is fresh rhubarb.  I am a fan of anything involving this vegetable that really I use as a fruit.  Yesterday I was given a large bunch of fresh rhubarb from the garden.  After work I immediately had to go make something!  My initial thought was strawberry rhubarb pie or crisp.  I wasn’t having guests and I knew if I made either of those desserts I would probably consume most of the calories.  So I decided on bread and muffins.  I could easily freeze the bread (which doesn’t always stop my noshing) and the muffins would make a quick breakfast.

I was intent on making this bread a bit healthier.  So I added and switched a few ingredients.  The rhubarb is the star making this bread moist and sweet with a bit of tartness.  You don’t have to add the topping as the bread is still good without it.

BREAD INGREDIENTS:
• ½ cup of skim milk
• ½ cup of cream
• 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 ½ cups of brown sugar
• 2/3 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 ½ cups of whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup of milled flax seed
• 2 tablespoons of wheat germ
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 2 cups of chopped rhubarb
• ½ cup of chopped walnuts (or pecans)

TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
• ¼ cup of brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of butter

DIRECTIONS:
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

• Grease two 9×5 loaf pans or use muffin tins (I used one loaf pan and had 6 large muffins).

• In a small bowl mix the milk, cream, and lemon juice… set aside for 10 minutes.

• Mix together the brown sugar, vegetable oil, and the egg.

• Combine the dry ingredients, and then mix part of the dry ingredients into the sugar             mixture alternating with the milk mixture until all is combined.

• Put into greased loaf pan or muffin tin.

• Mix the next 3 ingredients and sprinkle the mixture over the unbaked batter.

• Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes for the bread loafs. It takes much less       time for the muffins, approx 20 minutes. Use a toothpick to test; if the center comes out       clean the bread is done.

Enjoy!

I love these cookies!  I certainly will never turn away a great chocolate chip but this cookie may be my next go-to cookie treat.  Momofuku Milk Bar is in New York City; in their cookbook you will discover a whole new world of sweets.  One of the secrets of these cookies is the milk crumbs.  The recipe for those is as follows:

Milk Crumbs

INGREDIENTS:
• ½ cup of milk powder
• ¼ cup of flour
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons of melted butter
• 1/4 cup milk powder
• 3 oz of melted white chocolate

DIRECTIONS:
• Preheat oven to 250°F.

• Combine the first five ingredients in a medium bowl, toss with your hands… add melted       butter and continue to toss using a spatula.  The mixture will start to look like small             cluster/crumbs.

• Spread the clusters on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes.  The             crumbs should be sandy and your kitchen should smell amazing.  Cool the crumbs.

• Crumble any milk crumb clusters that are larger than ½ inch and put the crumbs in a           medium bowl.  Add the milk powder and toss together.

• Next poor the white chocolate over the crumbs and toss until your clusters are enrobed.       Then continue tossing them every 5 minutes until the white chocolate hardens.  The             crumbs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one month.

Blueberry & Cream Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 sticks of butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of corn syrup (or ¼ cup glucose)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ recipe of milk crumbs
• ¾ cup dried blueberries

DIRECTIONS:
• Combine first 4 ingredients in medium speed mixer for 2-3 minutes.

• Scrape sides of bowl and add eggs one at a time, beat for 7-8 minutes till creamy.

• Reduce speed and add dry ingredients.  While still on low speed add milk crumbs and         then blueberries.

• Using an ice cream scoop put rounds of batter on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

• Wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridge for about an hour.

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Keep cookies about 4 inches apart on cookie sheet and back, they will crackle and             spread.  They should be browned slightly on the outside and creamy yellow in the center.

• Cool completely on the cookie sheet… Enjoy!!!!

The absolute best brownie recipe I have found is in the cookbook “Alice Medrich’s Cookies and Brownies”.  Alice Medrich’s brownies are a fudgy, chocolate decadent treat that elevates the normal cake-like brownie to a special dessert.  When making these brownies it is important to use a 13 x 9 metal pan.  I found this one in a cook store in Minneapolis; the brand is “Doughmakers”.  It turns out a perfect tray of brownies every time.  You can serve these brownies with fresh raspberries and whipped cream or caramel sauce and a dollop of vanilla ice cream.  I usually make a tray and keep them in the freezer so I always have a special sweet treat on hand.

Best Ever “New Classic Brownie” by Alice Medrich

I have doubled Alice’s recipe.  Serves 12-24 depending on how you cut them.

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter
• 8 oz of unsweetened chocolate (use semi-sweet and also ½ milk chocolate, it all works)
• 2½ cups of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• Optional: 2/3 cups of chopped walnuts or pecans (I have also used cashews)

DIRECTIONS:
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, position rack in lower third of the oven.

• I butter my metal pan and do not use parchment, but the recipe suggests lining the             bottom with parchment.  So try either way.  My pan works well without the parchment.

• First melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler stirring with a wooden spoon.  When   it is melted remove from heat and add the sugar, vanilla and salt.

• Next add the eggs one at a time stirring until each is incorporated into the batter.

• Finally add the flour mixing with a wooden spoon until the batter is glossy and smooth and   it comes away from the sides of the pan.

• Stir in the nuts if you are using.

• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the   brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.  The surface of the brownies will         look dry but if you use a toothpick the center will be gooey.

• While the brownies are baking take a large baking pan and fill with ice cubes and cold         water about ¾ inches deep.  This is your ice bath and a crucial component to making         these brownies!

• When the brownies are ready take them out of the oven and carefully place the pan in the   ice bath (you do not want to splash water on the brownies).

• Cool the brownies in the ice bath for about ½ hr.

• When cool slice the brownies.  I cut them in squares and then cut them on a diagonal.

• Dust with confectionary sugar and serve.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:
• 18 graham crackers, crushed
• 2 sticks butter, melted
• ¾ cups of sugar
• 4 tablespoons of corn starch
• 1 cup of water (can use ½ cup of water & ½ cup of pineapple juice)
• 1 cup of crushed pineapple
• 3 egg whites
• 2 cups heavy whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:
• Mix graham crackers and melted butter and line the bottom of a square pan with ½ of the     mixture.  Save the other ½ for later.

• Mix the sugar, corn starch, and water together and cook over medium heat until thick.

• Take off heat and let cool.

• Once cooled down, add 1 cup of crushed pineapple.

• Beat the 3 egg whites, then add the pineapple mixture.

• Pour mixture into graham cracker crust. Top with the rest of the graham cracker mixture.

• Refrigerate for an hour.

• Whip 2 cups of heavy whipping cream and spread on top.

Enjoy!!!

Keep refrigerated.