Rhubarb Season

Did you celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a rhubarb inspired feast? Probably not. I did, though, and the meal was wonderful. It included steak, shrimp, chicken, an amazing caramelized onion dip, rhubarb barbecue sauce, rhubarb and mint drinks, and, of course, some rhubarb cookies and rhubarb sorbet made by yours truly.

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Rhubarb Cookies 
from Heat to Oven

Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 375° degrees. Combine rhubarb and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small bowl. 

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Incorporate the cream until dough starts to come together. Drain the rhubarb then add it to the dough.

Using a #50 scoop, scoop dough onto a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and bake until edges become golden, 11 minutes.

I made a glaze to add more flavor to the cookies. I do not have precise measurements but the glaze is essentially a rhubarb sauce with powdered sugar.

Make the glaze: Cook sugar, water, and lemon juice in a pot until sugar dissolves. Add chopped rhubarb to sauce and continue to cook until rhubarb is tender. Let cool then puree in a blender.

Add powdered sugar until the glaze reaches desired consistency.

Cookies
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped medium
1/2 cup plus 2 T granulated sugar, divided
2 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 oz cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 T heavy cream

Glaze
equal parts sugar, water to two parts rhubarb 
lemon juice to taste 
powdered sugar

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Deadly Cookie

I made a cookie last week filled with coffee and three different types of chocolate that will make you cry. You will cry because the cookie is not only amazing but also because you will eat so many of them that you will curl up into a stomach ache induced fetal position.

This cookie is based off of Baked's, Cowboy Cookie. I omitted the pretzels and added grapenuts. No, this was not to add "fiber"but rather, crunch. I also used three different types of chocolate: milk, semi sweet, and 70% dark.

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Deadly Cookie
adapted from Baked

Make the cookies: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the oats to combine.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and egg yolk and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Dissolve the espresso in 1/4 cup hot water and add to the mixture. Mix until combined.

Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (15 seconds). Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold in the chocolate and Grape-Nuts.

Cover and refrigerate the bowl for a few hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°. Using a #50 scoop, scoop cookie dough on parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet. Flatten the cookies slightly and bake for 10 minutes.

1 3/4 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats
14 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp instant espresso powder
12 oz chocolate (I used a combination of milk, dark, and semi sweet)
3/4 cup Grape-Nuts

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Chocolate Cherry Scones

I do love pastries but have never cared for scones.  Until a few years ago I believed that scones were too dry, too large, and not worth eating.  It was not until pastry school that I realized that I could modify them to my liking: i.e. use pastry flour, add cream, add maple syrup + golden raisins.  These were delicious.

Last year, though, I found a wonderful recipe on King Arthur's website (which is fantastic, by the way, the website and the flour) that I have made over and over again much to the approval of my co-workers.

I add dried cherries and dark chocolate but you could include raisins, pistachios, walnuts, ginger, or cranberries.  I plan on making a savory version next time with green onions and cheese.

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Chocolate Cherry Scones
adapted from King Arthur Flour

Make the scones: Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.  Either with a pastry cutter or your hands, work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly (it is okay if some larger chunks remain).  Mix in the dried cherries and chocolate.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and half and half.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter comes together (but do not over mix).

Scoop batter onto a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet (I used a #20 scoop).  Brush scones with milk, and sprinkle with sugar.

This is an odd step but place the scones in the freezer for 30 minutes while oven is heating to 375.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Scones
11 1/2 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 3/8 oz sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
4 oz cold unsalted butter (cut into smaller pieces)
1 - 2 cups combination of dried cherries and dark chocolate
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract 
6 oz half and half

Topping
milk
sugar

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