Rhubarb bars

[Pam]

Rhubarb Bars

This is an american recipe, so all in cups, but I use the cup that came with my breadmaker. (1cup=8fl oz)

Crust
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter (approx 5oz Pure spread in our case)

Just mix it all together with a spoon - no need for rubbing in, and when it comes together squash it into the base of a large cake tin or lasagne dish (9"x13" approx). You don't have to build it up the sides, just squash it flat around the base. (I had to do it with rubber gloves on as I have a dressing on my finger but it was still manageable).

Topping
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 eggs
3 cups finely chopped rhubarb

Throw it all in a bowl and mix until it is a sugary goo, then pour and spread over the base.

Bake at 180 degrees for approx 45 minutes until the top is starting to brown. Leave to cool before cutting up. (If you can wait that long).

This is very sweet and rather gooey, the edge bits are best where the sugar and rhubarb juice has caramelised round the sides. You get a tiny bit of sharpness from the rhubarb but it is very sugary so this isn't one for people who don't like sweet stuff.

Recipe from http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/

[Copper]

Thanks Pam will try and find the time to give it a go next week.

[rebecca c]

I tried your rhubarb bars today pam, but with rice flour. I have a very sweet tooth but found them too sweet - but yummy all the same. Couldn't eat too much because rhubarb is moderate for salicylates. The kids loved them. Easy to make. I might make them again but maybe with alot less sugar. I do find if I do some dairy free gluten free baking I have a habit of over indulging and then get ill from that instead of the usual stuff.

[matt]

when you've made them freeze them quickly. then you'll have to wait for them to defrost before you can eat them. maybe they'll last a little longer.

[Walki]

Rebecca, can you use rice flour in all recipies for ordinary flour?

[rebecca c]

I've only just started to experiment, but I like the results I've had so far. Add extra (gluten free) baking powder. My favourite and first success is the Delia Smith lemon cake in her winter book just substituting the flour for rice flour and 3tsp of baking powder. I think it works well because its a 3 egg cake. Shout if you want the recipe. Instead of lemon curd I use a lemon juice icing and marmalade filling.

The biscuits ive made so far are edible but cakey not crunchy so not so good.

[Pam]

If you're using a cookie recipe they are supposed to be cakey or chewy rather than crunchy. There's a really easy recipe on the Pure web site for "scrummy biscuits", they take about 5 minutes to make and go crunchy.

[rebecca c]

thanks pam i'll try it

[matt]

i have found lemon curd that was dairy free, think it was tesco cheap value one. double check cause i'm not 100% sure.

[Walki]

I'd love the recipie for the lemon cake but unfortunately I can't eat eggs:( is there anything else I could substitute for the eggs? It's a real shame because cookery is my first love and dessert & cake making especially, but having the intolerances I have it's a bit of a devil to say the least, I'm going to have to get myself a cook book for intolerances- to add to my 'hundreds' of normal ones.

[Pam]

I've heard that bananas can be added instead of egg as a binding ingredient but I don't know how successful it would be. If you are avoiding eggs and dairy your best bet would be to look for vegan recipe books as lots of them will have egg free cake recipes.

[rebecca c]

I've got a new book which has a range of recipes. I've tried a few and they've worked ok its called Allergy-free food by Tanya Wright in association with Allergy uk ISBN 0-7537-1031-5. It seems a good book to get you started especially if you have multiple allergies or intolences. Good millet flapjack and scones, keep meaning to try the gnoochi


My sister in law used to be vegan and they used egg substitutes in cakes available from health food stores.

Checked the above book and it says there is a whole egg replacer and egg white replacer available from health food stores.

The book has other alternatives depending on what qualities you need the egg replacer to perform.

Recipe:Iced lemon curd cake

175g rice flour
3 level tsp of baking powder
175g of pure
175g of caster sugar
3 size 1 eggs (so try an egg substitute)
grated rind of one lemon
1 tablespoon of lemon juice

to make the icing i mix icing sugar and lemon juice - yum

mix it all together until smooth and creamy then divide into two seperate cake tins (approx 7 inch)

I find 25 mins in fan oven at 170 C works longer if not fan oven recipe says 35 min.

Put it together with some marmalade of your choice in the middle and lemon icing on top and then try not to eat it all in two days like I did the first time I had some and then got ill from being a fat pig. You could always follow Matts good advice and freeze some.

[matt]

i was going to say they have egg substitutes at the health food shops, or guar gum powder which is a binding agent.

if i think about it i'll try to do a search and find something on the web. i did post a link a little while back for a web site where you can type in what foods you have to avoid and it'll give you receipes based on that. anyone remember which thread that was in?

[Copper]

You could try putting a word or phrase into the search (at the top of the page) - it does work. It searches the forum for your word and or phrase and comes up with every thread containing same. Best to try a phrase I think and not one that will give hundreds of hits - happy hunting.

[matt]

doh. here's the link to the thread that's got that and several other web site links

http://www.dairyfreeuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=492

enjoy