Rhubarb Holiday-Baking Recipes
Festive Christmas Dishes

Rhubarb holiday-baking list can include many recipes using the traditional ingredients of season. And as the holiday season fast approaches, I have baking on my mind. Each year, I pour over cookbooks and magazines swearing that this year, the recipes will be different!!

It wouldn't be the same though 
without a certain Christmas Cake 

I remember as a child, my Mother making hers' months in advance, and now I rely on her for them. As a kid, dark Christmas cake was not my favorite thing. But now I love it, and I appreciate the time and trouble she takes to see that we all have some in my family.

My Mom's Dark Christmas Cake

Most importantly, I don't think Christmas for my own daughter would be the same without a simple rice-krispie square iced with peanut butter and chocolate. It is easy, not fancy by any means, but it represents something to her that she has grown up with.

Tradition means different things to different people when doing their own family holiday-baking.

And so I am realizing it is rather fruitless to pour over cookbooks and change everything that I am already quite comfortable with.  

It is interesting though to see all of the wonderful things that are out there and ADD a Christmas holiday-baking recipe, not take away from the familiar.

I think holiday-baking with rhubarb
has a place at Christmas time

Many recipes combine rhubarb with the "ingredients of the season" like figs, cranberries, other fruits and traditional and commonly used spices. There are a number of desserts, sauces and main-dish recipes that may make it to your Christmas table, and become a part of your traditional holiday-baking if you give even one a try. 

Thankfully, I have found that rhubarb definitely fits in with some of my shortbread recipes.  Another tradition we can't do without at my house.  How about you?  Speaking of shortbread, try the curd recipe for adding a sweet but tart taste to your cookies.

Fig and Orange Compote

6 cups chopped rhubarb
3 cups sugar
4 cups water
12 figs chopped
2 oranges grated
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Bring the water and sugar to a boil and add the rhubarb and cinnamon. Cook 10 minutes and remove the rhubarb to a bowl.

Chop the oranges (pith and peel removed) and add to the rhubarb in the bowl along with the figs. Strain the liquid and pour over the fruit. Chill before serving. Serve over a plain cake.

Rhubarb Cherry Jelly

1 large can of cherry pie filling
3 1/2 cups sugar
6 cups diced rhubarb
1 small package cherry gelatin

Coat rhubarb with sugar and refrigerate for serveral hours. Change to a pot and cook for medium heat until tender while stirring. Add filling and gelatin and bring to a boil. Let mixture cool and pour into jars.

Rich Vanilla Streusel Rhubarb Cake

1 egg
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tblsp. butter (soft)
pinch of salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 2/3 cups chopped rhubarb

Combine the above ingredients and gently fold in the rhubarb. Pour into a greased 9" baking dish.

Pre-heat oven to 350F and prepare the streusel.

Streusel Topping

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tblsp. melted butter

Sprinkle over batter and bake your cake for 45 minutes. Let Cool.

Rich Vanilla Sauce

2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup carnation milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Blend ingredients on low heat, and bring to a boil for 3 minutes until thickened.

Serve the cake sitting in a few spoonfuls of sauce. Add a scoop of vanilla or strawberry ice-cream for an extra rich flavor. A very pretty addition to your holiday-baking desserts at Christmas.

Add to your holiday-baking List and See
Traditional Scandinavian Recipes for Christmas

Having ham instead of turkey? Try this rhubarb chutney recipe served alongside.

Rhubarb Ginger Chutney

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tblsp. grated orange peel
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
2/3 cup currants
3 chopped small green onions
1 1/2 tblsp. minced ginger
4 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup white sugar

Combine cinnamon, wine vinegar, sugar, peel, and cardamom in a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved and add the rhubarb, onions and currants. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick, and let cool. Refrigerate.

Festive Rhubarb Salad Mold

2 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Combine and cook over medium heat until rhubarb is tender. Cool and strain keeping the rhubarb syrup. Add water to equal 2 cups liquid and put back into your saucepan.

Bring to a boil and add a 6 oz. package of strawberry jello and stir until dissolved.

Add 1 1/2 cups water and 1 tblsp. lemon juice. Chill.

Once chilled and syrupy, add:

6 oz. cream cheese diced
1 sliced banana

Pour into a 6 cup mold and chill until salad has set.

Rhubarb Cherry Punch Recipe

8 qt. water
8 qt. rhubarb chopped
46 oz. can pineapple juice
5 cups sugar
small package cherry jello

Cook down rhubarb until tender and strain liquid. Add the rest of the ingredients, and bring to a boil. Cool and pour into sterile jars.

When you need punch, mix one jar with ginger ale or 7-up. The color is beautiful for Christmas and will compliment your holiday-baking items quite well in presentation.

"Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration
is being wreathed in smiles." (unknown quote)

Include Rhubarb Dream Bars
in your holiday-baking

4 cups chopped rhubarb
4 eggs
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 cups flour for the base 
3/4 cup icing sugar
pinch salt

Combine the 2 cups of flour and icing sugar. Cut in the butter into crumblike mixture. Press into the bottom of jelly roll pan. Bake 350F for 15 minutes.

Blend sugar, 1/2 cup flour, salt and eggs. Gently fold in the rhubarb. Spread over the base and bake 45 minutes at 350F. Cool and cut into squares.

Rhubarb Spice Cookies

1 egg
1 cup crushed pecans
1 cups golden raisins
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup milk
pinch salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup coconut
1 cup chopped rhubarb
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream shortening and brown sugar. Add egg. Add rest of the ingredients and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 375F for 10 - 12 minutes.

Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars Recipe
a holiday-baking must

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 8 oz. packages soft cream cheese
2 cups diced rhubarb

Base

2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup oatmeal
pinch cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar

Combine base mixture until crumbly. Press 2/3 into a 9 x 13 pan. Gently mix the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and cinnamon and fold in rhubarb. Spread on the base. Top with remainder of crumb mix. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Rhubarb Phyllo Tart

3/4 cup sugar
1 tblsp. honey
3 cups diced rhubarb
1/3 cup cornstarch and 3 tblsp. cold water
1/3 cup apricots
1 cup strawberries
pinch cinnamon
tsp. orange zest

3 tblsp. canola oil
2 tblsp. unsalted butter
9 sheets phyllo dough
1 tblsp. dry breadcrumbs
icing sugar

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, honey and rhubarb and cook over medium heat stirring often until rhubarb is tender. Gradually add cornstarch. Let simmer 3 minutes. Add the apricots, zest, cinnamon and strawberries. Mix into the rhubarb.

Set oven to 350F and grease a 9" pie plate.

Mix oil and butter. Cover the phyllo with a damp towel to keep it moist.

Centre 1 piece phyllo in pie plate so that it drapes over. Brush lightly with oil and butter mixture. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs over top. Repeat with 5 more sheets laying them at angles to the previous sheets. Continue to sprinkle with bits of breadcrumbs.

Pour filling onto the crust and continue to place the rest of the phyllo sheets as the previous ones. Remember to brush with oil and butter. Fold the overhanging sheets up and over the tart creating a border. Cover with remaining oil and butter. Sprinkle with 2 tsp. sugar. Cut 4 slits in top.

Place on baking sheet and bake until browned at least 45 minutes. Cool well and dust with icing sugar.

Almond Rhubarb Pastry

Pastry

2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup milk divided
pinch salt
1 cup shortening
1 tblsp. baking powder
3 cups flour

Work in 1/4 cup of marzipan almond paste into the dough for variety

Filling

1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup quick tapioca
6 cups chopped rhubarb

Topping

1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
2 tblsp. milk
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup slivered almonds

Combine flour ingredients until dough holds. Form a ball and divide in half. Roll out half on floured surface into a 17" by 12" rectangle. Transfer to a greased 15" x 10" pan.

Combine filling ingredients and sprinkle over the dough. Roll out second half of dough and cover the filling. Seal the edge.

Bring butter, sugar and milk to a low boil in a saucepan for 3 minutes. Remove, stir in vanilla and spread over pastry. Sprinkle almonds on top.

Bake at 400F for 20 minutes and reduce heat to 300F. Bake 30 minutes longer.

What would any holiday-baking
be like without pies?

Rhubarb Raspberry Pear Pie

4 ready-made pie crusts
2 containers partially thawed unsweetened raspberries
3 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb or partially frozen
4 cups diced peeled pears
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup flour + 2 tsp.
1 tblsp. cinnamon
1 beaten egg with 1 tblsp. milk
sugar (for sprinkle)

Combine ingredients except for egg, and milk and mix. Unfold the crusts into two 10" deep pie plates.

Sprinkle bottoms of pie crusts with a bit of flour, and divide the fillings between them. Cover with second crust. Crimp edges.

Cut slits in each pie, and glaze tops with egg and milk mixture. Spring sugar. Bake at 425F until golden and fillings bubble up through slits. Let cool, and serve warm with ice cream.

Raisin Rhubarb Pie

4 cups rhubarb chopped
1 cup seedless raisins
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon and nutmeg each
pinch salt
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 slightly beaten egg yolks
1 uncooked pastry shell

Cover rhubarb and raisins in the water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until rhubarb is soft. Remove from heat and remove the rhubarb and raisins with slotted spoon. Reserve the liquid.

Add the sugar and cornstarch to the liquid and stir over medium heat. Bring to a good boil and cook for at least 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add spices. Quickly stir in the egg yolks and stir in rhubarb and raisins into liquid. Pour into pie shell. Bake 350 for 45 minutes. You can top with meringue if you like after cooled.

Another great tradition for so many that mustn't be forgotten is the mincemeat recipe for pie.  Rhubarb mixes well here too and it can be frozen and saved for when you want it. Just bottle it.  

Holiday-Baking With Children 

Photo Courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. "(Larry Wilde)

Include your children when holiday-baking. Give them something they can make on their own or some little chore they can help you with while you are cooking.

Children carry these memories for a lifetime!

Complete your Christmas holiday-baking, and make a gingerbread house with your kids.

 
Gingerbread House recipes, decorating ideas, kits, patterns, and LOADS of gingerbread photos for inspiration. Find your inner child by building a gingerbread house! 

Gingerbread Houses and all things Gingerbread! 

I love the recipe combinations of rhubarb and cranberry. Made a great sauce not long ago.  What would Christmas be without cranberries?

Other pages that may interest you...

Leave Holiday Baking, Return To Home Page