Rhubarb Cream Cheese Cornmeal Muffins

rhubarb_muffins

It’s getting a bit difficult for me to create yet another rhubarb recipe after having already included several in my blog. Nonetheless, I came up with this cornmeal muffin idea in a delightfully whimsical manner.

I knew I wanted to cook some rhubarb from the garden so I started daydreaming and burrowing my face into the fur of one of my Labradors. If you are a dog owner, you know what I’m talking about! “Oh, you smell like cornmeal behind your ear…” Yes, the light bulb went off! Another strange coincidence was when I opened my food recipe journal and the first thing I saw was this old wrinkled handwritten recipe that read “Blueberry cornbread muffins.” I’m not kidding you here. It must be a 12 year-old-recipe because I used to hand copy recipes from food magazines just after I came to Canada for the sake of improving my English! I don’t remember ever having baked it though. Haha, it’s really funny… it appeared at just the right time to give me a clue as to what recipe I should share next.

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Rhubarb Cream Cheese Cornmeal Muffins

Makes 12 small muffins

2 cups rhubarb, cut into ½ inch pieces

6 tablespoons cane sugar

½ package (250g) cream cheese, room temperature and cut into cubes

¼ cup sugar

1¾ cups cake flour (I used this instead of all-purpose because it ran out)

¾ cup cornmeal (fine textured)

2/3 cup cane sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/3 cups 2% milk

1 large whole egg plus 2 egg whites

2 tablespoons canola oil

Place rhubarb and the sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat, cook to dissolve sugar and continue until just before the rhubarb loses its shape. Strain the excess juice for another use (see below). Let cool.

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda well in a bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except cream cheese and whisk until smooth.  Then, pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Mix just until all the ingredients are moist. Add the rhubarb and lightly mix with a spatula.

Pour the batter into a muffin cup-lined tin and spoon a big dollop of the cream cheese into each muffin cup. Bake until golden brown, for about 20 minutes. A cake tester inserted into the centre should come out clean. Let cool.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate.

 

Mint Tea

A bunch of mint leaves

Hot water

Wash the mint and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place the mint in a teapot (a jar in my case), pour hot water over top and steep for a few minutes. Strain into individual cups.

 

Rhubarb Refresher

Ice cubes

Extracted rhubarb juice (from above recipe)

Dash of lemon juice

Carbonated water or club soda and/or rum!

A sprig of mint leaves

Freestyle to accommodate whatever one’s heart desires.

rhubarb_refresher

Belle de boskoop Mince Pies

Belle de boskoop mince pie

Merry Christmas to all of my wonderful readers out there. I’d like to wish you a happy and healthy holiday season, and also share a great seasonal treat with you; mince pie. This recipe came to mind when I started cleaning the pantry and the refrigerator to get them organized for 2013. When I saw these sad looking Belle de boskoop apples that I had purchased at the UBC apple festival last October, I knew I could turn them into something magical that evoked the best elements of a  white Christmas.

As goboroot literally goes back to its roots in the next few weeks during my trip abroad, I’m hoping to report foodie or may not so foodie scenes in the land of Japan. So stay tuned! xoxo

Belledeboskoop mince pie

Belle de boskoop mince pie

Belle de boskoop mince pie

Warm holiday wishes

Belle de boskoop Mince Pies

Makes 8 x 2½ inch muffin tin

Filling (start a day before serving)

2 Belle de boskoop apples, cut into ¼ inch pieces

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup shredded coconut

2 tablespoons cane sugar

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon brandy based vanilla extract (or regular vanilla extract)

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Pie dough

150g butter, softened

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

¼ cup lightly packed, ground and blanched almonds

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, room temperature and lightly beaten

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

Extra butter for greasing the tin

Extra flour for dusting the tin and rolling the dough

1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon water for brushing the tops of the pies

Extra confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Make the filling by combining all the ingredients well. Let stand overnight in the refrigerator.

Next day. Grease the pan with butter and dust lightly with flour. Keep in the refrigerator.

Make the dough. Place the butter in a food processor and beat until creamy. Add the sugar, almonds, salt, vanilla and egg, and continue to beat until well incorporated.

Scrape down the side of the wall as necessary. Add the flour in a few installments. Continue to beat until the dough comes together to form a ball.

Separate the dough in two portions. Flour the working surface and flatten the dough into disks. Wrap with a piece of Saran wrap separately, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Take out the filling from the refrigerator and stir well. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Flour the work surface well and roll one of the disks into 1/8 inch thickness with a rolling pin, keeping the other disk in the refrigerator.

Cut out 8 X 3 ½ inch circles. Fit the circles into the muffin tin.

Roll another disk into 1/8 inch thickness on the floured work surface. Cut out 8 X 2 ½ inch circles. Fill the muffin tin with the mince filling, press the circles and seal. Using water makes it easy to stick the bottom and top dough pieces together. Make slits on the top of the pies.

Combine egg yolk and water to make an egg wash. Brush plenty on top of the pies.

Bake until the sides of the pies become golden brown, for about 30 minutes.

Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

Pie dough adapted from Desserts by Pierre Hermé

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce

pumpkin cheesecake with caramel sauce

Here in Vancouver, when the sun finally peeks through heavy clouds, I run outside, stand up straight with my arms outstretched, eyes closed, feeling the warmth of the sun.  This experience is rare, and lasts only for a few minutes during winter, however, I’m always in awe of how this simple act can help recharge me. “Just Feel the Warmth of the Sun Act.” In my kitchen, I tend to recreate the bright sunshine when actual sunlight isn’t an option.

crab apple tree in the garden

Pumpkin cheesecake

When it comes to baking, my twin sister is the go-to person. She bakes everything, from heavy, dense Scandinavian style bread with her own homemade yeast to traditional Japanese buns filled with red bean paste, to biscotti, bagels, gluten-free kids’ birthday cakes and so much more. Since she gladly shared this cheesecake recipe with me a long time ago, it has remained on my mind every time I roast Marina Di Chioggia winter squashes. As it turns out, the cake was absolutely loved by everyone at dinner parties even after a full season of feasts.

caramel sauce

Chasmanthium latifolium

Pumpkin cheesecake

Pumpkin cheesecake with caramel sauce

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce

Makes 9 inch springform pan

Crust

30g whole wheat digestive cookies

40g chocolate cookies

30g butter, melted

Filling

250g cream cheese, room temperature

50ml whipping cream

100g sugar

2 eggs

10g cornstarch

200g pumpkin puree

30g sugar

1 egg yolk

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Caramel sauce

½ cup whipping cream

30g butter, cut into small pieces

½ cup brown sugar

Make crust by smashing cookies in a plastic bag with a rolling pin until fine texture is achieved. Combine well with butter, press into the bottom of the pan and keep refrigerated.

Preheat the oven to 390F. Set a kettle of water on the stove. You are going to use this later for steaming the cake in the oven. Not quite tea time yet!

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, and add the whipping cream, sugar, eggs and starch. Combine well.

In another bowl, thoroughly mix the pumpkin, sugar, egg yolk and cinnamon. Then, pour in ½ of cream cheese mixture and stir well.

Pour the rest of the cream cheese mixture into the prepared crust. Next, gently add the pumpkin mixture to the crust, and then swirl the top to create the marble effect.

Wrap the bottom of the springform pan with a piece of tin foil. Next, place the pan in a rimmed baking sheet on the centre rack in the oven. Pour the boiling water up to the rim of the baking sheet.

Lower the oven to 320F and bake for 1 hour. If the top becomes too dark after 40 minutes, cover the top with a piece of tin foil. Leave the cake in the oven to cool. When the cake is completely cooled, refrigerate at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.

Make the caramel sauce ahead of time before serving. Place the cream, butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and keep stirring until thickened, for about 8 minutes.

When serving the cake, run a knife around the edge inside the springform, then release and lift the pan gently. Serve with caramel sauce.

Caramel sauce recipe adapted from Donna Hay Magazine.