Springtime - Here It Comes, Here it Goes

We have had a very mild winter. In early Spring, however, the weather seemed unseasonably cold. And lately it's been downright hot out there - a big change in usual temperatures for us.

The Spring flowers were slow to blossom. Now with the heat, it seems they are not lasting very long. So I've tried to capture their beauty with photos before they would disappear completely until another season in time.

Fragile, fleeting beauty. So, until next year...

Rhubarb Pudding Cake

A friend of mine recently posted a recipe for Rhubarb Pudding Cake. It calls for two cups of chopped rhubarb. This reminded me that I had some chopped rhubarb hidden away in our freezer. I checked. Exactly two cups. This was a recipe I just had to try.

I had all the ingredients. So I preheated the oven to 375 degrees F. and began to make the pudding cake. The best part is that it is mixed by hand. And - there are no eggs. Very easy!

Once the batter is mixed and spooned out over the rhubarb, add a sugar/cornstarch topping. Boiling water is then poured over all.

Then it's ready for the oven.

After 45 minutes, here's the finished product:

When it's cool, it's ready for whipped cream or ice cream. I'll be adding some sliced almonds. Mmmm!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

 2 cups chopped rhubarb

 3/4 cup sugar 

 3 tablespoons softened butter

1 teaspoon baking powder

 dash of salt

1/2 cup milk (I use skim)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup flour

1 scant cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2/3 cup boiling water

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spread rhubarb in an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix together the next eight ingredients. Add a little extra milk, enough to be able to pour the batter. Pour batter over the rhubarb.
Mix together the sugar and cornstarch. Sprinkle over the batter in the dish. .
Evenly add the boiling water.
Bake for 45 minutes.
When cool, top with whipped cream or ice cream. (I'm adding sliced almonds.)

Yield: 9 delicious servings

Enjoy!

You know you are from Racine, Wisconsin when…

you can name your favorite kind of kringle (and you just may have some stashed away in your freezer).

Pecan Kringle

you’re thirsty and you ask someone where the nearest “bubbler” is.

you’ve fished off the piers on Lake Michigan.

you’ve “scooped the loop” with friends, just because it was the hip thing to do.

it’s Friday night and you’re yearning for a beer- battered fish fry at the local tavern.

when you want a drink, you know you won’t be heading to West Racine.

you know where “the Junction” is.

you have been in awe of the Iwo Jima float in EVERY 4^th of July parade.

the best birthday cake is a Danish layer.

you visit relatives “up north,” or you have taken a vacation “up north” more than once.

you learned to swim at the Washington Park Pool when you were a kid, and ate a slo-poke sucker while walking back home.

you’ve been to the Franksville Kraut Festival.

you’ve been in actual debates with other Racinians – Is it “Ray-cine” or “Rah-cine”…?

(Count me in with the "Rah-cine" people.)