North Dakota Honey Rhubarb Cookie -BHG State Cookie Contest!

Original Recipe by ND Kitchen

 Better Homes and Gardens is sponsoring at State cookie contest. Please go to their Facebook site  BHG Live Better and vote for your favorite cookie! Ahem...North Dakota's. Voting begins Thurs June 29 and runs until Tues July 27th. You will see the tab on the side that says State Cookie Contest.
I was completely surprised and honored to be the representative for North Dakota.  There will be prizes so be sure to stop by and like them on facebook and then keep up with the voting. I would so appreciate you helping me spread the word!
 BHG will be bringing their new Kitchen Collection Cookware Line  exclusively to Walmart. I baked these cookies on the  non stick 15 X 9 baking pan, I have to say I was impressed. The non stick surface is amazing, it has a quilt like surface that truly keeps your baked goods from sticking and makes clean up easy. Lightweight but sturdy with nonslip grips are also a unique feature to this pan.

 The Cookie

1 c butter, at room temp
4 oz cream cheese, at room temp
1 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c honey
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 c flour
1/2 c ground flax
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Filling
3 c diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs water
red food coloring (optional)
 Directions
Cream butter and cream cheese, add in sugars and honey. When incorporated add vanilla and eggs, mix well. In another bowl combine flour, flax, soda, powder salt and cinnamon, add to creamed mixture.
Place about 1 rounded Tablespoon of dough 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet.
Dip your finger in flour to prevent sticking and form a small well in the center of each cookie.

 Filling
in medium saucepan over med high heat, place rhubarb and sugar. Note: to use frozen rhubarb   place in colander until thawed, do not press any extra moisture out.
Cook about 5-7 minutes until rhubarb is soft, add vanilla and food coloring. Mix water and cornstarch  add to pot, continue heating until thickened stirring constantly.

 Fill wells with 1 Tbs of filling. Bake at 350 for 8-11 min.

 Cool on wire rack. You may drizzle chocolate on top for a finishing touch.
The light nutty taste of the flax mixed with honey set a great base for the sweet rhubarb filling. If you do not have access to rhubarb you could add any fruit filling or jam. Makes 5 dozen.

Why rhubarb honey?

Did you know North Dakota is the leading honey producer in the United States? 

Did you know rhubarb is a staple here! It is hard to find a yard without it growing in some corner. Rhubarb is a tart vegetable or fruit...the debate goes on. Usually because of the tartness lots of sugar is added to recipes which means..How can it be bad?

 The leaves are poisonous so don't eat them! 

And did you know...

 Flax is a nutty grain full of good for you nutrients that...yep, North Dakota grows 90% of in the US!

Voting goes until July 27th, 2011. 

Thanks!!

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Rhubarb Baklava

From the Apr/May 2011 Taste of Home magazine.
Rhubarb is a baking staple here in North Dakota, it is just beginning to poke through the ground and soon will be 2 feet high. I grew up with it but most of my life would not eat it cooked...it just didn't look good as a pie or jam to me as a kid. I would however, eat the stalks raw...very tart but ooh so good. Once I finally tried it I fell in love!
Now having never tried baklava...you can see why this recipe appealed to me.

Ingredients
1 c butter, melted
1 pkg (20 sheets) phyllo dough
3 c finely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 c finely chopped rhubarb or frozen*
1 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c honey
Mix walnuts, rhubarb, sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
Remove phyllo from package, keep all remaining dough covered with a moist towel, they dry out very quickly.
note:You may cut the sheets in half for a better fit into 9X13 pan or fold over, brushing with butter on the inside of the fold as you go,  basically every time phyllo touches another layer of phyllo, spread with butter.
layer 5 whole sheets, spreading each with melted butter. This is the part where you must be fairly quick and hopefully not get interrupted.  Remember keep unused dough covered and using a pastry brush spread your butter thoroughly and evenly between every layer of dough.
place 1/3 walnut mixture over top, repeat with another 5 sheets of phyllo (or 10 half sheets)
and 1/3 nut mix....repeat layer again...total of 3 layers ending with dough.

Using a sharp knife cut baklava into 1 1/2 in diamond shapes. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
Heat honey over low heat until thinned. Pour over warm baklava. Cool completely, cover and let set overnight.

* frozen rhubarb- measure out frozen, allow to drain while thawing, do not squeeze

Foodie Friday Ekats Kitchen, Katies Cucina, Sweets for Saturday Funky Junk 
Full plate Thursday

Rhubarb on th Rock

Crust
1/2 c flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 c cold butter
Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour and sugar, cut in butter. Press into buttered baking dish, bake for 15-20 min.

Filling
3 c rhubarb, chopped
1/2 c sugar
5 Tbs water
2 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 c strawberry jam
1 tsp cinnamon
zest of one orange
In saucepan, combine rhubarb, sugar, 3 Tbs water and cinnamon. Cook 15 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 Tbs water add to pan with remaining ingredients. Cook until thickened.


Topping
3 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c sugar
whisk eggs whites until soft peaks form, slowly add vanilla, then add sugar, whisk until stiff peaks form.
Layer rhubarb on crust and top with meringue, sealing edges. Bake 10-15 min or until top is golden.

Rhubarb Tea Cakes

This is from Martha Stewart's magazine, these cakes are sooo moist and yummy they disappeared quickly and I am definitely going to make more!

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 stick, (1/2 c) unsalted butter at room temp

1 c sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c sour cream

2 c rhubarb, diced into 1/4 inch pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 and grease or spray 8  4x2 1/2 mini loaf pans  I used a little larger pan and made 4 loaves.

Mix flour, soda, powder and salt. In another bowl beat butter and sugar until fluffy, add eggs and vanilla, beat until combined. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream.

 Stir in rhubarb.

Bake about 40 min, depending on loaf sizes, until golden and center tests done.

Rhubarb Tart

Crust
1 c flour
5 Tbs powdered sugar
1/2 c chilled butter
1/4 tsp salt
Mix dry ingredients and cut in butter. Press into a sprayed 10 in spring form pan.
Bake at 350 for 10-13 min.

 Filling
2 eggs
1 1/4 c sugar
1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 c chopped rhubarb

 Beat eggs, add sugar, salt and flour. Fold in rhubarb  and pour onto partially baked crust.

Topping
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c chopped walnuts
sprinkle both on top and return to oven to bake 35-40 min. Cool and remove from pan. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Check out more great recipes at Foodie Friday. 

and Funky Junk. 

Rhubarb Tea/ Rhubarb Slush

Tea

Boil 8 stalks chopped rhubarb in 8 c water, reduce heat and let simmer 1 hour, strain

Add sugar to taste. (adding sugar when tea is still warm will help it to dissolve)

serve warm or cooled

Slush

3 c rhubarb, chopped, fresh or frozen

1 c water

1/3 c sugar

1 c apple juice

1 6oz frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 bottle lemon-lime soda ( 2 liters)

In saucepan, combine rhubarb, water and sugar, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 min.

Cool 30 min, In blender puree 1/2 at a time. Pour into freezer container (Tupperware with lid)

add apple juice and lemonade,stir well. Freeze until firm. Let thaw 45 minutes before serving, place in punch bowl with soda. Serve immediately.

I served this once to a group of friends, NO ONE left the punch bowl, we stood there refilling until it was empty!

Rhubarb Oat Dessert

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 c old fashioned oats

1 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c walnuts

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 c cold butter or margarine

3 c fresh sliced or frozen rhubarb

1 1/4 cold water

1 1/2 c sugar

3 Tbs cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla extract

red food coloring (opt)

in large mixing bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar,nuts, soda and salt, cut in butter until crumbly. Press 3 c into ungreased 13X9 pan  set aside

soak rhubarb (fresh) in 1 c cold water for 3 min, drain.Skip the soaking step if using frozen. In sauce pan combine sugar, remaining water and cornstarch, stir until smooth, add rhubarb, vanilla and food coloring bring to boil . Cook 5 min. or until thickened. spoon over crust and top with remaining crumb mixture. bake 350 for 23-25 min.

this recipe is from Taste of Home the April May 2003  issue, it is fabulous! In North Dakota rhubarb is everywhere! It is usually the first perennial to poke its head out in the spring. Beautiful red stalks with large green leaves, it has a very tart taste so recipes usually include a lot of sugar. Don't eat the leaves. Rhubarb is a member of the buckwheat family.