Arrow-right Camera
Subscribe now

This Rhubarb Pie Recipe Passes Popularity Test

Merri Lou Dobler The Spokesman-

Dear Merri Lou: I have noticed over the years that many people do not enjoy cooked rhubarb or rhubarb pie because of the “slimy” texture. Here is a rhubarb pie recipe that I have been baking for 40 years and no one has turned down a piece yet. The Laura for whom this is named was a dear friend of mine from Iowa and is now deceased. Sincerely, Phyllis, Spokane

Dear Phyllis: This is a wonderful recipe! It mixes up fast, cooks without dripping all over the oven, and is gobbled up in a short time. Thanks for sharing your personal favorite.

Laura’s Rhubarb Pie

Dough for a two-crust pie

4 cups finely sliced rhubarb

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 beaten egg

18 finely crushed saltine crackers (see note)

1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

Granulated sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place one pie crust in an 8- or 9-inch pie pan. Combine remaining ingredients except sugar for the top crust and fill bottom crust. Cover with top crust. Cut a few slits in top crust (or an “R” if freezing pie, to identify it). Sprinkle a few pinches granulated sugar on top crust before baking, to make it sparkle.

Place on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 55-65 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before slicing.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 343 calories, 13.2 grams fat (35 percent fat calories), 3 grams protein, 55 grams carbohydrate, 23 milligrams cholesterol, 264 milligrams sodium.

Note: Put crackers in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Dear Merri Lou: The Starbucks coffee shops on the South Hill serve the most wonderful scones. They are called Maple Nut Oat Bran Scones. Would you please print this recipe or one similar to it? Many times I have been hungry for them but cannot justify a trip to the South Hill just for a scone and an espresso. Thank you for your assistance. Sincerely, - Janna, Spokane

Dear Janna: Susan Goodell of Starbucks says the recipe is proprietary. However, she offers a scone recipe that’s similar; so, this is from Starbucks, but it’s not what you’ll find in their stores.

Maple Oat Nut Scones

2 cups oats, quick-cooking or regular

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon maple extract

3 cups flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cups butter, chilled

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk, preferably whole milk

1 cup maple-glazed pecan pieces (recipe follows)

1 egg, lightly beaten

Maple icing:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons maple extract

3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together oats, buttermilk and maple extract. Set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture, by hand or with electric mixer, just until crumbs form that are the size of peppercorns. Do not overmix.

Add oat mixture and maple syrup into the flour mixture just until distributed (it will be lumpy). Add 1/2 cup milk; mix just until all the flour is incorporated into the dough. Add maple-glazed pecan pieces and stir until nuts are evenly dispersed throughout the dough.

On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into 2 equal balls and flatten into rounds approximately 1 inch high. Cut each round into 6 even wedges and place on ungreased cookie sheet or parchment-lined baking pan.

Mix together egg and remaining 1 tablespoon milk. Brush over tops of scones and bake for 20 to 25 minutes on top rack in oven until golden brown. Cool scones to room temperature before icing.

To make the maple icing, combine confectioners’ sugar, butter and maple extract in a mixing bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon or paddle attachment of electric mixer; mixture should be lumpy.

Add cream and mix well. Add more cream or confectioners’ sugar as necessary until mixture is of spreadable consistency.

To ice scones, heat mixing bowl over pilot light or on warm setting of oven, just until mixture is consistency of heavy cream. Top scones with warm icing, leaving corners uncovered.

Yield: 12 scones.

Nutrition information per scone, including pecan pieces: 894 calories, 44.2 grams fat (45 percent fat calories), 15 grams protein, 113 grams carbohydrate, 117 milligrams cholesterol, 1,051 milligrams sodium.

Note: You can reduce the amount of pecans to 1/2 cup and still have great scones.

Maple-Glazed Pecan Pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons real maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

1-1/4 cups pecan pieces, toasted

Combine sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt in a heavybottomed, 2-quart saucepan. Heat over medium heat until temperature reaches 236 degrees (soft-ball stage), approximately 5 minutes, brushing sides of saucepan with water to prevent burning or excess sugar deposits. Mixture will be a dark caramel color.

Add maple extract and gently stir with wooden spoon to incorporate (do not overmix). Add pecans and stir until evenly coated. Turn out nuts onto lightly greased cookie sheet and cool to room temperature. (Nuts can be made up to 1 week prior to use; when cool, store in airtight container at room temperature.)

, DataTimes MEMO: Have a food question? Looking for a recipe? Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian in Spokane, would like to hear from you. Write to Cook’s Notebook, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210, or e-mail to merrid@spokesman.com. As many letters as possible will be answered in this column; sorry, no individual replies.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Merri Lou Dobler The Spokesman-Review

Have a food question? Looking for a recipe? Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian in Spokane, would like to hear from you. Write to Cook’s Notebook, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210, or e-mail to merrid@spokesman.com. As many letters as possible will be answered in this column; sorry, no individual replies.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Merri Lou Dobler The Spokesman-Review