Rhubarb Squares

Our friends and members in Australia enjoy my rhubarb squares so I thought you might like to have the recipe.

The original recipe came from The Minnesota Cookbook that was given to me by a couple from the New York Church when they stayed in our house shortly after we joined PL.

About 30 years ago we were asked if we could take care of a university student from Kyoto, an assistant minister’s daughter. It was our first experience in having someone stay in our house for one year. It worked out very well because our two sons treated her like their sister and she treated them like younger brothers.

One day I baked rhubarb squares and this girl, Sawako, ate a piece of the rhubarb square and said, “I didn’t know such a delicious thing existed in this world.” I thought it was so funny but her expression encouraged me to bake more of them even though baking is not my favorite pastime.

Here in Brisbane I now often make rhubarb squares for our member when we have tea after a PL gathering.

Here is the recipe:

Rhubarb Dessert Squares

1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar (I use raw GI sugar)
3 eggs separated
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoons of flour
2 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb

1 tablespoon sugar

Mix 1 cup flour, salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar and butter (I use a food processor to make like a pastry shell). Pat in the bottom of a 8×8 inch square pan and bake at 325F (160C) degrees for 25 minutes.

Mix 1 cup sugar, cream, 3 beaten egg yolks and 2 tablespoons flour. Fold in the rhubarb. Pour this over the baked crust and bake a 350F (180C) degrees for 35 minutes.

Beat 3 egg whites with 1 tablespoon sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread this on top and continue baking for 15 more minutes until lightly brown.

今回は、オタワからオーストラリアまで、多くの人に喜んで頂いているルーバーブ、スクエアーのレセピーを紹介します。このレセピーは、私達がPLに入会して間もなく、ニューヨーク教会所属の会員さん家族がオタワに来られ、わが家に泊られました。その時、お土産にミネソタの料理の本を下さいました。しばらくして、京都の補教師さんの娘さんが英語の勉強にオタワに来たいと言っているので預かってくださいとモントリオールの会員さんから、頼まれ、始めて大学生の娘さんをあずかりました。わが家も楽しくなり、息子たち二人も姉を授かったように嬉しがり楽しい一年が過ぎました。ある日、このルーバーブのデザートを作ったら何とこの娘さんは、“世の中に、こんなにおいしいものがあるとは知らなかった”と喜んだのです。この言葉にあまり、ケーキなど好きでない私も嬉しくなり、それから、今でも良くつくり、多くの人に喜ばれています。上に英語のレセピーを書きますが、日本語のレセピーの欲しい方は、yoko@lifeisart.org.auにメールをくだされば送ります。