Gayle’s Galley

Where did May go? This month for your pleasure, we are offering two dessert recipes - rhubarb bars and carrot loaf.

Looking for a great rhubarb recipe? Fellow Highlanders are raving about the Rhubarb Dream Bars which Laura Mara served last Saturday. I’m so glad that HYC members convinced her to submit this very timely recipe. With lots of rhubarb in the garden and at select grocery stores, this is a perfect treat. The recipe is from the “Noshing with the Nolands” website.

Many, many thanks to Laura for submitting this recipe. It’s already a winner!

Rhubarb Dream Bars

Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

Filling

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups diced rhubarb

Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom of an 8x8" pan with parchment bringing it up the sides so that it will be easy to remove the squares after. Whirl the crust ingredients in a food processor and then press into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 min., crust will still remain very pale in color.

While crust is baking mix together eggs, sugar, flour and salt and whisk well. Stir in rhubarb. Pour onto the hot crust and continue to bake for 40-45min.

Let the bars cool and remove with the parchment paper. Cut into squares.

Carrot loaf

What happens when you have a craving for carrot cake but you don’t want to make a whole 2 layer cake that feeds a dozen people? Well, may I suggest a Carrot Loaf? This recipe is from a “Fund Raising” cookbook a friend gave me last year.  This recipe is quite easy - with a few ingredients. It tastes great. It’s a keeper.

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 c white sugar

2/3 c (158 ml) vegetable oil

1 ½ c (188g) all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp salt

1 ½ c (200g) peeled and grated raw carrots

3/4 c golden raisins (I soaked the raisins in hot water, then patted dry)

1 c walnuts, chopped (I toasted the walnuts before I chopped them)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs; add sugar and oil.

Add the flour mixture.  Beat until combined.  Add the carrots, raisins and nuts. Place batter in prepared pan. (It will be thick.)

Bake for 55 – 65 minutes. (Check half way through and see if the top is browning.  If so, loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil to prevent heavy browning on top.) Baking times vary so keep an eye on your loaf. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean with zero raw batter. Remove the bread from the oven.

Cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack before removing.