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Mini Rhubarb Kuchens

Did you ever have that moment as a kid, when you suddenly realize that a food that you assume everyone eats is something that is particular to your family? I had that moment with rhubarb kuchens. As I recall, I was with friends talking about our favorite desserts that we would choose for our birthdays, and I chimed in, “Of course I’d ask for rhubarb kuchen!” …to which I received confused looks and general silence. Rhubarb kuchen, people! Doesn’t everyone eat that?

Rhubarb stalks as you’d see them in the supermarket

What is Rhubarb? What is Kuchen?

OK, so maybe we should run through some definitions. First, rhubarb (roo-barb): It’s a plant that basically looks like red celery. It’s technically a vegetable, but people use it as a fruit. It has a very tangy taste that, when cooked with sugar, yields just the perfect sweet/tart combination. Most often it is stewed with water and sugar. When I was a kid, my mom used to make rhubarb sauce and we’d eat it like applesauce – or we’d spread it on toast or serve it over ice cream.

Rhubarb stalks, chopped

Next, kuchen (koo-ken, with a gutteral sound for the second k) is a German word for cake. It could cover any number of different kinds of cakes, but in my mom’s case (German family from Wisconsin), it meant a crumbly pie crust and a custard or pie-style fruit filling. She’d make different kuchens all the time, depending on what was in season: apple kuchen, peach kuchen, plum kuchen…and the much-sought-after rhubarb kuchen.

Mini Rhubarb Kuchens

Our kids, sadly, haven’t had that much experience with rhubarb, so we made these mini rhubarb kuchens as an easy introduction. When they pressed us for what it was and what it would taste like, we came up with, “sort of like a combination of apple and strawberry pie.” This satisfied them and – no surprise here – the rhubarb kuchens were quickly demolished. And yes, rhubarb is a vegetable, but we swear we were not trying to hide anything this time.

 

Mini Rhubarb Kuchens

Individually sized cakes filled with tart rhubarb and a sweet custart filling.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp milk

Filling

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Instructions

  1. For the crust: Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until mixture is evenly crumbly. Combine beaten egg and milk and add to dry ingredients; stir. Press dough into the bottom of 6 to 8 small greased ramekins. Set aside.

  2. For the filling: Mix dry ingredients together. Add eggs, milk and vanilla, and stir to combine. Add rhubarb, stir again to mix. Pour rhubarb mixture into prepared crusts. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.

 

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Looking for rhubarb? You’re most likely to see it in the spring at farmers’ markets or well-stocked produce aisles. As always, if you don’t see it, ask your produce manager. (Let’s create a wave of demand for rhubarb!)

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11 Responses to Mini Rhubarb Kuchens

  1. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious March 29, 2014 at 5:16 pm #

    I adore rhu, my mom used to make us stewed rhu, and no one else I knew every even knew the word!

    I gotta try yours!

    • Jeanne March 29, 2014 at 6:46 pm #

      I had no idea we were long-lost rhubarb sisters – good to know!

  2. bloggerdad March 29, 2014 at 6:41 pm #

    Mouth watering…Sudden desire for a rhubarb fix…When will local fruits, I mean veggies, reappear on supermarket shelves???

    • Jeanne March 29, 2014 at 6:46 pm #

      Haha – thanks, Bloggerdad!

  3. Riya April 6, 2014 at 10:32 pm #

    This looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

    • Jeanne April 7, 2014 at 3:10 am #

      Thanks, Riya!

  4. valentina April 12, 2014 at 12:52 am #

    I LOVE rhubarb and this recipe looks so good! And I learned a little German. Yay! 🙂

    • Jeanne April 12, 2014 at 9:51 am #

      LOL – Thanks, Valentina!

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