There Was Pie

You know what? There was pie.

There was a really amazeballs pie that is a cheesecake, and rhubarb, and baked all into one simple press-in-the-pan crust.

I first encountered this pie when a friend brought it to a lunch. I hadn't before experienced that sweetened sour cream topping and instantly was in love with the contrast of the tart rhubarb. Delicious. She shared the recipe, but without my own rhubarb supply, I didn't get around to making this extraordinary pie.

Fast-forward several years, and with the garden rhubarb well established, I am searching for ways to use it. I remember that delicious pie, but can't find where I stashed the recipe. Then, a Pinterest search brings me to my knees. There it is. Blogged by Brenda at A Farmgirl's Dabbles. The pie. The ultimate summer pie.

This summer, I have whipped this pie of perfection up for almost every cookout, and everyone loves it. Everyone begs for the recipe. But, I haven't blogged it because I haven't taken a photo. You see, we do a radical thing with the recipes that I make and share here On My Plate. We eat them. *gasp* Food photos happen when I am alone and have prepped something early (or have suitable leftovers). Otherwise, we are too busy eating to bother with taking pics.

Thankfully, there were a couple of pieces of Rhubarb Cheesecake Pie leftover today. They aren't perfectly sliced leftovers, and I snapped the pic with the camera on my phone, but who cares. There was pie.

Rhubarb Cheesecake Pie

(adapted from A Farmgirl's Dabbles)

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons flour

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325F.
Using your mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter until crumbly.
Press the dough on the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie pan.
Stir together the rhubarb, sugar, and flour.
Arrange evenly over the pie crust.
Bake for 15 minutes; set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 350F.
Again using your mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light, fluffy, and creamy.
Pour cream cheese mixture over the hot rhubarb in the pie pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Stir together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.
After the cheesecake layer has baked for 25-30 minutes and mostly set, spread the sour cream layer over the center of the pie.
Leave about 1/2'' of the cream cheese layer exposed around the edges.
Bake an additional 15 minutes.
Let cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. Store refrigerated.

Something Awesome

I should be posting something awesome about Mother's Day, but instead, I am just going to kinda ramble. I think you are all used to that by now, right?

I purchased some gorgeous potted flowers and placed them on my mother-in-law's local grave. I also picked out another greenhouse purchase for my father-in-law's current wife. With my mother buried several hours away,  I have been keeping an eye on the Fern Peony plant that she gave me several years before her death. It has multiplied well this year and is loaded with buds, but our recent cold-raining-hailing-snowing snaps have kept the blooms from showing their beauty. More rain and cooler temperatures are forecast for Mother's Day, but I hope that maybe next week I will be treated with those crimson blossoms that always remind me of Mom.

For the past week, Hubs has been craving the Chocolate Pudding Cake that his mother often made, and tonight, I gave in and prepared it for dessert. He moaned with delight with the first bite of the over-the-top rich, fudgy cake and creamy pudding paired with vanilla bean ice cream. It was pure decadence, and totally trampled any virtuous feelings I may have had after a light supper of roasted (garden picked!) asparagus, lemon pepper halibut, and Spinach Couscous.

I should be sharing that chocolaty recipe, but I don't have any photos that weren't snapped with my phone in the bad night lighting of my kitchen. (Note to self: better lighting is a must when we finally do the kitchen renovation.) Instead, I am going to share a different pudding cake. I believe that Lemon Pudding Cake would be the choice of my mother. She loved her rich and sweet pecan desserts, but I don't believe I ever saw her turn down something bright, tart and citrusy, either.

With just a few ingredients, this light and fluffy cake rises and bakes atop a creamy, pudding-like sauce. Coupled with ice cream or just sprinkled with powdered sugar, you know it is a pure comfort food when it is served with a spoon. I suppose that Lemon Pudding Cake actually is something awesome to share for Mother's Day.

Lemon Pudding Cake

(adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

2 large lemons

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar

3 large eggs, separated

1 1/3 cups whole milk

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grate 1 tablespoon zest from lemons, then squeeze 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons juice.
Whisk together flour, salt and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, milk, zest and juice.
Add to flour mixture, whisking just until combined.
Beat egg whites with electric mixer until soft peaks.
Beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until whites have stiff, glossy peaks.
Whisk about one fourth of the whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently.
Pour into a buttered 8x8 baking dish and bake in a hot water bath until puffed and golden, about 45-50 minutes.
Serve warm, or at room temperature. (Serves 6)

Happy Mother's Day!

Knock, knock.

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana, who?

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana, who?

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana, who?

*are you sighing in exasperation yet?*

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Orange.

Orange, who?

Orange you glad I didn't say, "banana?"

*giggles*

OK. Really.

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

ME!

I am back.

So far, 2014 has been a busy year, and I can't believe that I haven't yet shared anything on the blog. As always, so much has happened. So much good food has been consumed. So many recipes have been tried. But, as always, the first thing that gets plucked from my to-do list when things get hectic is blogging. Hopefully, this will bring me back to share for awhile. Let's celebrate. Let's celebrate with cake. Orange Yogurt Cake. Lately, I have been making my own yogurt, and this cake puts it to good use. It is dense and rich, yet bright with the flavor of citrus. Orange you glad I am back On My Plate?

Orange Yogurt Cake

(adapted from Cooking Light)

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg white

1/4 cup plain yogurt

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons orange marmalade

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (orange-flavored liqueur)

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a small saucepan, bring orange juice to a simmer.
Remove from heat and stir in saffron; let stand 10 minutes.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Beat sugar, egg, and egg white with a mixer until thickened.
Add yogurt, beating well. 
Gradually add olive oil and orange juice mixture, beating until well blended.
Add half of the flour mixture to sugar mixture, beat until just blended.
Add remaining flour and combine.
Spoon batter into a 9-inch round cake pan that has been coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350F for 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.
Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
Combine marmalade and liqueur in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Remove from heat; strain through a fine sieve directly over the cake; discard solids.
Spread marmalade mixture evenly over the top of cake, allowing excess to drizzle down sides of cake.
Garnish with fresh fruit, mint, and grated orange rind. (Serves 12)

Candy Bar. Skillet. Cookie.

Candy Bar.

 Skillet.

Cookie.

Candy Bar Skillet Cookie

(inspired by Picky Palate)

1 box (18.25 ounces) white cake mix

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

2 eggs

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 fun-size Snickers candy bars

7 mini (bite-size) Milky Way candy bars

4 fun-size packages M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine cake mix, oil, and eggs to form a cookie batter. Stir in chocolate chips. Spray 10-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Spread just over half of the cookie dough in the cast iron skillet. Arrange the candy bars and 2 packages of M&Ms over the cookie dough. Spread the rest of the cookie dough over the candy bars. Sprinkle the remaining 2 packages of M&Ms over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until dough is baked through in the middle. Allow to cool completely before cutting into wedges to serve. (Serves 8.) 

WARNING: Do not be tempted to overload with additional candy bars; the cookie will take much longer to bake through in the middle and then be dry.