Rhubarb Puff Pastry Squares & Giveaway (Recipe)

*Scroll to the bottom to enter a super awesome giveaway!*

This year we planted hundreds of rhubarb plants. Many to use to make pies, and delicious tarts...
The downside? You have to wait a few years before you can harvest them (or else you might end up pulling the tiny stalks out of the ground). Boo. Right now they are little leaves with a tiny stem. Definitely not enough to make a pie with!

Even though I have to wait a couple of years isn't going to stop me from eating rhubarb! To satiate my desire for it I decided to make some Rhubarb Puff Pastry Squares. Get your sleeves rolled up and put on an apron because it's baking time!

Rhubarb Puff Pastry Squares

Makes 4

1 tsp                         caster sugar
1 tbsp                       butter, melted
1 pkg                        prepared puff pastry
3 rhubarb, stalks
4 springs of mint

Defrost half of the prepared puff pastry by letting it sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Once defrosted roll out pastry to 1/4" thick. Cut into 4 squares that are 3 1/2" x 3 1/2". Lay out on baking sheet. Put in fridge. Take your rhubarb and cut 16 pieces that are to be 2 1/2" long. Take your puff pastry out from the fridge and with a fork poke holes underneath where the rhubarb is going to be so it won't puff up. Place the rhubarb on top. Brush with butter and sprinkle each square with 1/4 tsp sugar. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Top with fresh mint and serve with ice cream. Enjoy!

Comments:

-I used Tenderflake® puff pastry.
-This recipe is very sour, so feel free to add more sugar if desired, maybe try putting some brown sugar underneath the rhubarb?

So... Would you like to win a copy of the book "Bake" by Tina Bester?!

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Comments are mandatory. If you have already liked my Facebook page and have left a comment you are entered to win twice! Make sure to submit your entries into the Rafflecopter chart below, or else it won't count! I will be checking, so no cheating! This contest is only available to the residents of Canada. Sorry! Giveaway ends Sunday June 30.

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This book is full of many wonderful baking ideas and some cute savory dishes too! A perfect book for a beginner baker who wants to make their desserts look elegant and taste amazing at the same time. Good luck and I hope you win!

Shelan Boake

Newsprint Cookies (Recipe)

Many people make decorated cookies regularly.  I don't know how they do it! You need to have a lot of patience and skill. Which frankly, I don't have.

But, this one time I told myself I would make some cookies and I would like it! You know what, it wasn't half bad. These cookies don't take too long either. I'm kid you not. What if I told you I did every word on those cookies by hand? I'm cray cray.
Get your sleeves rolled up and put on an apron because it's baking time! This recipe is adapted from LilaLoa. The idea for the cookies was based off of Haniela's Monogram cookies.

Vanilla Sugar Cookies


1/2 cup                        butter, softened
1/2 cup                        brown sugar
1/4 cup                        sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp                         vanilla
1 +1/2 cups                 a.p flour
1/4 tsp                         salt
1/8 tsp                         baking powder


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and both sugars. Add the egg and vanilla. Then the baking powder and salt, beat. Add the flour, if it starts to turn into pellets add a tablespoon of milk. Turn out onto floured surface and with a rolling pin roll to 1/4" thick. Cut out shapes, line them on a baking tray and bake for 7 minutes. Enjoy!

 Decorator Icing

2 cups                   icing sugar
1/4 tsp                  cream of tartar
2 egg whites

Mix together all ingredients and beat for 5-8 minutes. Transfer half of your icing into a bowl, add colouring and thin it out with water. Use the 15 second icing method. Take the other half and thin it out just a tad so it is easier to pipe. At this point you can colour your icing. Take the 15 second icing and transfer it into a squeeze-y bottle. Take the other half and transfer into a piping bag. 
With the piping bag icing draw the outline of the shape. Then fill it in with the 15 second icing. Shake to even out and use a pin to pop any air bubbles. Let them dry overnight. Use a edible food marker to write a message on the cookie. Enjoy!

Comments:

-My recipe is not royal icing, therefore it will never be as thick.
-You can find edible food pens at Michaels
-Make sure to let your cookie dry for a full day or at least overnight!

 These cookies were super fun to make, and they didn't take as much time as I thought they would. If you didn't know they say "dance" all over them.

Shelan Boake out!

Soft Peanut butter & Chocolate Marbled Cookies (Recipe)

I've been searching. For the one. The one cookie to rule them all!
Well, a soft cookie anyway. This one tops them all. It's soft, chewy and... it stays chewy. Not just when they come out of the oven, but for at least 5 days. Chewy. 

And, it's two cookies combined. Marbled even. Chocolate and Peanut butter deliciousness! Get your sleeves rolled up and put on an apron because it's baking time! This recipe is adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction!

Peanut butter & Chocolate Marbled Cookies

Makes about a dozen


Chocolate Dough

1/2 cup                  butter, softened
1/2 cup                  sugar
1/2 cup                  brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp                      vanilla extract
1 cup                     a.p flour
1/2 cup                  cocoa
1 tsp                      baking soda
1/2 tsp                   salt
2 tbsp                    milk
1/2 cup                  chocolate chips 
 
Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Little by little add it to the wet ingredients scraping the sides down in between each addition. Beat in the milk and then fold in the chocolate chips. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill.

 
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
  
1/2 cup                  butter, softened
1/2 cup                  brown sugar
1/4 cup                  sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup                  creamy peanut butter
1 tsp                      vanilla extract
1/2 tsp                   baking soda
1 + 1/4 cups          a.p flour
1/4 tsp                   salt
1/2 cup                  chocolate chips
  
Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  Mix in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla (in that order). Scrape down the sides as needed. Slowly mix in the baking soda and flour. Do not over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips. Chill both doughs for at least 1-2 hours.  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take one scoop of chocolate dough and the other of peanut butter. Squish the doughs together and roll them into one large ball. Repeat for each cookie. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes. The cookies will look very puffy, and almost undone. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet and they will continue to "bake" and set up. As they cool, the cookies will firm up and flatten. Enjoy!

Comments: 

-Do not over mix your doughs!
-You can use peanut butter chocolate chips if you please!
-The chocolate dough is really sticky, so the longer you chill it for, the less sticky it gets. I recommend at least 2 hours.
-I took one tablespoon of each cookie dough, btw

This cookie is almost like a peanut butter cup, but more rich (and beautiful). Oh ya, it's like that. If you wanna get really fancy, put one of the dough's inside the other, by making a small ball and wrapping the other dough around it. Fancy shmancy!

Shelan Boake out!

Rhubarb Crumble Pie (Recipe)

Serious topic today.
Rhubarb. Who was that person who decided to eat this plant? Who was sacrificed? Why is it that the leaf is poisonous and the stalk not? It's amazing to me. These are the things I think about daily. (And artichokes. Seriously? Who deemed that edible?!) Welcome to my mind!

I just don't get it. But what I do get is this Rhubarb Crumble Pie. Stupid easy to understand, so easy I didn't even put any comments or helpful tips. It's delicious. End of lesson. Get your sleeves rolled up and put on an apron because it's baking time!

Rhubarb Crumble Pie

Crust/Topping

1/2 cup                    melted butter
1 + 1/2 cups            rolled oats
1/2 cup                   a.p flour
2/3 cup                   brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients for crust. Save 1/4 for topping. Firmly mold and pat into pie plate.

Filling

3 cups                    diced rhubarb
1/2 cup                  white sugar
1 + 1/2 tbsp           flour
1 egg beaten
1/4 tsp                   nutmeg
1 tsp                      cinnamon

With a spoon combine all ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Turn out into shell. Pat remaining crumble on top. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Enjoy!

Now someone needs to tell me who decided to eat rhubarb. Along with artichokes, puffer fish, lobster and crabs. I mean how many people did it take to find out which parts of a puffer fish are edible. Come on.

Shelan Boake out!

Soft Cookie Dough Sugar Cookies (Recipe)

Let's play truth or dare. Truth? Ah, well I was supposed to have a post up last week but apparently the cake recipe I used did not like me...? There goes the Mother's Day post I was going to put up.
Dare now? ...You dare me to make Soft Cookie Dough Sugar Cookies? Challenge Excepted...!

You bake, then swirl some lovely Cookie Dough icing on top! Next you top it off with some adorable mini chocolate chips. It's like a cookie on top of a cookie. Double the pleasure and double the fun! Get your sleeves rolled up and put on an apron because it's baking time! This Cookie Dough Icing Recipe is adapted from Laura's Sweet Spot.

Soft Cookie Dough Sugar Cookies

Makes about 60


Sugar Cookies 

10 tbsp                        butter, softened
2/3 cup                        shortening
1 1/2 cup                     sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp                          vanilla
2 tsp                            baking powder
1 tsp                            salt
3 tbsp                          milk
3 cups                         flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening and butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add in baking powder, and salt. One cup at a time add in the flour along with a tablespoon of milk. Drop onto baking sheet and flatten a bit with fingers. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies start to turn golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes then transfer to wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Icing

3/4 cup                       butter, softened
1/4 + 2 tbsp                brown sugar
1/2 tsp                        salt
1 + 1/4 cup                 icing sugar
1 tsp                           vanilla
1/2 cup                       flour
2 + 1/2 tbsp                milk

Beat butter, brown sugar and salt until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla until combined. Add flour then milk, beat. Transfer into piping bag and pipe onto your cookie. Enjoy!

 Comments:

-Your cookies may turn out differently depending on how long you beat them, but that's just fine!
-You can fairly easily half the amount of cookies if desired.
-If your cookie dough is crumbly add another few tablespoons of milk.
-I wouldn't suggest eating more than two at a time they are very rich!

Now it's your turn! I dare you to go make these cookies right now. Go! If cookie dough is not your thing you can make them with any kind of icing you desire!

Shelan Boake out!