Baking with Rhubarb – benningtonnhRhubarbblog

Giving Thanks for Rhubarb

November 18th, 2025

At Thanksgiving, I think it is nice to serve foods that were produced locally, that reflect New England traditions, and that preferably originate in our household. In Sarah Josepha Hale‘s novel Northwood, a chapter is given up to describing the family’s Thanksgiving feast. The matriarch takes pride and pleasure in pointing out which foods on the table were made at home.

Rhubarb is one of the most local foods you can serve, especially if you have it in your own garden. Of course by Thanksgiving it will not still be producing stalks, but many rhubarb products can still be on your table.

1] At breakfast, serve a traditional cornbread slathered with Rhubarb Jam. How about a Rhubarb Coffee Cake or Quick Bread?

2] At the dinner table, serve a Rhubarb-Onion Relish along side the usual cranberry sauce.

3] Surprise your guests with a Rhubarb Wine as a dinner beverage. If you didn’t make your own, you might find some producers on line who ship to New Hampshire. Make sure that you get a drier wine for dinner, since sweeter wines are better suited for dessert.

4] Serve Rhubarb Baked Beans as a side dish at dinner or for an easy-to-prepare dinner the night before.

5] For dessert — what else?! — Rhubarb pie, made from frozen Rhubarb or put into the freezer assembled but unbaked last Summer.

6] The next day, Rhubarb Pie for breakfast, and a Rhubarb relish on your turkey sandwich.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your’s!

This is the blog of the Bennington Rhubarb Festival, started in 2013 to benefit the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund.

If you would like to help the Building Fund, please contribute any amount to the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund, Bennington, NH 03442.

The next blog installment will be posted on December 16, 2025. If you click the Follow button, all future posts will be sent straight to your inbox every month.

Rhubarb Quick-Bread

September 9th, 2025

Rhubarb is not only for pie! We frequently enjoy rhubarb as an ingredient on the breakfast menu. In addition to muffins and fritters, as seen in previous posts, here we have a quick-bread with Rhubarb. [A quick-bread is made without yeast, leavened with baking powder and baking soda]

Here’s a tip: Mix the batter the night before, put it in the prepared pan, and bake it first thing in the morning for a head-start on your day. Old-style cooks will tell you that you can’t do that, because the batter won’t rise. They are thinking of the old ‘single-acting’ baking powder that had to be baked right away. Because this recipe is made with modern double-acting baking powder plus baking soda [due to the acidity of the rhubarb], it will begin to rise a little when mixed with the wet ingredients, then do its major rising in the oven.

Served with pan-cooked ham and yogurt with diced watermelon, the Rhubarb Quick-Bread is a star at the summer breakfast table.

one 8½x4½” loaf/ 3 small loaves: original	one 8½x4½” loaf/ 3 small loaves: adapted	Heat oven 350F. Butter then flour pan
8 Tbsp/113 g unsalted butter—-1 cup/200 g sugar—- 1 Tbsp fresh-grated orange zest—-⅓ cup whole-milk yogurt	7 Tbsp/100 g unsalted butter—-¾ cup/150 g sugar —-1 Tbsp fresh-grated orange zest—-⅓ cup plain, low-fat yogurt	Melt butter. Whisk these ingredients together until well combined.
2 large eggs	2 two-oz eggs = 3.6 oz without shells	Whisk in eggs.
1¾ cup/223 g all-purpose flour—-1 tsp baking powder—-½ tsp baking soda—-½ tsp kosher salt	1 cup/223 g King Arthur Golden Flour—- ½ c white flour—1¼ tsp baking powder—½ tsp baking soda–½ tsp kosher salt	In a separate bowl, whisk these together.
1½ cups rhubarb, cut ¼” dice–flour mixture	1½ cups rhubarb, cut ¼” dice–flour mixture	Add these to butter mixture and fold until combined.
¼ cup rhubarb, cut in ¼” pieces—-2 T sugar	¼ cup rhubarb, cut in ¼” pieces—-1 T sugar	Put batter in prepared pan and smooth top. Stir these together and sprinkle on top of batter.
		Bake until golden brown and set, 55-60 mins. [skewer in center comes out with moist crumbs attached]
Icing/10X sugar	icing/10x sugar	Let cool in pan 5 mins, then tip out of pan. Turn right side up, dust with powdered sugar.
1 of 8 slices: 343 calories… 13 g fat… 1 g fiber… 5 g protein… 52 g carb.., 56 mg Calcium… 268 mg Sodium…	1 of 8 slices: 274 calories… 11.5 g fat… 2 g fiber… 5 g protein… 56 g carb.., 56 mg Calcium… 210 mg Sodium…

This is the blog of the Bennington Rhubarb Festival, started in 2013 to benefit the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund.

If you would like to help the Building Fund, please contribute any amount to the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund, Bennington, NH 03442.

The next blog installment will be posted in October, 2025. If you click the Follow button, all future posts will be sent straight to your inbox every month.

Pie Day

January 20th, 2025

Did you know that January 23 is National Pie Day? ‘Invented’ in the 1970s, it is intended to honor a love of dessert pies. Why not use some of the rhubarb that is in the freezer to make a special pie?

When my husband had his first teaching job, in Hudson, NH, his colleague Norma was a really good baker. She shared a few of her recipes with me, and here is her really good pie.

Line a 9″ pie plate with the pie dough of choice. Cut enough 1″ pieces of rhubarb to fill the pie crust to the top. Beat together 2 eggs, 2 cups sugar, and 4 Tablespoons flour, and pour over rhubarb. Bake 1 hour at 350F. Let cool a bit before serving.

This is the blog of the Bennington Rhubarb Festival, started in 2013 to benefit the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund.

If you would like to help the Building Fund, please contribute any amount to the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund, Bennington, NH 03442.

The next blog installment will be posted on February 20, 2025. If you click the Follow button, all future posts will be sent straight to your inbox every month.

Rhubarb Crumb Coffeecake

February 13th, 2024

We love rhubarb. At our house, pies and muffins and coffee cakes go into the freezer every Spring and Summer, to last into the Winter. This is one of our favorite coffee cakes, adapted from a recipe in the New York Times. Get the family involved: one person prepares the crumb, another prepares the wet mixture. One person prepares the batter, another prepares the fruit. Then everyone helps to assemble it for baking and everyone enjoys eating it!

A perfect Sunday breakfast with fruited yogurt and chicken sausages.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter a 9” springform pan. Serves 12-16

for the CRUMB: 1/3 cup dark brown sugar + 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + ½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt + ½ cup/1 stick butter, melted
¾ cup all-purpose flour + 1 cup white whole wheat flour In a large bowl, whisk sugars, spices and salt into melted butter until smooth. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon. It will look and feel like a solid dough. Leave it pressed together in the bottom of the bowl. Set aside THE CRUMB.

For the FRUIT: 16 oz [1#] rhubarb, sliced ½-inch thick
¼ cup sugar + 2 tsp cornstarch + ¾ tsp ground ginger Toss these ingredients together. Set aside THE FRUIT.

for the WET mixture: 1/3 cup plain yogurt OR sour cream 1 US Large [2 oz] egg + 1 egg yolk from a US Large egg 2 tsp vanilla extract In a small bowl, stir these ingredients together to form the ‘Wet Mixture.’ Set aside THE WET MIXTURE

for the BATTER: ½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup white whole wheat flour + ¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar + ½ tsp baking soda + ½ tsp baking powder Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix these ingredients together. 6 Tbsp softened butter + 1 Tbsp of above Wet Mixture
Cut butter into 12 pieces. Add these to above. Mix on medium speed ’til flour is moistened. Increase speed, beat 30 seconds. ½ of Wet Mixture = 3 oz other ½ of Wet Mixture = 3 oz Add Wet Mixture in 2 batches, beating 20 secs after each addition, scraping down sides of bowl. Pour batter into pan.

to ASSEMBLE: Spoon rhubarb over batter. With your fingers, break/squeeze crumb mixture into big crumbs, ~½” -¾” in size. Sprinkle over rhubarb and cake.

Bake 45-55 min until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (it might be moist from rhubarb). Cool ~10 mins, then remove collar of pan. Cool completely before serving.

This is the blog of the Bennington Rhubarb Festival, started in 2013 to benefit the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund.

If you would like to help the Building Fund, please contribute any amount to the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund, Bennington, NH 03442.

The next blog installment will be posted on March 12, 2024. If you click the ‘Subscribe’ button, all future posts will be sent straight to your inbox every month for free.

Rhubarb Crumble Bars

November 21st, 2023

Want the taste of Rhubarb Pie without the fuss of a pie crust? For the crust-averse, nothing beats a pan of Rhubarb Crumble Bars!

I dare say there are many variations on this recipe [called Rhubarb Crunch, Rhubarb Bars, et al], but mine is from a cookbook compiled in 1976. That year the nation was celebrating its bicentennial, and many women’s groups put out a cookbook to mark the occasion. One such was the Carlisle Junior Civic Club, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania where my parents lived. This is the recipe of Mrs K.E. Gephart, Sr for her Rhubarb Crunch:

Mrs. Gephart said, “This is a different way to prepare rhubarb and much better than rhubarb pie!”

9” square pan, 8-9 servings	9×13” pan, 18-24 servings	Set oven to 350F
1 c. sifted flour ¾ c uncooked rolled oats 1 c brown sugar, packed ½ c/1 stick butter, melted 1 tsp cinnamon	2 c. white whole wheat flour 1½ c. uncooked rolled oats 1½ c brown sugar, packed 1 c/2 sticks butter, melted 2 tsp cinnamon	Mix together until crumbly. Divide mixture in two equal portions. Pat ½ of mixture into a greased pan.
4 c. diced rhubarb	8 c. diced rhubarb	Distribute evenly over crumbs.
1 c. sugar 2 Tbsp cornstarch 1 c. water 1 tsp vanilla extract	1½ c. sugar 3 Tbsp cornstarch 1½ c. water 2 tsp vanilla extract	Combine these in a small pan. Cook, stirring, ’til thick and clear. Pour over rhubarb in pan.
½ crumb mixture	½ crumb mixture	Distribute evenly over rhubarb.
		Bake 45-60 mins until bubbly.
Whipped cream	Whipped cream OR ice cream	Cool briefly, cut in squares. Serve plain or with topping.

This is the blog of the Bennington Rhubarb Festival. The festival started in 2013 to benefit the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund and all things Rhubarby.

If you would like to help the Building Fund, please contribute any amount to the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund, Bennington, NH 03442.

The Blog is published monthly. Press the Follow button to have them delivered straight to your inbox.

Rhubarb-Walnut Muffins

August 29th, 2023

Rhubarb is over-looked as a fruit in muffins. Why, I wonder. This muffin recipe is a favorite in our household. The recipe is very easy to prepare and the baked muffins freeze well. If you have only a few stalks of Rhubarb, not enough for a pie or other recipe, here is your solution. Unfortunately, I do not know where I got this recipe — wish I could give credit.

Rhubarb-Walnut Muffins

12 standard muffins/ 16-18 if using silicon cup-liners	Preheat oven to 350F
1½ c white whole wheat flour +++1¼ c white flour 1½ tsp baking powder+++ ½ tsp baking soda	Whisk together
1½ c diced rhubarb +++½ c. chopped walnuts or pecans	Add to dry ingredients and stir well to incorporate.
2/3 c vegetable oil +++¾ c brown sugar+++2 US large eggs = 2 oz each 1/3 c white sugar	Beat together until light.
1 c milk 1 tsp vanilla	Add to egg mixture and stir in. Add to dry ingredients and combine thoroughly.
	Divide among muffin tins or liners
	Bake ~15 mins or until toothpick tests well.

This is the blog of the Bennington Rhubarb Festival. The festival started in 2013 to benefit the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund and all things Rhubarby.

If you would like to help the Building Fund, please contribute any amount to the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund, Bennington, NH 03442.

The next blog installment will be posted on September 26, 2023. If you click the Follow button, all future posts will be sent straight to your inbox every month.

Rhubarb Pudding

July 4th, 2023

Now, when the English say ‘pudding,’ they mean any sort of dessert — unless they are discussing Yorkshire Pudding or Blood Pudding. When Americans say ‘pudding,’ we narrow it down to a milk-based dessert to eat with a spoon — such as tapioca or a blanc mange. Here is a real New England recipe from Haydn Pearson, who grew up in Greenfield, NH, just the next town over from Bennington.

First, Rhubarb Pudding as part of a lovely breakfast. Secondly, Rhubarb Pudding as served for dessert. This pudding is a good way to use the ‘mush’/solids from when you prepared Crushed Rhubarb.

Rhubarb Pudding Breakfast: Haydn Pearson has a wonderful dessert called “Blanche’s Super Rhubarb Pudding” in his iconic Country Flavor Cook Book. This is a scaled-down version that is fit for breakfast: slightly tangy, lightly sweet. Plant Based Gluten Free – if using GF flour

6 Tbsp cooked, mashed rhubarb OR mush from Crushed Rhubarb 1 two-oz egg + 1 egg white 1½ Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp flour OR 2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour 2 Tbsp milk ½ tsp baking powder per person: 1 slice Canadian Bacon [= ½ oz back bacon] several slices of strawberry

Cut up 1 cup rhubarb and stew it in a little water. Drain thoroughly and mash. OR, use the mush from Crushed Rhubarb. Measure the 6 Tbsp you need and save the remainder for another use. [Add to a smoothie; serve with yogurt] Whisk the egg and white, then add all the other ingredients [but not the bacon!] Spoon into a baking dish which has been sprayed with non-stick spray. HINT: I did all this the night before. A real time-saver. Bake at 350 F until the batter is firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. While the pudding bakes, cook the bacon and prepare the optional beverages. Delicious. FYI, here are the food values for the breakfast: 142 calories 3 g fat 2 g fiber 10.6 g protein 24 g carbs 155 mg Calcium

Blanche’s Super Rhubarb Pudding: Blanche was Mrs. Pearson and her husband was delighted with this dessert. You will be too.

Rhubarb Pudding in a single-serving ramekin. What a treat!

Serves 6 in a casserole, 6-8 in ramekins
½ cup sugar 2 Tbsp butter	Cream together.
1 cup milk	Add to creamed mixture.
1 cup flour [white whole wheat is a very good choice] +++2 tsp baking powder +++½ tsp salt	Sift these together, then stir into creamed mixture to make a batter.
1 quart rhubarb, sliced in ½” pieces ++¾ cups sugar ++¼ cup water OR use 3 cups Rhubarb Mush	Cook together over medium heat about 7 minutes. Stir. Pour into a buttered oven-proof dish or into 6 buttered ramekins.
	Pour batter over the sauce.
	Bake 20 minutes at 350F.

This is the blog of the Bennington Rhubarb Festival, started in 2013 to benefit the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund.

If you would like to help the Building Fund, please contribute any amount to the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund, Bennington, NH 03442.

The next blog installment will be posted on August 1, 2023. If you click the Follow button, all future posts will be sent straight to your inbox every month.

Rhubarb Pie

May 9th, 2023

Two of the hottest topics at the Bennington, New Hampshire Rhubarb Festival are: where can I buy a pie? and who won the Rhubarb Pie baking contest? Rhubarb pie has been baked in England and the USA since the 1700s.

If you want to enter the Pie Baking Contest at the Bennington Rhubarb Festival, you should know how to make a pie. Here is a tutorial. But be aware: although the recipe is really quite simple, there are controversies at each stage of preparation.

In 2018, the Town Select Board turned out to judge the rhubarb pies. They were very serious about the job.

Crust: Lard or butter? Oil or shortening? Which fat to choose to make a flakey crust is a perennial debate. There is no hard and fast rule on this. Find a good recipe for a butter crust or a lard crust or a combination of the two. NOTE: for the Rhubarb Festival Pie Contest, you must prepare the crust with some sort of King Arthur Flour, and prove it by showing the bag that contained the flour.

Sugar: How much? To consult some well-known New England experts, Fannie Farmer’s Cookbook uses less sugar than Hayden Pearson in his Country Flavor’s Cookbook. My mother used so much sugar in her pie, that there was a layer of it on the bottom crust. Too much sugar negates the delightful tartness of rhubarb.

Thickener: Flour? Tapioca? Corn starch? Many, many opinions on this topic! Rhubarb is so juicy that it requires something to sop up the liquid. Read the link provided, and make up your own mind.

Egg: yes or no? Fannie Farmer says ‘yes.’ Hayden Pearson says ‘never.’ One egg helps to firm up the innards of the pie. Two eggs make it a custard.

Topping: Lattice or top crust or crumble? Full top crust is familiar. Lattice makes it look special. Crumble top is easy, though some say that is reserved for an apple pie.

Here is my recipe, for what it is worth…

Serves 6-8	9” pie plate
dough for 1-2 pie crusts	Prepare dough. Roll out half and line pie plate.
4½ cups rhubarb	Cut in ½” slices and put in a large bowl.
1 cup sugar— 2 Tbsp King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour –1 two-oz egg	Add these all to rhubarb and stir well to incorporate all ingredients and to coat the rhubarb evenly. Scrape into lined pie plate.
Topping 1: Pie dough for 1 crust	Wet the edges of the bottom crust with water. Roll out into a large circle and lay it over the pie. Trim edges, then crimp the crusts together decoratively.
Topping 2: Pie dough for 1 crust	Roll out into a large rectangle and cut long strips, each ½’ wide. Lay strips over the pie and weave them over-and-under to form a lattice top.
Topping 3: ½ c rolled oats— ¼ c flour— ½ c brown sugar — ¼ tsp cinnamon —5 Tbsp butter	Put these in a food processor and pulse until they form crumbs. Scatter a healthy amount atop the pie. You may have some left over for another pie.
	Heat oven to 400F. Bake pie 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 350F and bake 30 minutes until bubbling in the center. Cover with foil if browning too rapidly.

There are two categories in the Pie Contest at the Bennington Rhubarb Festival.

Section	Description	Prizes
1.King Arthur Baking Contest	Pie: > 100% rhubarb – no other fruits added >7-9” in diameter, >1 or 2 crust > in disposable pan > must show the opened bag of King Arthur Flour used to make the pie or show the UPC cut from the bag. > open to amateur bakers of all ages.	1^st $75 gift card for King Arthur catalogue + Ribbon 2^nd $50 catalogue gift card + Ribbon 3^rd $25 catalogue gift card + Ribbon
2. Professional Baking Contest	>100% Rhubarb Pie any size >1 or 2 crust in disposable pan > open to bakers from restaurants and bakeries	1^st Prize Rolling Pin

This is the blog of the Bennington Rhubarb Festival, started in 2013 to benefit the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund.

If you would like to help the Building Fund, please contribute any amount to the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund, Bennington, NH 03442.

The next blog installment will be posted on June 6. If you click the Follow button, all future posts will be sent straight to your inbox every month.

Category: Baking with Rhubarb