Rhubarb plays the lead role in these cookies

One of my dad’s favorite desserts is strawberry-rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream. In his mind, the ice cream is so crucial, he’s been known to leave a piece of pie sitting on the table while he ran to the store for a half-gallon of French vanilla.

For years I thought the only thing you could pair rhubarb with was strawberries, and the only time you could eat rhubarb was during June when strawberries are in season.

A few years ago I planted a large rhubarb crown in my garden. I picked a spot with both southern and western exposure and sprinkled the dirt with a bit of organic fertilizer. The following year I was able to begin harvesting the stalks.

The first stalks mature in late spring and the rhubarb continues to grow new stalks into the fall. Now that the plant is fully established, by the end of the season, after many rhubarb recipes, I should still have enough to save a few bags of chopped rhubarb in the freezer (rhubarb freezes wonderfully).

I now know that rhubarb is frequently combined with many types of fruit. The long growing season means it is ripe in time for late winter citrus through berry and peach seasons in the summer and finishes up when the new crop of apples begin to appear. I have cooked rhubarb with all of these fruits with terrific results. I have even pickled some in a sweet syrup, which makes fabulous cocktails.

Even though rhubarb plays nicely with others, I like to make a few dishes with no other stars to let the sweet and tart vegetable speak for itself. That’s right, I said vegetable. Rhubarb has infiltrated the fruit world like tomatoes have with vegetables. In fact, you can cook rhubarb in savory dishes as well as sweet; it makes a bold chutney and a tangy balsamic reduction.

If you have only eaten rhubarb in a pie, it is time to take a fresh look at this versatile food. I can’t say the experience will be life-changing, but, you never know.

Rhubarb oatmeal cookies

1 1/4 cup (5 ounces) finely diced fresh rhubarb, 3-4 medium stalks

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon all spice

3/4 cup rolled oats (not quick cook)

1/3 cup (175g.) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

These soft dainty cookies are perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon. Fresh ginger and lemon zest add a bright flavor without overpowering the rhubarb’s signature tang. They would make a lightly sweet addition to a spring garden party menu.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss the rhubarb pieces with 1 tablespoon of sugar and let set aside.

In a medium bowl — Sift together flour, baking soda and all spice. Whisk in the oats.

In a larger bowl — Use a fork to whip the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. When fluffy mix in egg* until combined then add the vanilla, ginger, and lemon zest.

Gently mix the flour into the batter until just combined. Once all dry ingredients have been blended, fold in the rhubarb pieces and any juice.

Spoon the batter onto the prepared cookie sheets using a small, leveled, cookie scoop or by the rounded teaspoonfuls. Bake the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the pan before transferring to a wire wrack to cool completely.

Prep time: 20 mins; Cook time: 12 mins; Yield: 40 cookies.

Nutrition information per 1 cookie: 59 calories, 3.8g. fat, 6.4g. carbohydrate, .3g. fiber, .8g. protein, Weight Watchers Points Plus 2

Rose McAvoy blogs at Light for Life at www.heraldnet.com/lightforlife and also at halfhersize.com. Email her at rose@halfhersize.com or find her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/halfhersize.

*Recipe initially incorrectly called for the addition of milk.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.