Recipes & Cooking Ideas
from Wisconsin artisans

GRACE'S PANTRY - RHUBARB CREAM TORTE
By Grace Howaniec

WHAT better way to celebrate June Dairy Month in Wisconsin than with a dessert that spotlights our sweet creamery butter.

Rhubarb Cream Torte begins with a buttery crust base that is partially baked and then topped with a rhubarb custard filling. It is by far one of the most popular summer dessert recipes I have ever published--and continues to get fan mail from column readers.

All of the ingredients are readily available, assuming you or your neighbor or local farmer's market have a good supply of rhubarb. I like to use the sweeter, red variety of rhubarb. Some cooks may prefer the very-tart flavor of old-fashioned green-and-red rhubarb. Or you may mix the varieties to get the sweet-tart flavor you prefer.

You will need to use a 9-inch springform pan to make this dessert. They are readily available at hardware stores, cookware stores, and department stores. Once you have one, you'll find other uses for this piece of bakeware such as cheesecakes!

RHUBARB CREAM TORTE

• 1-1/4 cups flour (divided)
• 1 stick Wisconsin butter (1/2 cup), room temperature
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or orange extract
• 3-1/2 cups chopped fresh red rhubarb (about 1 pound) Ice cream or whipped cream optional topping

1. In large bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour, butter, powdered sugar and salt; rub together with fingers until ingredients are blended.

2. Press crust evenly into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, dusting fingers with flour if necessary.

3. Bake in a 375-degree oven 15 minutes. While crust bakes, beat together granulated sugar, eggs, remaining 1/4 cup flour, baking powder and extract. Stir in chopped rhubarb.

4. Remove crust from oven; pour rhubarb mixture evenly into crust. Return to oven; bake 45 to 50 minutes more. Remove from oven; cool 15 minutes. Run wet, sharp knife between pan and torte, then remove rim of springform pan. Place torte on platter; serve with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired. (You may also dust the top of torte with additional powdered sugar.)

Refrigerate leftovers.

Makes 8 servings

Grace Howaniec is a Midwestern food columnist and cookbook author. Her work has appeared in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Chicago Sun-Times, The St. Cloud (MN) Times and The Post-Crescent (Appleton, WI). Her popular columns, Grace-Before Meals and Sunday Dinner currently appear in The Post-Crescent (www.post-crescent.com) Her new cookbook, 101 Practically Foolproof Recipes Almost Anyone Can Make joins her previously published cookbooks, The Sunday Cook Collection (out-of-print) and Encore Wisconsin, a collection of chef's recipes from Wisconsin inns and restaurants, published by Amherst Press, Amherst, Wisconsin. Grace lives with her well-fed husband in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. You can enjoy more of Grace's home-tested, Wisconsin-flavored recipes by ordering her latest cookbook, 101 Practically Foolproof Recipes Almost Anyone Can Make.

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