Rhubarb isn’t just for pies and crisps. It makes a delightful addition to cocktails. If you’re not a rhubarb lover, it’s likely a textural issue. In this recipe, you make a simple syrup with the rhubarb. As the name implies, it’s really easy! Chopped rhubarb, water, sugar and lemon zest are simmered in a pot for about 10 minutes. Once the rhubarb has finished infusing, strain out the solids and keep the gorgeous pink syrup in a jar in the fridge for at least a month.
In addition to cocktails, the syrup would be delicious brushed onto cake layers for a strawberry cake, drizzled onto ice cream for a sundae or even just mixed into soda water for a refreshing drink.
While I don’t enjoy drinking cocktails, I adore styling and shooting them. This one was inspired by a recipe I found online for Fizzy Pink Rhubarb Lemonade. Thanks to Redpath Sugar for the spark.
When I was envisioning this shoot, I pictured two cocktails in the foreground with a gin bottle, out of focus in the background. The only gin we had in the house was in a black opaque bottle. That was not in keeping with the light and airy spring vibe I was trying to create. I found this gorgeous bottle at the LCBO.
My husband inquired as to why I bought more gin, when we already had a full bottle. He just smiled and nodded at my aesthetic explanation. Smiling and nodding is the secret to our 36 year marriage. Plus, he gets to drink the cocktail at the end of the shoot, so no complaints from him.
I used a vegetable peeler to make ribbons of rhubarb as a garnish. If you put them in a container of cold water overnight, they curl up into a pretty garnish. Or, you could just decorate the glass with a slice or wedge of lemon.
I love a good kitchen hack, and when it’s suggested by none other than Alton Brown, I can’t resist.
When I saw him make watermelon juice without first peeling and dicing the watermelon, I was riveted. We tried it at the cottage last weekend and it totally works. It’s also so much fun. We mixed the watermelon juice with vodka and lime juice and topped it up with some sparkling water.
You can of course cut up watermelon and puree it in the blender. Either way you choose to do it, I suggest pouring the juice through a sieve to remove the lumpy bits. You want a smooth juice.
This week I tinkered with the recipe we created on the weekend. Our watermelon wasn’t that sweet, so I made a simple syrup. I decided to flavour the syrup with basil, since watermelon and basil are a really delicious flavour pairing. The basil takes this cocktail from good to great.
This would be the perfect cocktail to celebrate Canada Day or the 4th of July!
I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS CAKE!! Sorry for the shouting, but I can’t contain my elation. As Joy would say, this cake is “Bonkers Awesome.” My search for a blog-worthy gluten free chocolate cake has been going on for quite a while now. My youngest son follows a gluten-free and casein-free diet. For special occasions he goes off the wagon, but he doesn’t feel all that great when he does. This week is his birthday and I wanted him to celebrate without feeling sick.The problem with most gluten-free cakes is that they have a dry and crumbly texture. They often fall apart when you bite into them. The main reason for this is that gluten is a protein that provides structure and strength to baked goods so they don’t crumble and fall apart. Gluten also forms air pockets in the batter which leads to light and fluffy baked goods.
The good folks over at America’s Test Kitchen have figured out how to get around these problems and created a stellar GF chocolate cake. I made the cake twice. The first one was served to my son’s co-workers at his office. No one could believe this was a GF cake. Unfortunately, I could not photograph the inside of that cake, because it would be kind of rude to serve a previously sliced up cake. I made the second cake to have at home with friends and family. To them I served a cake that had been hacked up and photographed, because that’s what you do with family.The cake batter comes together very quickly and does not require a mixer. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour Mix. In gluten free baking, it is important to use a blend of different gluten free flours, not just one kind. Using both melted bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder provide the perfect chocolate flavour. Baking soda and baking powder give the needed lift and xanthan gum supplies strength and structure. Xanthan gum is a common ingredient in gluten free baking. Without gluten you need something to act as the binding agent for the flour. It keeps things moist and helps to hold the cake together without crumbling.
Vegetable oil, instead of butter is the perfect fat of choice as it keeps the cake incredibly moist. I substituted coconut milk for whole milk, as I wanted my version to be dairy free. Almond or rice milk would work too.
To keep the cake super moist, I brushed the cooled cake layers with a coffee flavoured simple syrup. For the frosting, I decided to make a mocha flavoured Swiss buttercream. I substituted unsalted margarine for butter, because I wanted to keep it dairy free. While the taste and texture of margarine will never beat that of butter, in this application, with the addition of chocolate and coffee to create a mocha frosting, the results were very delicious.A Swiss buttercream is a bit more complicated than an American buttercream. In an American buttercream you simply beat powdered sugar and butter, and any flavouring you like. With a Swiss buttercream, egg whites and granulated sugar are whisked and heated to 160°F and then whipped into a meringue. Softened butter (and any flavouring) is then added to the meringue. Swiss meringue is smoother, lighter and less sweet than American buttercream. Yes, it’s more work, but I think it’s worth it. You will need a stand mixer and a candy or instant read thermometer.I decided to decorate the cake with a petal frosting technique. It looks quite impressive but is actually quite simple to execute. You will need a 1/2 inch round piping tip, some disposable piping bags and a small spoon or off-set spatula. First, pipe a vertical row of dots. Next, spread the buttercream dots with a small spatula or spoon. This creates the look of petals. Repeat, one vertical row at a time, until you go all the way around the cake.I have demonstrated the technique in this video.
