Today was a beautiful day. Chicago spring this year feels late, I'm always ready for it by March and just have to sit around and wait for it to arrive. I love those days like today, when winter feels like it was worth it because now we have a warm breeze and everyone is outside and things are growing.
I brought in the toy box I finally re-did for my daughter. This toy box was originally at my grandparent's house when I was growing up, then it moved to my house when my Grandfather did when I was a teenager, where we used it as a shoebox. My dad has had it in storage for years now, and I've intended to refurbish it for her since I was pregnant. I chose Strawberry Shortcake for the fabric because my toy box growing up was Strawberry Shortcake, and I like to have that connection between old and new. It was fairly easy work, I just took the seat part off and painted it all pink, removed the old fabric covering and stapled on the new then put it back together. I am happy with the work, but with the cost of the paint, fabric, and new hinges I probably could have bought her a cheap plastic Dora or whatever box, but when I got it in her room she immediately loved it and had to crawl, walk, and lay on it before she made up the fun game of sitting on it and throwing toys off for me to catch and give back to her so she can throw them again, and again, and again...
I bought some rhubarb at the farmer's market last week. It was my first time working with rhubarb and I made a strawberry/rhubarb crisp from a recipe I had my eye on since the winter. It turned out fair, but did not turn me into a rhubarb fan. I had some left over and decided to make the rhubarb crumb bars in the May 2009 issue of "Everyday Food". They are amazing! It's white cake, then rhubarb, then a brown-sugar crust on top. I'm hungry just thinking of them. My only problem with the recipe was that I had to use so many bowls, but it was well worth it because the bars are delicious, make them!
FOR THE STREUSEL
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for pan
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
FOR THE CAKE
1/2 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter and flour parchment and pan, tapping out excess flour.
Make streusel: Whisk together butter, brown sugar, and salt. Add flour and mix with a fork until large crumbs form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make cake: In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup flour. In another medium bowl, whisk 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time. With mixer on low, beat in vanilla, then flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with rhubarb and top with streusel.
Bake cake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Using paper overhang, lift cake from pan. Cut into 16 bars.
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