Alexander Roberts 5/4/19 Alexander Roberts 5/4/19

Berry Rhubarb Pie

Happy May everyone! Spring keeps getting better here in Los Angeles, where rhubarb is still readily available, even at crappy grocery stores. Some of my friends in NYC have complained they haven’t been able to find any yet, which breaks my heart... Fingers are crossed for all of the affected.

I’ve been wanting to publish a pie recipe for a while now, and nothing could be more fitting for early May than a tangy berry rhubarb pie. Fruit pies are my absolute favorite! I try to use what I consider to be a minimal amount of sugar in my pies, and usually don’t add too many fussy ingredients. I used to stress a lot about the appearance of my pies, spending way too much time fussing with the dough and actually overworking it in the process... As I get older I care less and less about this. I just want good flavor and a proper bake.

My main concern when baking a fruit pie is avoiding a soggy bottom, which used to plague almost all of my pies in the beginning of my baking career. Nothing is more disappointing than not being able to get a clean slice from your pies. As mentioned in my Rhubarb & Tahini Blondie recipe, rhubarb has a dramatically high water content around 95%. The soggy bottom that is attempting to destroy your pie will pull in all of that water if you don’t do something about it! To avoid pie heartbreak, we’re going to help the rhubarb shed some of that water by macerating it in part of the sugar and a pinch of salt for 15 minutes. Preferably 30 minutes if you can wait! Waiting is always worth it, y’all.

Recipe Notes: Tapioca starch is used in this recipe instead of cornstarch, something I learned while baking tons of pies at Bakeri. If you don’t have tapioca, you can substitute cornstarch, but I much prefer tapioca in this type of application. A filling with tapioca starch will look more glossy than one made with cornstarch, and also taste better (imho). Lastly, I’m including a pie crust recipe on this post, but I plan on going much more in depth in a future piece only about the magical pâte brisée.

Berry Rhubarb Pie
Makes 1 double-crusted 9-inch pie

For the crust:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks butter, cubed and chilled (170g)
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp vodka (or 2 tbsp water)
Pinch salt

For the filling:
4 1/2 cups rhubarb (about 2 pounds before trimming)
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 cup blueberries
1 cup white sugar, divided (1/4 cup + 3/4 cup)
2 1/2 tbsp tapioca starch
Pinch salt

Egg wash: 1 egg +1 tbsp water + small pinch salt, mixed well

1. To make the crust: follow my pie crust recipe, listed here.
2. Remove both ends of the rhubarb stalks and slice into 1/2” pieces on a bias. Place in a large bowl with 1/4 cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt. Allow to macerate for 15 to 30 minutes: the longer the better!
3. Drain the rhubarb liquid and add the rhubarb back to the bowl. Toss with the blueberries, strawberries, remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, and another small pinch of salt.
4. Evenly sprinkle the tapioca starch on all of the fruit and stir to coat.
5. Fill a lined pie pan and attach the top of the pie. Seal the two crusts together by pinching, then trim any excess and crimp the edges. Freeze the pie for at least 20 minutes before baking. While chilling, preheat the oven to 400º F and place a rack in the center of the oven. If you have a pizza/baking stone, place it in the oven now.
6. Remove the pie from the fridge and egg wash the center of the pie, but not the edges. Place the pie on a baking sheet and then in the oven directly on the stone. Bake for 40 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375º for the final 20-30 minutes. The pie is done when it is nicely browned and the filling is bubbling.
7. Cool the pie for at least 2 hours before slicing, or it will fall apart! Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired. Store at room temp for 1 - 2 days.

Be sure to tag #alexanderbakes or @alexanderbakes if you try this recipe! :)

Alexander Roberts 3/27/19 Alexander Roberts 3/27/19

Rhubarb & Tahini Blondies

The best sign of the arrival of spring is always a bright red handful of rhubarb. Tart and sassy, I love using it in all types of desserts: pies, ice cream, compotes and the like. Rhubarb can be difficult to bake with due to the very high amount of water content. For this reason, it’s good to give it a par cook depending on what way you’re using it. For these blondies, we’re going to roast them for a bit in the oven to concentrate their flavor and color, directly on a sheet pan, to push some of that extra liquid out. The blondies come together in one bowl! The recipe is super easy, and I opted to use a muffin pan to make every blondie a “corner” piece. If you don’t have a muffin pan, this will work in a square pan. For 8 x 8” I’d multiply the below quantities by 1.5. For a large rectangular pan, I would double the recipe and rhubarb.

There’s also a step by step tutorial of this available on my Instagram story - if you make these, please tag me @alexanderbakes or #alexanderbakes. It’s awesome to see your bakes!

Rhubarb & Tahini Blondies

For the roasted rhubarb:
3 to 4 stalks of rhubarb
Handful of white sugar

For the blondies:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour (sifted if clumpy)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 yolk
1 stick unsalted butter, melted & mostly cooled
2 tbsp tahini (or almond butter / peanut butter)
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds, optional

1. To roast the rhubarb: preheat the oven to 350° F. Slice the rhubarb on a bias into 1/2” pieces. Grab an old sheet tray or pan that you don’t mind (maybe) damaging. Toss the rhubarb with a handful of sugar and roast for 20 minutes, then cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, honey, and melted butter with a whisk. Add the vanilla extract.
3. Whisk in the yolk and egg until fully combined. Add the tahini and whisk a few more times.
4. Add the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and fold the ingredients together with a spatula just until no flour streaks remain. Do not over mix!
5. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin pan with baking spray. Distribute the blondie batter between the cups evenly, about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons each.
6. Next, evenly distribute the roasted (and cooled) rhubarb. Press it into the dough, and avoid the edges of the cups because the rhubarb may burn there. Top with sesame seeds at this point if you desire.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating halfway through the cook time. Cool in the pan before eating. These will last a few days and get softer each day if stored in an airtight container!

Alexander Roberts 3/15/19 Alexander Roberts 3/15/19

Citrus Buttermilk Loaf

I’m not a big cake person. I never have been, besides the box mix chocolate yellow cakes my mom would make for me when I was a child, but I’d have taken any form of sugar I could get in my younger years. I also adore cheesecake. But when it comes to classic, American layer cakes with buttercream and all the fixings… Not my favorite. (Sorry, Cakeboy, still love you xo). They’re just too sweet for me! I constantly seek balance in my baked goods: if “sugar” is the only flavor I’m getting, I’ve failed. For that reason, and from past chefs’ constant instruction, I also use a lot more salt than most people. When I do go for cake, it’s usually a loaf of some sort. Probably with citrus... If I’m lucky, perhaps buttermilk and a handful of cornmeal as well. Basically, this loaf cake recipe I’m sharing right now. Hehe.

I avoid powdered sugar glazes if I can, because they’re super sugary. For this cake, I opted for a whipped cream with a few tablespoons of mascarpone, which help it hold longer. If you’re serving immediately, I’d slice it warm and top it with a dollop of the whipped cream. If you want extra credit and/or want to learn to candy citrus, follow the short recipe at the end of this post for a delicious, jewel-like garnish.

A few tips for success: Proper creaming of the butter and sugar will ensure the cake is fluffy. This loaf is on the denser side and doesn’t rise too much, which is good since we’re going to invert it from the pan for decorating. To get the perfect butter consistency, slice it up and lay it flat on a piece of parchment for 5 to 10 minutes (it shouldn’t be melting, but more softened). Room temperature ingredients will help for smooth mixing and no broken batters, so take out the eggs and buttermilk first! Also, lining the loaf pan both ways will ensure your beautiful cake doesn’t get stuck.

For cake:

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened (170 grams)
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For whipped cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
3 tablespoons mascarpone
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Vanilla extract, 1/8 scraped vanilla bean, or 1/8 teaspoon vanilla paste

1. Preheat oven to 325° F and line a standard sized loaf pan (8.5” x 4.5”) with parchment paper and baking spray. Set aside.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and cornmeal (remove any leftover large particles). Set aside.

3. In bowl of stand mixer, combine sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Rub the zest in with your fingertips to distribute evenly. Add softened butter to the bowl and fix the paddle attachment to your stand mixer. Cream for 3 to 5 minutes on medium speed, until the mixture is fluffy and pale.

4. Continue mixing on medium high speed and gradually add eggs one by one. Once you’ve added two of the eggs, stop the mixer, scrape the bottom of the bowl very well, and continue. Add the final egg and the yolk and continue mixing until well combined.

5. In a measuring cup, combine lemon juice and buttermilk. With mixer turned off, add half of the flour and cornmeal mixture to the bowl. Mix on low speed while also pouring in half of the buttermilk. Stop before fully combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed again while pouring in the rest of buttermilk. Keep mixing just until no more flour streaks remain — do not over mix!

6. Add the batter to the lined loaf pan and bake for 25 minutes. When the time is up, carefully rotate the pan and continue baking another 25 minutes. To check for doneness, carefully poke the surface of the cake. If it rises back slowly, your cake is done! Cool completely and flip over before decorating. If you have some on hand, now is a good time to brush the cake with simple syrup! (Quick syrup soak: boil 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and juice of one lemon until sugar is melted).

7. To make the whipped cream, add the mascarpone to the bowl of a stand mixer fixed with the whisk attachment. Turn on low speed and add a small amount of the whipping cream (and vanilla bean/paste if using). Allow this to break up and smoothen out the mascarpone. Once it’s no longer in large chunks, add the remaining cream and turn the speed up a notch every minute or so until your cream is stiffened to your liking. At this point, add powdered sugar and vanilla extract (if using) and fold together with a spatula.

8. To decorate, fill a piping bag with the whipped cream. Try piping swirls, stars, and bubbles — or just spread it on top with a spoon! I topped mine with candied kumquats and fresh lavender. You could use a combination herbs, citrus zest, berries, and more to personalize yours. This cake is best served day of, but an unfrosted loaf will keep for 5 days if wrapped airtight, and longer in the freezer! The decorated cake will hold in the fridge for a few hours.

Candied Kumquats

1 lb kumquats
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups water

Notes: This recipe takes a little patience and watchful eye, but it’s sooo worth it! If your syrup starts to reduce too much during the process, add a 1/2 cup of water or so.

1. Cut any woody ends of the kumquats off, then slice all of them in half (through the middle, not from end to end) and remove all of the seeds. I use culinary tweezers to get them out.

2. In a medium sized pot, add the kumquat halves and cover with an inch of cold water. Bring to a boil on the stove, and immediately turn off the heat. Strain the kumquats, add back to the same pot, and cover with cold water again. Repeat the blanching process until you’ve done it 3 times. This helps soften up the citrus rind and make them a little more palatable.

3. Strain the kumquats a final time and set aside. In the pot, add 2 1/2 cups of water plus 1 1/2 cups sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the kumquats back to the pot. Simmer on the lowest heat possible, uncovered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour. To test, remove a kumquat from the pot with a fork and run under cold water until cooled enough to eat. If it is softened enough for you, you’re good to remove from heat and cool completely in the pot. If it needs a bit longer, let it keep cooking and check every 10 minutes or so. Store the candied kumquats in the simple syrup they were cooked in.