Springtime Recipes at the Cottage

Rhubarb Brown Butter Bars 

Ingredients – Jam

• Zest and juice of ½ grapefruit or 1 orange
• 3 dried hibiscus flowers (optional)
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (optional)
• 1 lb. rhubarb, sliced crosswise into ½”-thick pieces (about 4 cups), divided

Ingredients – Assembly

• Nonstick cooking oil spray
• 1¼ cups blanched hazelnuts, raw pecans, and/or raw or blanched almonds
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups (125 g) old-fashioned oats
• ¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. (packed; 63 g) dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
• ½ tsp. baking soda

Ingredient Info

Dried hibiscus flowers, also called Jamaica flowers, are available at Latin markets and some natural food stores.

Directions – Jam

1. Combine grapefruit zest and juice, hibiscus flowers (if using), sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add pod. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 45 seconds.

2. Set aside ½ cup rhubarb; add remaining rhubarb to pan and simmer, stirring often and mashing with a wooden spoon, until rhubarb is softened and mixture is thick and jammy, 10–12 minutes.

3. Remove pan from heat and stir reserved rhubarb into jam. Let cool. Remove vanilla bean and hibiscus; discard. (You should have about 1½ cups jam.)

Directions – Assembly

4. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat an 8×8” pan with nonstick spray, then line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on 2 sides. Coat parchment. (These bars have a tendency to stick.)

5. Toast nuts on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and slightly darkened, 5–8 minutes. Let cool, then chop very coarsely (it’s okay to cut some just in half).

6. Meanwhile, cook butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it foams, then browns, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour into a small heatproof bowl, making sure to include all of the brown bits.

7. Whisk flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl to combine, then whisk in nuts. Drizzle in butter and, using a rubber spatula, mash into dry ingredients until a clumpy, wet mixture forms (it should hold together when squeezed in your hand). Transfer 3 cups mixture (no need to pack) to prepared pan. Using your hands, press and compact into an even layer.

8. Spread jam over base, leaving a ¼” border to prevent jam at the perimeter from getting too dark, then crumble remaining nut mixture over. If you’d like bigger clumps, press the mixture together in your hands before scattering over jam.

9. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until top feels firm and is deep golden brown, 40–45 minutes. Let cool in pan, then use parchment overhang to remove. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 16 bars. (Chilling for a couple hours first will make them even easier to slice.)

Source: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/rhubarb-brown-butter-bars

Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms and Snap Peas

Ingredients

• 4 chicken cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds), patted dry
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms (button, cremini, shiitake or a
• combination), quartered
• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups sugar snap peas, stemmed and halved lengthwise

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Dredge 2 chicken cutlets in flour, shake off any excess and place in the skillet. Cook until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes per side; transfer to a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the other 2 chicken cutlets. Cover the dish loosely with foil; place in the oven while you prepare the vegetables.
2. Add the butter to the hot skillet, then add the scallions and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms brown, about 4 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce thickens slightly, 3 to 4 more minutes. Stir in the snap peas and heat through; season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken topped with the creamy vegetables.

Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/chicken-with-creamy-mushrooms-and-snap-peas-recipe-1972982

Lemon-Thyme Butterflied Roasted Chicken

• 2 heads garlic, halved through equators
• 2 lemons, 1 sliced and 1 cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1/2 bunch fresh thyme
• 1 3 1/2 to 4 lb chicken, backbone
• removed
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 c. green olives