My sister told me about this wonderful recipe from Anna Jones in the Guardian. Our rhubarb is doing amazingly, and although I have never ‘forced’ it to make it pink and tender, I think it is still fab! Last week I made a crumble with it, this week it is cookies.
The store cupboard offered all the other ingredients which was lucky really, as who wants to go out shopping when they don’t have to in these strange times. The white chocolate was lurking from way back Christmas time when I was going to make some kind of white chocolate fudge, and then never got time to do it. And the ginger was from a recent spate of ginger cakes! I managed to get some flour and oats a couple of weeks ago. Hurray!
The mixture was very hard to handle as it became very wet when the rhubarb was added to it. I had to wash my hands several times – in addition to the many times my hands were being washed anyway for hygiene purposes. For that reason I made the cookies quite big. (Part of the reason – I also think that this type of moist chewy cookie is nicer when bigger!) Second time around I used spoons – a bit easier.
The result? I can only say they were DELICIOUS! If you like rhubarb you will love these. And actually even if you are a bit meh about rhubarb I think you will love these!
Running news this week in relative lockdown: I am still going into work. So twice this week I went out very early – 5.30 ish – to run about 6km in peace and quiet before work. After work it has been too busy in the parks for me to feel comfortable. I’ve done a couple of home workouts in the garden, which is fun. Yesterday my lovely outdoor gym club Quit the Gym got together on Zoom for 30 minutes of fun fitness! I think the explosion in home exercise programmes on Instagram, YouTube etc is perhaps one of the more positive things to come out of this awful pandemic situation. I’m always an optimist. The UK seems to have taken to Joe Wicks as the nation’s #PEteacher! Maybe people will realise that getting moving makes them feel good, and carry on after all this is over…as I say – ever an optimist!
This morning I woke early again and went out for an early run. There was almost nobody about. It was 7am (6 before the clocks changed..) and quite a cold wind. Maybe that was a factor. Whatever – it was easy to stay away from people! I did a nice easy 10km, stopping every now and again to appreciate the signs of spring that are everywhere (and have a rest).
While running I listened to a podcast that I’ve meaning to listen to since Wednesday. It was about the physiological effects of kindness on your brain and immune system. If you are interested in how your mind can influence your body I highly recommend this podcast. Dr Rangan Chatterjee talks to Dr David Hamilton about the science of kindness. More and more scientists and doctors are beginning to realise that medicine is so much more than pills and surgery, it’s about emotions and how you feel.
Right now I am thinking about all my readers, wherever you are in the world. Please stay safe, look after yourselves and your friends and family. Even if you cannot go out of your home at the moment try to open the window and look at the sky, listen to the birds and perhaps see a tree or two. I am grateful to be able to go out for a run or walk, to see my family – in person or on the phone, to chat to my friends. Thankfully I can still bake too!
Eat Cake And Run 
Dear Emily,
When I first saw your latest post I thought it read ‘Rhubarb gin’, which reminded me of the sloe gin Anne & Christopher make – but of course then I opened it & saw it was cookies, & very nice they look too (as did your previous baking goodies too). How lovely to have a good reliable rhubarb plant in your own garden.
I’m glad you’re still being able to go out running, I have taken to walking to deliver the papers to two of the households I know who shouldn’t be going out at present & it’s really nice quiet walk, & been lovely in the sunshine we’ve had over the last little while. (I sprayed our litter-picker with anti-bacterial spray & took it with me on Saturday to hand over the change in a bag to one of them at a safe distance, & then used it to litter-pick on the way home.) I think the wild birds are enjoying the reduced traffic too.
Your pictures are lovely – I think a linden tree is the same as a lime tree, just a more poetic name for it? I hope that Simon & Jack will be helped by the Chancellor’s new schemes & that you are all keeping well? I’m sure the people you see are so pleased to have their feet done that you’re really helping their mental (& physical) health. Are you having the protective gear you need, do you think?
Lots of love & best wishes to you & all the household/family xxxx Catherine
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Hi Cathy thanks for your comment.we are only seeing the really urgent patients. And yes we do have the protective equipment that we need. Yesterday I was out picking litter
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Whoops – posted comment too early! – picked litter locally on my walk with C and the dog! Hope you are all ok. Xx
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