Good idea! This recipe is a combination of a couple I found, plus a few twists of my own. Next time, I’ll give it another twist, adding a few gratings of fresh orange peel to highlight the sweet-tart flavor combo.
These are light and cakey, and using both baking soda and baking powder makes them rise beautifully above the rim of the tin. That makes them wonderfully showy, whether you pair them with a big fluffy omelet or the perfect cup of coffee.
Rhubarb Almond Muffins
For the muffins:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup buttermilk OR 3/4 cup plain yogurt + 1/4 cup milk or water
2 cups rhubarb, diced
For the topping:
sprinkling sugar or turbinado sugar (coarse raw sugar)
sliced almonds
Heat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 12-well muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with liners.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
In a small bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in the eggs, almond extract, and buttermilk or yogurt and milk, then add to the dry ingredients and mix until combined and no dry streaks remain. Add the diced rhubarb and combine.
Scoop the dough into the muffin tin, filling about 3/4 full. Sprinkle tops with sugar and sliced almonds.
Bake 22-25 minutes, or until springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing from the pan. Serve warm.
Makes 12 muffins.
Rhubarb strawberry pie is a classic! What's your favorite way to enjoy this short-lived burst of spring?
From the cover of BLIND FAITH, written as Alicia Beckman (in hardcover, ebook, and audio from Crooked Lane Books, October 2022)
Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries, continuing in July 2023 with Between a Wok and a Dead Place. She's the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories. Death al Dente, the first Food Lovers' Village Mystery, won Best First Novel in 2013, following her 2011 win in Best Nonfiction. Her first historical short story, "All God's Sparrows," won the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story. As Alicia Beckman, she writes standalone suspense, beginning with Bitterroot Lake (2021) and continuing with Blind Faith (October 2022, Crooked Lane Books).
A past president of Sisters in Crime and a current board member of Mystery Writers of America, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.
Swing by her website and subscribe to her seasonal newsletter, for a chat about the writing life, what she's working on, and what she's reading -- and a free short story. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.
Leslie, how yummy! My rhubarb is ready and I have favorite people coming to stay this weekend. I'm copying out your recipe. I hope you'll post your rhubarb pie recipe soon, too. ;^)
ReplyDeleteThey will be a hit! I will share the new rhubarb custard pie recipe I made last weekend, the one in the FB picture, which is heavy with sour cream, but meanwhile, here's my mother's lighter rhubarb custard pie, which is also in Treble at the Jam Fest. https://cinnamonsugarandalittlebitofmurder.com/rhubarb-custard-pie/
DeleteI bet the orange peel would really be a nice addition. My favorite way to enjoy Spring is probably the first fresh berries of the season, straight out of a bowl.
ReplyDeleteOr right off the bush!
DeleteI'm going to try this too!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
DeleteEnjoy!
DeleteSounds so yummy! Thank you for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteIn my neck of the wood with ample supply of strawberries, spring brings many recipe that use strawberries from cheesecake to ice cream. Next up is the blueberries which are starting to ripen.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Lucky you! Spring is so behind up here that we're weeks away from fresh berries.
DeleteThank you for this delicious looking and sounding rhubarb option, Leslie!!! We have a lot of rhubarb we have been enjoying lately, so your creation is perfect! So far, my favorite is a crumble my wife makes with rhubarb and peaches in a flan base. Scrumptious!!! Thank you so much again for sharing your writing and culinary skills with us!!! Luis at ole dot travel
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Luis. Your wife's crumble sounds mouth-wateringly delicious!
DeleteI love rhubarb. I love almonds. I love muffins. Thanks, Leslie!
ReplyDeleteTriple mmm!!!
DeleteHave you considered using some almond flour in place of some of the all purpose flour, just to continue and amplify the almond motif?
ReplyDeleteFor those without access to rhubarb, can it be replaced with other fruits, like in the original muffin you had?
Both good suggestions. Strawberries or raspberries would be great; they are moister, so you might need a little extra flour, but not much. Some larger groceries may carry frozen rhubarb.
Delete