Friday, June 3, 2011

Rhubarb Muffins for Breakfast

I'm going to start taking bags of rhubarb with me when I leave the homestead and foisting them upon anyone who looks as if they might be the least bit rhubarb-needy. The gorgeous stuff is growing like gangbusters this year and I hate to see any of it go to waste.

This morning I made Rhubarb Muffins (anybody got a better name?) for breakfast by combining two recipes in my recipe box. The experiment turned out to be very good and better than the one I have been making which requires buttermilk which I sometimes don't have on hand when I want to make the muffins so I end up making something else instead. (Whew. Holy run-on sentence.)

RHUBARB MUFFINS
(As these shall be called until one of you sharp-witted readers comes up with a catchier name)

1/2 cup softened butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups flour
2-1/2 cups rhubarb, cut in small pieces

TOPPING
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon (yup, just a teaspoon) melted butter

For the topping, mix ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

For the muffin batter, using a wooden spoon, mix all ingredients (except rhubarb and topping mixture) in order listed. Then fold the rhubarb into the muffin batter.

Fill paper lined muffin tins about three-quarters full and sprinkle some of the topping mixture onto the top of each muffin.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Makes about 16 muffins.

I really liked these because the rhubarb flavor came through. (If I'm gonna eat rhubarb, I wanna taste it!) Can you believe the un-enhanced color of those scrambled eggs? You can sure tell our laying hens have been out on green grass and chasing down bugs and worms.

As my dear husband said after breakfast this morning, "Wasn't half bad."

17 comments:

Susan said...

Oh, guess what the barn crew is getting for breakfast on Sunday??? Those look wonderful - and I am dealing with a bumper crop of rhubarb, too. Perfect timing (as usual).

Mama Pea said...

Susan - I forgot to mention in my post that these are tender and moist . . . like you could actually cram a whole one in your mouth if for some reason you wanted to. Not that I would know this for a fact or anything . . .

A really good muffin so often fills the bill because it can be eaten out-of-hand, no plates, utensils, etc. required. And a muffin is smaller than a piece of cake so you don't have to feel bad about eating two. Or three.

There's something about using produce, fruit, etc. in season that really, really appeals to me. I think it's supposed to be healthier for us that way, too. I'm gonna go have another muffin. :o}

Sparkless said...

Oh yum! Now those I'm going to make those today. Thanks for the recipe,

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

Your making me have to go buy rhubarb. Now I have to find someone who sells it around here. See the trouble you get me in.

Jenyfer Matthews said...

I'm thinking strawberry rhubarb jam...mmmmm....

Mama Pea said...

Sparkless - You're welcome. Hope you like them! Out of the 17 I made this morning, there are now four left. No, we don't have bellyaches . . . they just keep walking out with people.

Jane - No, NO! Don't buy any. I'll send you a bunch. (If I did, what kind of shape do you think it would arrive in??)

Jen - Papa Pea would love that! We'll have to wait a couple/few more weeks for the strawberries to ripen though.

The Apple Pie Gal said...

If it wasn't half bad why'd he eat it ALL? Men!

Well I started out to make rhubarb wine the other day and fell 1 lbs short of the stuff, so now I am scourting the countryside for it! Gonna have to plant more and then wait a few years I guess.

Nina said...

OK Mama Pea... the neighbor just brought over a HUGE bundle of rhubarb for me. Of course I don't have the cream pie ingredients on hand, but I am equipped to make these muffins! I am baking them up tonight and will come back with a recipe review and sharp-witted name :)

Erin said...

You are on a roll - once again, I would definitely try these! I'll be a rhubarb lover yet, I'm actually getting kind of excited for my future northern garden :)

Mama Pea said...

APG - What a terrible, awful, bad thing to happen when you were making rhubarb wine! Put out the word. There must be lots of people with rhubarb to spare by you.

ArtsyNina - Omigosh, I hope they work for you 'cause if you like them I just know you'll come up with a super name for them! Waiting with baited breath . . . ;o}

P.S. Waaah, you don't allow comments on your blog??

Erin - That's what I'm hoping, you Minnesota bred girlie!

Nina said...

Muffins are delicious! And they should be called Mama Pea's Rhubarb Muffins. Or Homegrown Rhubarb Muffins.

They really are good and let the rhubarb shine, just like you said.

I'm worried that you can't comment on my blog! I have Blogger comments disabled but Intense Debate comments in their place. It was working earlier today. Oh no!!!

Karen L. said...

Wish I had some rhubarb because I love muffins for breakfast. Might have to move to Minnesota for two reasons now ..... cooler weather and rhubarb muffins ..... or as I will call them "Rhufins". hehehe And as another commenter said, if the plate is clean, why was breakfast only "not half bad"? So, which half was good and which was bad???

Mama Pea said...

ArtsyNina - Thanks! So glad the muffins worked out for you.

Re my inability to comment on your blog, must be something I'm doing wrong. I'll study it later . . . gotta run get outside now and make hay (or cut the grass) while the sun shines!

Karen L. - Don't give Papa Pea a hard time. ;o} "Not half bad" is a silly saying that's been in our family for years . . . a twisted way of saying "That was good!"

Lisa said...

Yum, what tasty looking little muffins. I have a sweet treat linky party going on at my blog till tomorrow night and I'd love it if you'd come by and link your muffins up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2011/06/sweets-for-saturday-20.html

Jo said...

Argh, I wish I had read your blog an hour ago! I made a batch of rhubarb muffins (with blueberries) just now, from one of my cookbooks. I'll have to try your recipe next. Like you, we are swimming in rhubarb!

RuthieJ said...

I have that recipe and love it! Too bad I don't live closer to you Mama Pea because I'd be over at your place relieving you of rhubarb every week. I finally planted 3 of my own plants this year, but will have to buy it in the meantime until mine is big enough to start cutting.....

Mama Pea said...

Lisa - Welcome and thanks for commenting! If I find time (before I fall asleep at the computer desk tonight), I'll pop over and take a look!

Jo - Yup, I made three batches of Rhubarb Sauce for the freezer last night just because it was the quickest thing I could think to do with the surplus. After our drenching rain this morning and then sun all afternoon, I just know there's more out there wanting to be harvested. (Where was all this fresh good stuff in January and February??)

Ruthie - You'd be very welcome to come get your weekly bunch from my big plant!