Juicy Morsel April 19, 2009 - Spring Cleanout

Spring Cleanout
With the arrival of spring I feel the need to lighten up. To get rid of all the clutter and dust that has settled around me all winter.
Today I cleaned out my deep freezer. Now there are no more mysterious tupperware containers hiding out in its depths.

My best find: diced rhubarb.
When the rhubarb is plentiful, I dice some, measure it out into 2.5 cup portions and freeze it, for use in the best muffins that I've ever tasted.
I took the recipe off the internet many years ago. Thank you to Michele O'Sullivan for sharing them on Allrecipes in 2005.

Enjoy these sweet and tangy, moist and dense (but not heavy) morsels. I have - I've eaten 2 since pulling them out of the oven.

I like to coarsely chop the rhubarb to maximize the contrast of big bites of sour rhubarb and the sweet sugar topping.

Rhubarb Muffins II
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
0.5 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2.5 cups chopped rhubarb.
0.5 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C)


2. Grease muffin cups


3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.


4. In a medium bowl, combine beaten egg, brown sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla. Fold in rhubarb.


5. Combine flour mixture and rhubarb mixture. Mixing until just moistened.


6. Spoon batter into muffin tins.


7. Soften butter by placing in the microwave for approx 20 seconds. Mix the white sugar and butter. Sprinkle over top of the muffins.


8. Bake in the oven for approx 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.