Rhubarb is the first produce we see out of our garden every year. Maybe that’s why I look forward to it so much and love almost everything baked with rhubarb. This is a muffin recipe my kids just love and they are happy to take one in their lunch every day for the couple weeks I can keep baking them.  In the winter I use frozen rhubarb but it’s a bit runnier so we definitely prefer fresh.

I make these rhubarb muffins with lots of extra rhubarb — the more fruit the better and this is probably why they are very moist. The brown sugar topping is a big hit in our house and my mom adapted the recipe changing the topping by using demerara sugar. The crunchy texture was quite nice.

My rhubarb was planted as a small patch taken from my Dad’s garden in 2013. By 2015 we have enough to make two pies and a couple rhubarb muffin recipes. So for rhubarb sauce and rhubarb jam I’m still buying from one of our local farmers. My hopes are to be rhubarb sufficient by 2017! I hope you enjoy one of our favourite springtime recipes as much as we do.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk + 1 teaspoon vinegar (ie sour milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl. Add rhubarb & walnuts if using.
3. In separate bowl, whisk egg, add sugar, oil, milk and vanilla.
4. Stir wet ingredients into dry.
5. Spoon into muffin tins.
6. Top with sugar topping if desired (1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon melted butter).
7. Bake 20- 25 minutes.
8. Cool on wire racks when finished.

Yield: 2-24 muffins depending on how big you like them