Fresh rhubarb permeating through every inch of fluffy, tender muffins, with a sweet crumb topping. These muffins are perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or dessert.
When I was a kid, I was such a sound sleeper that I once slept through a tornado that touched down on the street behind our house. The early-morning twister quite unexpectedly roared through the pea green sky like a commuter train making up for lost time. Or so I’m told. I didn’t hear a thing before my mom shook my shoulder and yelled, “Kirsten! Get up! We have to get into the basement NOW!”
Believe me when I tell you that not much will get me up-and-at-em faster than the threat of a tornado raging through the backyard. We scooped up our little schnoodle Smudge, and made it into the basement with just in time to hear a booming CRACK! before all went eerily silent. I’m convinced that the silence in the eye of the storm is almost more frightening than the howling winds surrounding it.
Thankfully, we were all safe and the tornado spared our home, but the massive oak tree in the backyard didn’t fare as well. Most of the uprooted tree was thrown over the neighbors fence, and onto his garage.
Immediately following the storm, the neighbors bewilderedly filed out of their houses to discuss what had happened, and to inspect the damages. For weeks, our neighborhood was a bustle of activity as everyone banded together to help one another with the clean-up efforts. I was young, so I don’t remember all the details, but I imagine that some brought shovels, some brought saws, and others brought cold drinks. What I do remember is the overwhelming sense of community that I felt as neighbor came to the aid of neighbor, simply because it was the right thing to do. People helping each other cope. People helping each other heal.
After the storm clean-up, our yard was home to a gaping hole where our tree once stood, so my mom decided to plant a garden smack-dab in the middle of it. The garden stood as a reminder of the blessing of escaping tragedy, and of nourishment brought forth in the aftermath.
Among the rows upon of zucchini and other vegetables sat a couple of rhubarb plants.
On the hot summer days that followed, I would often pluck a stem of rhubarb out of the garden and munch away my thirst on the tart, juicy stems. If I could curb my snacking well enough, my mom would bake a couple of strawberry-rhurbarb pies to share with our neighbors. To this day, I can’t look at rhubarb without thinking of that tornado, of the neighbors that became like family, and of our modest little garden where the tree once stood.
Since my CSA basket this week contained several stalks of rhubarb, I decided to skip the pie, in favor of breakfast muffins.
Skip the pie?! I know! I’m not sure what’s happening to me, either.
However, I can say for certain that I’m glad that I made the muffins because they were an instant hit with my family. My Rhubarb Crumb Muffins are speckled with tangy, juicy rhubarb that’s comfortably cradled in the delicate muffin, and adorned with a sweet, crunchy crown.
Rhubarb Crumb Muffins are a little sweet, a little sassy, and every bit scrumptious.
The recipe makes two dozen, so they’re the perfect little treat to share with your family, and your neighbors that are like family.
♥♥♥
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 24
30 minPrep Time
18 minCook Time
48 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 ½ C. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 ½ C. light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- ½ C. canola oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 C. buttermilk
- 2 C. fresh rhubarb stems, rinsed and thinly sliced
- ½ C. granulated sugar
- 1/3 C. all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ C. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare 24 muffin cups by lining them with paper liners.
- Prepare the topping by stirring together the granulated sugar, flour, and salt. Cut in the cold butter cubes with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly; refrigerate while preparing the muffin batter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt well; set aside. Whisk the brown sugar, egg, canola oil, vanilla extract, and buttermilk together in a large bowl until well blended. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the thinly sliced rhubarb.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them half full. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter in each cup. Bake at 375 F for 18 to 20 minutes, or until muffins test done in the center. Remove muffins from the oven and let cool in the pans for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Muffins keep well, wrapped at room temperature, for 3 to 4 days.
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