If I had to name a favourite vegetable, it might possibly be rhubarb :). After all, there's not many other "vegetables" you can cook up with sugar and turn into delicious desserts!
I must admit I haven't always been a fan of those red-hued stalks. As a kid my mum would sometimes try to get me to eat some sort of rhubarb-laced dessert and I would steadfastly refuse.
But I am a big fan of Nigella Lawson, who just happens to be obsessed with the stuff, and after reading some of her luscious descriptions of rhubarb themed dishes I gave it a try.
Now I am totally in love. It's red-pink; it has a perfumed tartness to it when you cook it, what's not to like? It's available all year round, but in Maggie Beer's produce book Maggie's Harvest she says it's best in May and June and I'd kind of have to agree (though there's some nice looking stuff out at the moment.)
Rhubarb is pretty cheap to buy, but grows really well in veggie gardens. As soon as I'm able to stay in one spot for more than three years (due to moving around for work), I'll definately be growing it in my dream veggie garden.
I use rhubarb in crumbles, cake, stewed for my breakfast museli, and have been known to sneak to the fridge and eat roasted rhubarb straight from the tub.
The roasted rhubarb, from Nigella (who else) is likely to be the subject of another post. For now, here's a for rhubarb crumble muffins, modified from a recipe that once appeared in Super Food Ideas a few years ago.
You can basically use any fruit in these muffins, but I like to dice up rhubarb into little cubes and mix it through. My husband and I both love these and they make a great, cheap snack to take to work. They're probably not the best in the health department but one a day is okay and really they're not too sweet.
And I love the cupcake papers I used for the batch pictured, found for a bargain at the Robert Gordon factory in Pakenham, Victoria.
Rhubarb Crumble Muffins
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup brown sugar
60g melted, and cooled butter
1/3 cup buttermilk (I normally just use regular milk soured with about 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar)
2 eggs, lightly whisked
200g chopped fruit (for this I added rhubarb chopped into 1cm dice, but you can also use tinned apples, peaches, apricots, whatever you like)
Nut crumble for the top
About 30g chopped butter (you may need a little more)
1/4 cup plain flour
1/3 cup finely chopped nuts (I use pecans or almonds)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases.
To make the pecan crumble put the butter and flour in a food processor and process until it resembles breadcrumbs.
You can also just rub the butter into the flour with your fingers (this is how I often do it).
Stir in the nuts and sugar then cover and refrigerate.
Now for the muffin mix. Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg into a bowl, stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre.
Whisk the melted butter, milk and eggs in a jug and pour into the flour well.
Add your fruit and fold it in until just combined.
Grab your lined muffin trays and fill the paper cases with mixture so that it's two thirds full.
Sprinkle your chilled crumble mixture over muffins then plonk them in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Stand the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes and then lift them onto a wire rack. Serve warm. They keep for a few days in an airtight container and freeze really well too, they just need a nuke in the microwave to make them warm again.
*Note: Sometimes I make double the crumble mixture if I want them extra crumbly.
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