Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

Judging from the heat and humidity we had the last few weeks, I think it's safe to say that summer is definitely here and has conspired against me so that I can't bake. And right when it gets a little cooler and I could stand to preheat the oven, we decided to paint. And not the colorful-artsy-fun kind of painting you hang on a wall. No, more of a the-dining-room-slash-living-room-needs-a-new-coat-of-paint kind of painting. At least we feel like we're in a completely new apartment and once we get those new curtains installed, it's gonna look pretty good too, if I do say so myself.


So, I give you today a treat of a recipe for Rhubarb Streusel Muffins I made a few months ago and never got around to posting. They are not too sweet, not too tart. They get a great crunch from the streusel but stay really moist from all the fruit they contain. And if I can find some fresh rhubarb at the market this weekend, and if the temperature stays a little cooler that 95F in my kitchen, I think I'll be making these again pretty soon!

Rhubarb Streusel Muffins adapted from Marzipan Mom who adapted from epicurious.com

Topping ingredients:
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Cake batter ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil (or 1/4 oil plus 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 cups fresh rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tbsp confectioners sugar

Preheat your oven to 375F and line muffin-tins with paper cups; set aside.

Start by making the topping: In a bowl, mix together oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and mix well until the mixture forms coarse crumbs; set aside.

And now for the batter: In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk together oil (or applesauce/oil mix), eggs, vanilla, brown sugar and granulated sugar; mix well. Switching to a wooden spoon, add the flour and buttermilk in 2 batches, alternating between the 2, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing just until combined. Add the confectioners sugar to the rhubarb at the last minute and toss to coat the rhubarb well. Add the rhubarb to batter and fold it in.

Now, depending on how big your muffin tins are, you can divide the batter between 12 to 18 muffin cups. Fill the cups about 3/4 of the way full. Crumble the streusel on top of the muffins. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Leave the muffins in the pan to cool a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. If the muffins are sticking to the pan, you can use a small knife to loosen them from the pan.

Note: If you don't have quite enough rhubarb to make this recipe, you can use tart apples, peeled and diced, to make up the difference.

The Blogging Community, at its Best

Although I haven’t been blogging for a very long time, I would have had to be blind not to notice the overwhelming amount of love and support throughout the blogging community. From blogging awards to birthday wishes and sincere get well soon comments, I have felt the love myself and now it’s time to give some back.

Everyday as I click on a recipe or a blog link, I keep discovering talented people and wonderful blogs. I have only recently discovered Briana Brownlow’s blog, Figs with Bri, and I really wish I had found it under different circumstances. Bri is fighting cancer and some wonderful people have decided to support her and help her fight. If you would like to help Bri, go to the end of this post and you will find all the information you need about the event that Bee and Jai of jugalbandi have organized.

I decided to share this recipe for Rhubarb Raspberry Galette with you today because it feels to me like a comforting dessert. Something you would bring to a friend’s house when they’re feeling down or just to say: “Hey, let’s have a cup of coffee and talk”.

Although rhubarb is classically paired with strawberries, the raspberries are wonderful in this. The raspberries I used were a bit tart so the galette didn’t turn out overly sweet and you could still taste the tartness of the rhubarb as well. I'm telling you, these are the perfect excuse to forget about housework, visit a friend and have a nice chat.

Rhubarb Black Raspberry Galettes
Canadian Living Magazine June 2008

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 tbsp. sour cream
1/2 cup ice water (approx.)

Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
5 cups sliced fresh rhubarb
1 1/2 cups black or red raspberries
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp. butter, softened (I forgot this, oops…)

Glaze:

1 egg yolk

In bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt; using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until in large crumbs. In glass measure, whisk sour cream with water; drizzle over flour mixture, tossing with fork until dough comes together and adding up to 1 tbsp more water if necessary. Divide into 6 pieces. Shape each into disc. Wrap each in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chilled. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Filling: Remove 2 tbsp of the sugar and set aside for sprinkling over galettes. Whisk remaining sugar with cornstarch; set aside.

In large bowl, toss together sliced rhubarb, berries, lemon juice and cornstarch mixture.

On lightly floured surface, roll out each disc of pastry to 8-1/2 inch circle, leaving edge ragged. Arrange 3 of each on 2 large parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Sprinkle center of each with bread crumbs. Spoon 1 cup rhubarb mixture over top; dot with 1 tsp butter. Lift pastry up over filling to form about 5-inch circle, letting pastry fall naturally into folds around edge and leaving center uncovered. (Make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Glaze: Beat egg yolk with 1 tbsp water; brush over pastry. Sprinkle with reserved sugar.

Bake in top and bottom thirds of 425F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F; bake for 10 minutes. Switch and rotate pans. Bake for about 15 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust in golden. Let cool on rack for 15 minutes.

This is an appeal on behalf of a group of food bloggers who are friends of Briana Brownlow @ Figs With Bri.

Bri was diagnosed with breast cancer two and half years ago. A mastectomy, chemotherapy and two years of relatively good health later, the cancer is back. It has metastasized to other parts of her body. At the age of 15, Bri lost her 41-year old mother to the disease. Now, she’s waging her own war against breast cancer. More about it here.

She is going through intensive chemo and other treatments and needs to focus single-mindedly on healing and finding what treatment works best for her. Her health insurance, unfortunately, does not cover holistic alternatives which she would like to try. Bri and her husband Marc have enough on their plates right now in addition to worrying about her medical bills.

The team organising the JUNE edition of CLICK at Jugalbandi has organised a fundraiser to help Bri and her family meet her out-of-pocket medical costs for ONE YEAR.

CLICK is a monthly theme-based photography contest hosted by Jugalbandi. This month’s theme is: YELLOW for BriYellow is the colour of hope. Through the work of the LiveStrong Foundation, it has also come to signify the fight against cancer.

The entries can be viewed HERE. The deadline for entries is June 30, 2008. The fundraiser will extend until July 15, 2008.

The target amount is 12,000 U.S. dollars. We appeal to our fellow bloggers and readers to help us achieve this. Bri deserves a chance to explore all options, even if her insurance company thinks otherwise.

There’s a raffle with exciting prizes on offer. After viewing the list, you may make your donation HERE or at the Chip-In button on any participating site. Your donation can be made securely through credit card or Pay Pal and goes directly to Bri’s account.

This month’s photo contest also has some prizes. Details HERE.

You can support this campaign by donating to the fundraiser, by participating in CLICK: the photo event, and by publicising
this campaign.