Jun 09, 2011
I believe between the three of us, Aunt Norma, charliebabe (the submitter) and me, these muffins made rhubarb lovers out of a number of Floridians who had never tasted the stuff before! I deliberately brought some of my garden rhubarb in Wisconsin down to our place in Naples, FL as I wanted to treat the folks here. I am so pleased that these muffins showcased this “pie plant” so well! I had no fresh buttermilk on hand, but buttermilk powder proved to be a worthy substitute. Because of the brown sugar, they are a rich, caramel color. And because I mixed the batter only till combined, leaving behind some lumps, they were light, tender and fluffy. The amount of rhubarb was just right – sometimes I find rhubarb baked goods (apple too, for that matter) that are too heavy with the fruit, with very little “cake.” It probably is just a subjective thing, but my preference would be to make these without the walnuts – I found the flavor of them a little distracting. As for the topping, it is buttery, cinnamon sweetness, but it’s a good thing I got 18 muffins with my muffin tins rather than 24, as I don’t think there would have been enough topping for another six! Just excellent, with old-fashioned homemade appeal and I believe these would be just as good using other fruits if rhubarb is not available.
—naples34102
