Strawberry-Rhubarb Muffins
Strawberry–Rhubarb is such a classic combination and for good reason! The tartness of the rhubarb complements the sweetness of perfect, juicy summer strawberries. These muffins are perfect for breakfast or brunch. I like to serve them with whipped cream cheese.
To the wet ingredients in the Master Muffin Recipe (see below), add 2 teaspoons lemon zest (again, the microplane is perfect for this). After the batter is mixed, fold in 1 cup sliced strawberries (they should be about ¼ inch thick) and 1 cup sliced rhubarb (also about a ¼ inch thick). Prepare a muffin tin with nonstick spray, being careful to spray the flat surface where the muffin dome will spill over. Insert fluted muffin papers if you wish, then fill each muffin cup to the top and bake as in the master recipe. If you have a few leftover strawberries, I like to slice them and press them on the top of the batter just before baking—it makes a nice presentation.
MASTER MUFFIN RECIPE
Makes approximately 24 mini muffins or 12 large muffins
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter
2 eggs, room temperature
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups milk
Preheat oven to 400°F (on convection setting, if you have it). In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix until just combined. In a separate bowl, sift together all dry ingredients and then slowly add to the creamed butter followed by the milk. Stir until the mixture just comes together. Do not overmix—a few lumps are fine.
Prepare a muffin tin with nonstick spray, being careful to spray the flat surface where the muffin dome will spill over. Insert fluted muffin papers if you wish, then fill each muffin cup to the top. Bake approximately 12–15 minutes for mini muffins and 20–25 minutes for large muffins. The muffins are done when the muffin tops spring back, the edges are golden brown and/or a cake tester comes out clean.
*Note: I sometimes replace 1 cup of the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of whole-wheat white flour, which won’t much affect the recipe but adds a slight nutty flavor and almost imperceptible crunch.
