Rhubarb and White Chocolate Buttermilk Muffins
It's the last rhubarb recipe of summer! I wanted to end on a sweet note, so here's a recipe that you can serve at breakfast or as a dessert. Note: this one uses metric measurements, so I've included conversions where necessary. Rhubarb and White Chocolate Buttermilk Muffins.
It's the last rhubarb recipe of summer! I wanted to end on a sweet note, so here's a recipe that you can serve at breakfast or as a dessert. Note: this one uses metric measurements, so I've included conversions where necessary. Rhubarb and White Chocolate Buttermilk Muffins.
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 dash salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 5 oz superfine sugar
- 3 oz. butter (softened)
- 8 oz self-raising flour (or plain flour plus 1 tsp. bak
- 15 grams (.5 oz.) buttermilk
- 14 oz. rhubarb
- 6 oz. white chocolate (roughly chopped)
- for strawberry frosting:
- 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp. fresh or frozen strawberries pureed
- Carbohydrate 14.3661235977015 g
- Cholesterol 133.448000041294 mg
- Fat 20.4163180155783 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 2.70924600016325 g
- Saturated Fat 12.2906306098659 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (80g)
- Sodium 61.5245000021127 mg
- Sugar 14.3661235977015 g
- Trans Fat 1.62351720109053 g
- Calories 247 calories
Step-by-step
- Pre-heat oven to 225 C (437 F)
- Beat the butter and the sugar until creamy
- Add the eggs and beat to a homogenous mass
- Add the flour, then the buttermilk
- Clean the rhubarb by generously cutting off the ends of the stalks, then peeling off the fibrous skin (don't worry about any thin parts remaining on the stalk, the tougher fibers will usually come off readily, what remains should soften while cooking)
- Cut the rhubarb stalks into small bits (slices, halved if your stalks are very thick), then fold into the batter
- Add the white chocolate and work into the dough gently and quickly
- Line a muffin tray with paper cups, fill with the cupcake mixture up to the edge (the rhubarb will take a lot of space initially, then shrink as it cooks, while the dough will rise a little - leaving the muffins level with the edge of the paper, or protruding only slightly from it)
- Bake for 20 - 25 minutes - insert a metal skewer to test for doneness, although this is a bit tricky to tell, as the rhubarb is very moist... if you get lots of dough on your stick, continue to cook, if there's only a thin film, you can remove them
- If you can resist eating them immediately, serve them when cooled - they're even better the next day. Return them to the cool oven to store them overnight, as their crust will go soft and soggy in an airtight container or fridge.
- If you'd like to serve these as a dessert, I recommend adding strawberry frosting.
Balancing Acid and Sugar
Rhubarb provides an aggressive malic and oxalic acid punch that cuts directly through the high fat content of butter and the dense sweetness of white chocolate. When these acids hit the dairy elements, they tenderize the crumb structure by interfering with excessive gluten cross-linking. Superfine sugar dissolves rapidly into the fat phase during creaming, ensuring that moisture is held evenly throughout the baking window without creating a heavy, water-logged texture.Managing Moisture Dynamics
Stalks of rhubarb release a massive amount of free water at 225 C (437 F), which initially destabilizes internal crumb setting but creates a juicy pocket once evaporated. Because this high moisture level makes standard toothpick tests unreliable, look for a thin film on your metal skewer rather than a completely clean surface. Folding the chopped chocolate in quickly prevents the warm butter from seizing the cocoa solids prematurely.Storage and Equipment Workarounds
Standard muffin tins lined with paper cups work adequately, though a standard metal baking sheet placed underneath helps distribute heat evenly. Storing baked goods in sealed plastic containers traps steam and ruins the crisp exterior crust. Leaving them uncovered inside a cool, turned-off oven overnight preserves the textural contrast between the exterior shell and the soft interior.
