Monday, June 11, 2012

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins with Oatmeal Crumble Top

I would like to have breakfast brought to me in bed every morning. Just putting that out there.
In second place, I'll take these Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins with Oatmeal Crumble topping sitting ready on my counter.  

If I set my programmable coffee maker right and put one of these on a little dish, it will be darn close to morning bliss.
I know people who can take a bite out of fresh Rhubarb and keep on talking.  I can't.

It's just a bit too tart for fresh nibbling in my opinion, but that is exactly what makes it perfect for baking and jams (Rhubarb, Pineapple, Coconut Conserve.)

The Rhubarb balances the roasted sweetness of the strawberries and the brown sugar and makes these muffins a wholesome and "not-too-sweet" breakfast fare.
The Oatmeal crumble topping gives it a little crunchy texture and makes you feel like you're eating pie for breakfast, but in fact you're adding wonderful fiber to the beginning of your day (or through the day if you take a second one like all of us.)
Did I mention how easy these are to make?  
It's pretty well just mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, add the chopped ingredients and cook.
Look for yourself.  Make and love.  You'll thank me in the morning.


Recipe:  Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

(Preheat oven to 400F - makes about 15-18 muffins)
   I used Paperchef liners- for easy baking

2 Cup Flour
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 Stick (4oz) Butter, melted, room temp.
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Chopped Strawberries
1 Cup Chopped Rhubarb (about 3 stalks)

1)  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2)  In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, then the buttermilk, butter and vanilla.

3)  Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, fold to combine, then add the fruit and fold to combine.  No need to over mix.

4)  Spoon into muffin tins lined with holders (Paperchef used here), or silicone muffin molds.  Fill about 3/4 full.  Top with Oatmeal Crumble (recipe below.)

5)  Bake in preheated 400F oven for about 20 minutes.

Recipe: Oatmeal Crumble

1/2 Cup Rolled Oatmeal
1/2 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 stick (2oz.) Butter, melted

1)  Mix the oatmeal, flour, sugar and salt together in a small bowl.

2)  Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork into a crumble texture.

3)  Use to top muffins, cupcakes, pie and other pastry goods before baking.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Radish Salad filled Deviled Eggs ~

Hello Summer. Hello picnics. Hello Radish Salad filled Deviled Eggs.

I got lucky this week, my Farm Fresh box had a bouguet of Rosy Radishes just waiting for ideas.  One idea happened very fast: I washed it, sprinkled some fleur de sel on top and popped it in my mouth.  Done.
The next idea took a tiny bit more patience, but the payoff was big. I boiled a few Safe Eggs, grabbed my mandoline to create a handful of thin slices, and chopped a few into a fine mesh of peppery sprinkles.

Once the eggs were finished and peeled, I got fancy with the yolks (not really.)  I used a garlic press to turn the yolks into a crumbly garnish.  You could just as easily chop them up too.
The whole filling came together pretty fast, however my husband came by and stole two of them before I hardly got started.  I will also tell on him by exposing that he ate the leftover Radish salad without anything more than a cracker for a scoop.  His sneaky return to the scene of the crime is always a good sign that the recipe works on a whole hardy level, too.
For the more "elegant among us", these make a beautiful party platter and can be chilled ahead of time for a picnic treat.
I used Safe Eggs for these, because I always have those on hand for baking with meringue or macarons or sauces.  I learned about Safe Eggs at a blogging meeting and loved the whole idea of NOT worrying about raw egg whites or young kids eating baked treats, etc.  Here's a link that tells you more about it: SafeEggs.com

Hope all your picnics are sunny and your days filled with delights as tasty as this Radish Salad. :D


Recipe: Radish Salad

1/2 cup minced Radish (about 5-6 large Radishes)
1 extra Radish, sliced for optional garnish
1/3 cup Sour Cream or Cream Cheese (for firmer)
1/4 cup Grated Parmigianno Cheese
1/2 Lemon zest
1/2 Teaspoon fresh (or dried) Tarragon (or Dill)
Salt/Pepper
6 Boiled eggs (cut in half, yolks removed and saved for garnish)

1)  In a small bowl, mix the minced Radish, Sour Cream, Cheese, Zest, a couple of the cooked yolks, Herbs and dash of salt and pepper together well.

2)  Spoon a heaping amount of Radish Salad into each boiled egg white half.

3)  Grate or chop the rest of the egg yolks and sprinkle over the top of each filled Devil Egg.  Serve chilled and garnished with Radish slices.

These can be made ahead and chilled for a few hours before serving.  Enjoy!