This post was created in partnership with Kroger. All opinions are our own.
Somebody please send help. We may have just set a world record for the most muffins consumed in one week by two husbands. The problem first became apparent once we started canceling all our plans just to stay home and continue eating muffins all day. To be honest, we should have known what we were getting ourselves into before making that fateful phone call last Tuesday. We were in a muffin-kind-of-mood and called on the Queen of Baking for a recipe: we knew that Rebecca Firth (www.displacedhousewife.com) would be the one to masterfully mentor our muffin manifestations, and upon regaining consciousness after the first bite, it was clear we had made the correct decision. So please continue reading at your own risk: blubarb muffins are extremely habit-forming and may cause a serious muffin dependency.
One hundred percent the truth: we both just ate another muffin before starting this paragraph. As you can tell, this is turning into a real problem—and for good reason, these muffins are flawless in every way! Starting with Becky’s perfect apple cinnamon recipe as the foundation, we replaced the apples with blueberries and fresh rhubarb, tweaked a few of the spices, and the result was pure muffin magic. These are some of the softest and most flavorful muffins we have ever tasted: baked with lots of vanilla, orange and lemon zest, and two types of flour, these pillow-soft tangy red and blue treats are here to seduce your mouth and take over your life.
Make your Monday magnificent with mountains of muffins. They are easy to prepare and difficult to not finish! You simply mix the wet ingredients in one bowl, the dry in another, combine the two, then bake them in the oven, and that’s it! Made with pantry staples and seasonal Spring ingredients, we were able to pick up everything we needed in about 15 minutes at our local Ralphs. Surprise your family, grab some rhubarb on the way home from work tonight, and we’ll see you in muffin rehab!
Blubarb Muffins
Adapted from displacedhousewife.com
makes about 18 muffins
For the fruit:
1 1/2 cups (210g) blueberries
1 cup (130g) chopped rhubarb
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
For the muffins:
1/2 cup (106g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (118ml) neutral vegetable oil
1/2 cup (114g) sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup (59ml) buttermilk or kefir, at room temperature
1/4 cup (59ml) water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (85g) white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 375°F/191°C, and line two cupcake pans with 18 paper liners.
In a medium bowl, combine the blueberries, rhubarb, both kinds of zest, and both kinds of juice, and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream, buttermilk, water, eggs, and vanilla, and whisk thoroughly until blended. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until blended. Pour over the buttermilk mixture, and stir just until combined without overmixing. Add the fruit mixture, and fold together just until evenly blended. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each one about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Cool muffins in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a rack. Enjoy!
note:
— White whole wheat flour is a 100% whole-grain flour with the same nutrition as whole wheat flour, but since it is made from a different variety of wheat, it is much softer than usual. It adds a nice light texture to these muffins, and can be purchased in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.