I’m so excited the muffin of the month is back on track with another delicious, seasonal and so-good-I’m-just-going-to-have-one-more muffin. Strawberries and rhubarb are now in season so it makes perfect sense that the May muffins are Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble. I have been diligently making (and eating) the Food Network Magazine’s Muffin of the Month for 2018 and reporting to you all with my feedback and the recipe. Although Matt and I are still having a hard time saying anything can beat the March Irish Cheddar, Bacon and Potato Muffins (yes, they were that incredible!), these Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Muffins are one of our favorites so far.

The muffins are soft and the inside is the texture of a super moist cake, which is caused by the juicy strawberries and rhubarb. What took these muffins into the over-the-top delicious category is the buttery brown sugar crumble topping. Slightly crunchy, the topping adds a second level of flavor that pairs perfectly with the fruit.

I have not been making any changes to these muffin recipes from the Food Network Magazine because I want to review them as written, but I did make an exception for the topping on these muffins due to an allergy. The topping calls for 3/4 cup rolled oats and since I am allergic to oats I omitted them so I would be able to enjoy them. The recipe calls for putting the crumble topping on the unbaked muffin batter before putting them in the oven and I already had almost too much crumble without the oats, so I’m sure if you included the oats you would have a fair amount of excess crumble topping. The top of my muffins didn’t look like the Food Network Magazine’s version since my crumble topping seemed to melt and spread. I’m not sure if this was because of the lack of oats or if my butter was too soft, but regardless they tasted so good I’m going to be making them this exact same way the next time I make them.

This was my first time cooking with rhubarb and I found it to be a very simple ingredient to use. The recipe only calls for one stalk and it looks like a stalk of celery. I cut off the ends and chopped the rest up into 1/2-inch pieces before tossing in the sugar with the chopped strawberries. The rhubarb gets completely soft like the strawberries in the baked muffins and provides the right amount of tartness. Since the rhubarb was tossed with sugar and then baked, the tart quality of the rhubarb is very subtle and definitely not bitter, which is how people have described rhubarb to me in the past. If baked rhubarb always tastes this good there’s some more rhubarb-infused baked goods in my future while it’s still in season!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Muffins

 

Print

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

for the topping

• ¾ cup rolled oats, optional (I omitted this)
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

for the muffins

• 1 stalk rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• ⅔ cup chopped strawberries
• ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ⅔ cup milk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted an cooled slightly
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

for the topping

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the oats (if using), brown sugar, flour and salt. Add the butter pieces and use a fork or pastry blender to cut in the butter until it creates small clumps. Set aside.

for the muffins

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, the baking powder, the baking soda and the salt. Make a well in the center then add the eggs to the well. Whisk to combine then stir in the milk, melted butter and lemon juice until just combined. Stir in the rhubarb mixture, being sure not to over-mix.
4. Evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. They will be filled most of the way to the top. Top the muffin batter cups with the topping. There may be some leftover. Bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean and the tops of the muffins are lightly browned. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pan then remove to a wire cooling rack. Once completely cool, dust with the powdered sugar.

3.2.2802

 Recipe from January/February 2018 issue of Food Network Magazine.

Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for my referral. This does not affect the retail cost of the item. Thank you for supporting Lemon & Mocha!

Lauren Breakfast, Recipes 0 Comments

Churro waffles! Yes! If you thought waffles couldn’t get any tastier just look at these photos. Crispy outside; soft inside; these waffles have been coated in cinnamon-sugar to channel some serious churro vibes. I stumbled across these insanely delicious waffles because last year for Matt’s birthday my brother-in-law, Nick, was coming to visit and I wanted to come up with a special menu. Matt’s birthday falls on the 5th of the month so I decided to deem the day Cinco de Matto and serve my spin on Mexican food all weekend.

When deciding what to make for brunch, I immediately thought of churros since Matt loves them. I do too, I mean, who doesn’t like fried dough covered in cinnamon-sugar?! When I saw the churro waffle recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers, Half Baked Harvest, I knew I had to make them.

I wanted something to brighten up the waffles and Matt loves raspberries so I went with a raspberry puree. The acidity of the raspberry sauce cuts through the sweetness of the churro waffles and is a great accompaniment. Other than churro waffles, this raspberry puree would work with a lot of other recipes, from drizzling over cheesecake to mixing into plain Greek yogurt. But today, we are using it to amplify these already awesome churro waffles. I used my Perfect Buttermilk Waffle batter for these before coating them in the cinnamon sugar.

Another fun idea for kids, or adults who like to eat like kids sometimes, would be to cut the waffles into strips before coating in the cinnamon-sugar – perfect for dunking into little bowls of the raspberry puree! You could lightly toast the waffle strips after cutting them to make sure they hold up to the dunking. Now all I can think about are waffle strips and how I want to go make some, but I digress. I hope you try these Churro Waffles with Raspberry Sauce soon! Or today since it is Waffle Wednesday, folks!

Churro Waffles with Raspberry Sauce

 

Print

Yield: 8-10 waffles & ¾ cup raspberry sauce

Ingredients

for the waffles

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1½ cups buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Pinch of salt
• Whipped cream and fresh raspberries, for topping

for the raspberry sauce

• 12 ounces frozen unsweetened raspberries
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

for the waffles

1. Turn on the waffle iron to get it hot and spray with nonstick cooking spray, depending on manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine then create a well in the center for the liquid ingredients.
3. Add the eggs to the cooled butter mixing bowl and beat until frothy. Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Beat again until well-combined. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. The buttermilk and leavening will create a batter full of air bubbles. Pour the batter onto your waffle iron in batches and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. If working in batches, place the cooked waffles directly on the rack of your oven or toaster oven on a low heat to stay warm.
4. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a wide shallow bowl. Brush the warm waffles with the melted butter then dip in the cinnamon sugar to coat. I used my hands to sprinkle more on to make sure there was cinnamon-sugar in every nook and cranny. Repeat for all the waffles. Serve with the raspberry sauce, whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

for the raspberry sauce

1. Thaw the raspberries in the microwave or on the stovetop. Once thawed, place a fine mesh strainer over a small saucepan. Press the raspberries through the strainer by pressing with the back of a spoon. Scoop the seeds off the strainer as needed. When all the raspberries have been pushed through and left only the seeds, all the sugar and lemon juice to the sauce pan. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the raspberry sauce is heated through. Serve warm.

3.2.2802

Lauren Breakfast, Recipes 0 Comments