Rhubarb Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Rhubarb Muffin with
Cinnamon Sugar topping

If I could have one wish, it would be to have access to rhubarb all year 'round. I've heard that it's an acquired taste, but everyone I know who has tasted it, loves it immediately.

I have a number of rhubarb plants in the garden that have been producing well over the past few years. This has been a relief because I did have to move them (the neighbour's shrubs had gained so much height, the rhubarb wasn't getting the sun it needed). Relocating rhubarb is always a tricky business, and the plants will be utterly annoyed with you, and in my case at least, they needed a good 5 years before they decided they had forgiven me and were back to producing some fairly good-sized stalks. Last year was the first time I got 2 cuttings from the plants. 

Rhubarb freezes really well. I cut the stalks from the garden (pulling has never worked for me), wash them, dry them, dice them into a 2 cup measure (since most recipes call for that amount), bag them, then into the freezer, ready to use. 

As you've likely already guessed, I have a number of recipes that call for rhubarb but when it comes to providing something for my customers, not having a steady supply means they haven't made the menu. But I did want to show you these rhubarb muffins that I made for an afternoon tea. I love this recipe - only 1/2 a cup of oil and just 1 egg but it makes 17 muffins that have a light texture, wonderful flavour, and just a tad of sweetness from the cinnamon sugar topping. These were made the day before serving to give the rhubarb a chance to 'settle in'.