Rhubarb muffins

Rhubarb muffins – lightly sweet, with a crunchy topping and tart pieces of rhubarb. With the addition of chopped walnuts and cinnamon, the flavour combination is simply fantastic. Not only for rhubarb lovers!

Makes 10–12 muffins.

Ingredients for rhubarb muffins:

• 250 ml buttermilk
• ⅓ cup sunflower or rapeseed oil
• 1 cup light muscovado sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 170 g rhubarb, diced (do not peel)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

For the topping:

• 2 tablespoons light muscovado or demerara sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until combined. Sift the dry ingredients directly into the mixture – the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda – and whisk briefly, just until combined. Do not overmix. Add the diced rhubarb and chopped walnuts and gently mix.

Line a standard muffin tin with paper cases. Spoon the batter into the cases, filling them about ¾ full. Sprinkle the tops with the sugar mixed with cinnamon.

Bake at 175°C for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from ‘Feast’ Nigella Lawson.