These huge, exciting muffins are more accurately delectable, single coffee-cakes than they are muffins. Brightened with chunks of garden-picked rhubarb and fresh, diced, plump strawberries, they are further dolled up with a halo of shortbread-cookie streusel. Huge caps, buttery cookie topping – this is a cause for a celebration! This recipe also makes beautiful mini gift loaves.
Makes 18 large muffins or about 24 smaller ones
Ingredients
Cookie Streusel:
● 125g shortbread cookie crumbs
● 60g unsalted butter
● 60g sugar
● 1 tsp vanilla powder (optional)
Muffin Batter:
● 450g white caster sugar
● 170g unsalted butter, melted
● 60ml corn or canola oil
● 4 eggs
● 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
● 625g plain flour, approximately
● 4 tsp baking powder
● 1 tsp baking soda
● ½ teaspoon salt
● 250ml buttermilk
● 125ml soured cream
● 150g diced rhubarb
● 150g diced fresh strawberries
Method
● Arrange oven rack to upper middle position and preheat the oven to 200°C.
● Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners and generously spray it (including the top surface) with non-stick cooking spray. Place the pan on the baking sheet.
● For the streusel, mix the crumbs, butter, sugar and vanilla to make a coarse mixture and set aside.
● For the muffins, blend the sugar with the butter and oil.
● Briskly whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, holding back 125g of flour.
● Add the soured cream and buttermilk, and then the last 125g of flour (or a bit more, as required). The batter should be quite thick; if not, add in more flour.
● Gently fold in the fruit. Using an ice-cream scoop, deposit generous amounts of batter into prepared muffin cups.
● Deposit a generous amount of streusel on each muffin.
● Bake for 30 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and spring back when gently touched with fingertips.
Recipe adapted from Gefiltefest's Kosher Connection – Recipes from the World's best loved kosher cooks, Grub Street, £25.
