Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

For me, one of the first sure signs that spring baking can start is the appearance of rhubarb in the grocery store.  I can only seem to get my hands on this fruit this time of year, then it’s gone.  Side note…maybe I should grow one in my garden!  I know so many that do, and most of these plants are cuttings from their grandmothers, who got it from their grandmothers and so on.  There’s something so nostalgic about rhubarb!

Rhubarb is an amazing fruit.  It’s tartness (and it is tart, whoa) pairs so well with strawberries.  Last weekend, for Mother’s Day I made a Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp that was gobbled up in 10 seconds flat.  So delicious!

But one of my most favourite recipes to make with rhubarb are Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins.

They’re baked with a little pecan streusel topping…muffin perfection!

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins
Serves: Makes 12 muffins.
 

Ingredients
Rhubarb Muffin:
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt (or you could use sour cream)
  • ¼ vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1⅓ cups flour
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 cup diced rhubarb & strawberries combined
Pecan Streusel Topping:
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp melted butter or margarine

Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. First make your streusel: Just combine the pecans, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter, then set aside.
  3. Now to make the muffins: In a mixer combine the yogurt, oil and egg. Mix well then set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.
  5. Then add the rhubarb & strawberries and the yogurt mixture, and stir until just combined.
  6. Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners, and fill each cup about ⅔ full.
  7. Add a spoonful of the streusel mixture to the tops of each muffin (distribute it evenly between the 12 muffins).
  8. Bake for about 25 minutes.
  9. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Best of Bridge

Yum!

So what’s your food sign of spring or summer?  What’s that one food or dish that means the summer season has arrived?  I’d love to know!

Have a delicious day!

Sharing with Craft-O-Maniac

Bruschetta Garden Gift For Mother’s Day

Good morning!  I have a little last minute Mother’s Day gift idea for you today!

I know I’m kind of squeaking this one in just before the deadline, but I thought it was too cute not to share!  It was one of those ideas that I’ve had swirling around in my head for some time now, so after a recent trip to the greenhouse I just decided to make it happen!

I love gardening and I love food, so what’s more fun than a gift that gives you both!

This basket contains tomato plants and basil plants, which are the star ingredients for the most delicious of all appetizers, Bruschetta!

And as luck would have it, these two vegetables grow amazingly well together.  In fact, they are the perfect companion plantings!  Last year I planted these veggies together, and it was my most successful little garden – just full of beautiful tomatoes, and an abundance of basil!  Yum.

But you can’t give these plants as a gift without an amazing recipe for Bruschetta!  No worries, I’ve got you covered…I made a downloadable recipe card you can include in your gift!
(Just drag it onto your desktop and print!)

So if you haven’t got your Mother’s Day gift together yet, I hope I may have inspired an idea for you!

Have a delicious day!

 

Sharing with Thirty Handmade Days, Inspiration Gallery, The Frugal Girls, Becoming Martha, Five Days 5 Ways, Little Inspiration, Tatertots & Jello

Cedar Planked Fruit & Wine Brie Bites

I have a love affair with cheese.  I could eat it morning, noon and night…and Brie cheese?
Don’t even get me started on its deliciousness.

I think a Brie wheel ends up at every one of our family get togethers, and we all stand over its melted gooeyness scooping it up with crackers.  But I know, we’re all wishing we were using spoons instead.  And shovelling that goodness into our mouths without abandon.  I know I am.  Where did all this social grace and politeness come from anyway?  Especially when it comes to food!  ;)

A while back when on a shopping trip looking for inspiration for our deck makeover (which is coming to the blog soon!), I saw a recipe in the most unlikely of places…Winners.  Amongst all the patio cushions and fancy glasses, there was this recipe that was calling to me loud and clear “Jo-Anna you must make me and eat me.”  Really I heard it .  So naturally, I had to listen right?

I loved the idea of pairing fresh raspberries with Brie cheese.  And not just with a plain old Brie Wheel (which you could use of course), but little Brie bites.  Yes.  Have you ever seen cuter Brie?

I went to a wine show a few months ago and they were serving these little bitty bites and I almost fell over from their cuteness.  I knew I had to get my hands on some, so when I saw that recipe, I knew they would be perfect for this fruit & wine chutney.  And they are.

These little bites are bursting with flavours of the buttery Brie, the fresh berries, the wine and the slight flavour of the cedar plank.  They are ah-mazing!

So here we go…

Cedar Planked Fruit & Wine Brie Bites.  Oh. Yes.

Cedar Planked Fruit & Wine Brie Bites
 

Ingredients
  • 1 cedar plank
  • 10 mini Brie cheese wheels (or one large Brie wheel)
  • ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries
  • ½ cup fresh raspberries
  • ¼ cup raspberry jam
  • ¼ cup Sauvignon Blanc
  • fresh ground pepper

Instructions
  1. Soak the cedar plank in cold water for at least 1 hour.
  2. In a bowl combine the fresh berries, raspberry jam, and wine. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.
  3. Preheat your BBQ to medium-high heat.
  4. Once the plank has been soaked, pat it dry, then place the Brie bites onto the plank, evenly spacing them out.
  5. Add a generous spoonful of the berry mixture on to the top of each Brie bite.
  6. Then place the plank on to your grill, close the lid and cook for 5-10 minutes.
  7. You have to check on them, and make sure that the Brie doesn’t melt out. They are done once the Brie looks like it’s almost ready to melt out of its rind.
  8. Serve with crackers or fresh chunks of bread!

 

Here are what they look like before they went on to the grill.  So pretty & scrumptious!
These bites would be so perfect for a party with friends & family…great flavour and great conversation pieces!

The chutney is bursting with fresh berry flavour…forget the Brie, I could eat this stuff by the spoonful!  ;)

So go ahead…make these…I bet you can’t eat just one…

Have a delicious day!

Sharing with Between Naps on the Porch, Lolly Jane, Chef-in-Training, Today’s Creative Blog, The Winthrop Chronicles, DIY Dreamer, Whipperberry, Nifty Thrifty Things, Under the Table and Dreaming

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