What are the Best Tips for Making Rhubarb Muffins?

When baking rhubarb muffins, it's best choose the freshest quality rhubarb or rhubarb stalks for the muffins. Sugar ratio is also important. Too much sugar can take away from the naturally tart taste of the rhubarb. Too little sugar may make muffins taste too acidic.

The most essential part of baking rhubarb muffins involves the rhubarb preparation. To avoid muffins that have a very thick consistency or an extremely pungent flavor, the rhubarb should be chopped into very fine pieces. A hand chopper or food processor can be handy for this.

A few other healthy ingredients can be added to the muffins as well. Almonds and cinnamon will add a nice flavor and are nutritious, full of vitamins such as vitamin E. Diced fruit, such as berries, may be another good addition to rhubarb muffins. Banana puree works well too.

The baking tin should be lined with paper baking cups before rhubarb muffin batter is poured into the cups. An unlined tin will not only make it difficult to remove the muffins, but may cause the bottom of the muffins to become burnt.

Another helpful trick is knowing how to make yesterday's batch taste as fresh as the moment it came out of the oven. All that is needed is a quick reheat. This can be done in a microwave set to 30 percent power.

Measuring is important when baking, and rhubarb muffins are no exception to the rule. If a recipe calls for medium-sized eggs, it is important not to use large or extra large in the mix. The wrong size eggs can make muffins runny or have an uneven consistency. Muffins also may come out with an extra moist center if the wrong eggs are used.

When preparing a rhubarb muffins batter, it is important that the mixture be somewhat lumpy. Overmixing the batter until it is smooth is not recommended. This might prevent the muffins from becoming fully baked. Conversely, the batter should not be overly stuffed with ingredients, as this might make it difficult to mix and the muffins might taste too dry.

In older ovens, the temperature may vary somewhat from newer models, and not be as accurate. For this reason, rhubarb muffins should be checked halfway through baking time. If a toothpick placed gently into the center of a muffin comes out clean, the muffin is fully baked. If batter or liquid comes out on the toothpick, the muffins will need to be in the oven for a little while longer.