Rhubarb Pear Muffins
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Sheridan Rogers
These moist buttery rhubarb and pear muffins are inspired by the ones you’ll find at Bourke Street Bakery. They make a good accompaniment to a cup of tea at breakfast, with coffee later in the morning, or for afternoon tea. You can substitute 450g mixed berries or any other fruit for the pears and rhubarb. I really like their simple unpretentiousness.
Ingredients
- plain flour 400g (2 2/3 cups)
- baking powder 2 teaspoons
- caster sugar 250g (1 cup)
- unsalted butter 300g
- buttermilk 500ml (2 cups)
- free range or organic eggs 3
- firm pears 2, peeled, cored and diced
- rhubarb 1 long stalk, halved lengthways and diced
- demerara sugar 2 – 3 tablespoons
- ground cinnamon 1/2 – 1 teaspoon
- rhubarb 1/2 stalk, sliced thinly lengthways and into 2cm lengths
Preheat the oven to 190degC (375degF). Lightly grease 2 x 12-cup muffin or cupcake tins and line with paper cases. Sift the flour, baking powder and sugar into a large bowl. Mix well to combine. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and add the buttermilk. Use a whisk to stir in the eggs. Pour over the dry ingredients. Whisk well to combine but don’t worry if a few lumps of flour remain. Use a large spoon to stir through the pears and rhubarb. Spoon mixture into prepared paper cases until almost full. Lay a couple of thin slices of rhubarb over the tops. Mix together the demerara sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake 20 -25 minutes. If the tops are beginning to brown too quickly, reduce the temperature to 180degC (350degF). Push the tops gently to check if they’re firm and turn one out to ensure the bottom has coloured. Remove from oven and leave in tins ten minutes before turning out to cool on a wire rack.