Anticiplate

Thank you so much for coming back after that last “Debby Downer” post. I feel like a veil has been lifted, and I am once again back to normal. Normal enough to even bake. Which, if you know me at all, I just DON’T do.

Things are looking up because, I found a kitchen internship(s)! I am not ready to disclose the restaurant just yet (for fear of jinxing it them) but I will disclose something else. I am starting a new blog to chronicle my novice professional cooking experience. It is called Summer Spoon. You should bookmark it, or put it on your Google reader because I will be posting daily. Like today.

Yes. I said it. DAILY (unless I really have nothing to say).

But, the bad news is because I might be working A LOT, and Anticiplate might be getting put on the back-burner to my newer and shinier blog. I am not trying to scare you, but be forewarned.  I will try to keep up the postings.

So, on to my baking. I found this recipe from a new blog I discovered called Luna Cafe from good ol’ Twitter. I was initially intrigued because of the combination of flavors, that I saw it on Tastespotting, and because I happened to have all of the ingredients in. my. house.

Rare.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Makes 12 HUGE muffins

Adapted from the Luna Cafe blog

For Rhubarb:

1½ cups ½-inch diced rhubarb (about 7 ounces, 1 medium-size, trimmed rhubarb stalk)

¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon ground cardamom (I used whole cardamon, and ground it fresh)

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Finely grated zest of 1 large lime

For Streusal:

¾ cup King Arthurs unbleached, all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar, packed

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup unsalted butter, very cold, cut into 32 pieces

For Batter:

2 cups King Arthurs unbleached, all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg

8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, cooled slightly

2/3 cup plain whole milk yogurt

1/3 cup whole milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make the rhubarb mixture, in a mixing bowl, combine the rhubarb, sugar, cardamom, cloves and lime zest. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let macerate for at least 30 minutes. Mixture should appear very juicy when maceration is complete. Stir halfway through.

To make the streusel topping, in a small mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients, and cut in the butter with your hands until mixture is evenly crumbly. Put in the refrigerator while making the batter.

To make the muffin batter, in a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and then add sugar. Whisk thoroughly to distribute the chemical leaveners.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg briefly, and then whisk in the melted butter, yogurt, and milk. Pour the liquid ingredients, and rhubarb mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir quickly and gently with a large, flexible rubber spatula just to evenly moisten. The batter should still be lumpy.

Lightly spray a traditional 12-unit muffin with vegetable spray. Divide the batter among the cups, letting the batter mound naturally. The cups should be 3/4 of the way full .Sprinkle the streusel topping on top of each muffin and then press it down lightly into the batter (so that it doesn’t fall off during baking). You may have a small amount of streusel topping left over, which you can put in a freezer bag and reserve for the a cobbler.

Bake immediately at 400° for about 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Similar recipe combinations:
Anne from Anne’s Food makes a Rhubarb-Cardamom Cake
Cardamom-scented Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp from Half Baked