Strawberry & Rhubarb Muffins

Spring is in the air! Are your senses overloaded with blooms abound? As the weather gets warmer and the gardens flower with delight, we are ready to bring back alfresco brunching in style…with a delicious recipe, of course!

We teamed up with The Kitchen for Exploring Foods to design this recipe for strawberry and rhubarb muffins sprinkled with homemade lilac sugar. They are the perfect and prettiest addition to the seasons table. Enjoy!

Strawberry & Rhubarb Muffins with Lilac Sugar
Yields: 12 Muffins

2 ½ Cups All-purpose Flour
2 Cups, divided plus 1 heaping tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
½ Tsp Baking Soda
¼ Tsp Fine Sea Salt
7 oz. Hulled Ripe Strawberries, cut into chunks
9 oz. Fresh Whole Milk Ricotta
3 Large Farm Fresh Organic Eggs
1/3 Cup plus 2 Tbsp Mild Olive Oil
7 oz. Fresh Rhubarb, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
12 Paper Muffin Liners
¾ Cup Fresh Organic Lilac Blossoms

For the muffins: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Take 1 heaping tablespoon of the flour mixture and toss it gently with the strawberries and rhubarb*.

In a second large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, olive oil, and orange juice until light and fluffy. Add to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the batter is lumpy with a few bits of flour here and there. Gently fold in the floured strawberries and rhubarb. Be careful to not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle with lilac sugar (plain granulated sugar may be substituted). Bake for about 18 – 20 minutes or until golden and baked through. Take the muffins out of the pan and let them cool on a wire rack for 2 minutes before serving.

For the lilac sugar: Make 3-7 days in advance. Place 1 cup sugar and ¾ cup fresh, organic lilac blossoms, stems removed, in a glass jar with tight fitting lid. Shake well to distribute the blossoms. Store in a cool, dark place. Shake the jar once daily for 3 days, up to a week. Strain through a sieve with large holes to remove blossoms.

*note that the strawberries will make the muffins very juicy

As seen in Flutter Magazine, Issue No. 17

Photography: Michelle Beller | Film Processing: Richard Photo Lab | Recipe Design: The Kitchen for Exploring Foods | Floral Design: Flower Wild | Prop Styling: Stephanie Fowler | Dishware / Flatware / Linens: The Ark | Lilacs + Location: Kilcoyne Lilac Farm | Jewelry: Single Stone | Wardrobe Styling: Room 4 Agency