The best rhubarb bread recipes always seem to include some type of sweeteners, which makes this yummy item a mouth-watering treat for a dessert or a snack. Though tart when raw, this vegetable-commonly thought of as a fruit-is deliciously sweet when baked in breads and cakes.
Rhubarb can be found in many gardens in North American from early spring until frost. The best time to use fresh rhubarb is from spring to mid-summer, but frozen rhubarb can be used year round. Because the leaves of the rhubarb plant are toxic, it's important to cut off about two inches of stalk near the leafy end and discard. Also, because cutting the stalk at ground level allows bacteria to get into the plant, the best way to pick rhubarb is to grab hold of a stalk and, with a slight twisting action, pull upward. The stalk will release from beneath the ground. Wash the dirt off, discard the leafy portion and get ready to make a couple of loaves of bread that your family is going to love.
The following rhubarb bread recipe is for a quick bread that is so delicious, you might mistake it for rhubarb cake. It produces a great loaf, but can be baked in large muffin tins for easier transportation in lunch bags. Serve with butter or eat plain.
Rhubarb Bread Recipe
Ingredients You Will Need:
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 ½ cups rhubarb, chopped
½ cup nuts, chopped
2 ½ cups white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Using an electric mixer, combine the brown sugar, oil, egg and buttermilk, mixing to make sure the egg has been blended well. Using a spoon, fold in the rhubarb pieces and nuts.
Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, making sure the baking soda and baking powder are evenly distributed. Create a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Fold until moistened. Batter will be lumpy.
Pour into large muffin tins and bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
The brown sugar in this recipe can be substituted for equal parts honey. Because honey-sweetened baked goods tend to brown quicker, you may have to decrease the temperature to 350 degrees.
For variety, make banana rhubarb bread by adding a cup of mashed ripe bananas to the recipe. And because banana bread is best when baked at 325 degrees, you may have to adjust the temperature again. When baking, variety really is the spice of life, and experimentation is the key to perfection!
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