Rhubarb Almond Muffins

I have always felt that muffins were little more than cupcakes for grown-ups, and I guess that’s why I love them. I adore heavy bran clunkers as much as I do their light, cakey sisters, but strive for something in the middle when I am baking them at home. I was inspired by a recipe at the Mayo Clinic Web site for a healthy rhubarb muffin, and did a bit of a riff on it. Here’s what I came up with: Perfectly nutritious, but still cupcake-yummy.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup organic raw sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 egg whites
2 tbsp. light olive oil
2 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce (or strawberry applesauce if available)
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 1/4 cup finely chopped rhubarb
3 tbsp. chopped almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined.

3. In another bowl, add the egg whites, oil, applesauce, orange juice and almond extract. Beat until smooth with an electric mixer or by hand. Add to the flour mixture and blend just until moistened but lumpy. Stir in the rhubarb.

4. Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Sprinkle the chopped almonds onto each muffin and bake until springy to the touch, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Melinda offline K.

7:29PM PDT on Mar 18, 2012

thanks

send a green star

J.L. A.

7:57AM PST on Mar 6, 2012

yum!

David N.

8:19AM PST on Mar 3, 2012

Thanks for the article.

Micheal M.

8:40AM PST on Feb 4, 2012

"Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food." Hippocrates
we must light up the darkness for knowledge is not power its empowering lets all be empowered to change. life has value beyond measure
Peace and Love

Katherine K.

6:22AM PST on Jan 17, 2012

these sound and look yummy!! i`d love to make them!!

Michele W.

4:20AM PST on Jan 2, 2012

Thank you

Jennifer C.

10:37PM PDT on Jul 31, 2011

Fabulous recipe. Thanks for sharing.

Rachel O.

2:58PM PST on Feb 23, 2010

wow...these look great! we grow rhubarb at home & always look forward to using it when the time comes....most def would like to try these. possibly with spelt flour though - has anybody tried baking them...if so, would you think it would work pretty much the same?

Claudia L.

11:21AM PST on Jan 29, 2010

these sound very unusual thanks

foxy v.

2:49PM PDT on Aug 19, 2008

I'll try to veganize it and see how it works.