Rhubarb cake / Rhubarb muffins

Rhubarb is commonly used in pies and cakes in Sweden. Normally a lot of sugar will be used (Especially the Swedish recipes) for making them because the plant's leaf stalks are too sour. To me, I still prefer the Swedes' best and most commonly used phrase - "Lagom är bäst!" in my baking. (Something like: "Just nice is the best!" In Chinese would be something like "刚刚好/恰到好处"!)

I don't like sweetness overpower the acidity. I like to taste the original acidity of the rhubarb. Recently I have found the touch in making by far the best rhubarb cake and muffins with the right balance between these two elements! Yes! :). With this simple and quick recipe you will save some time and use it for cooking your main course if you have guests over for dinner. 

I have used the same recipe for making cake and muffins. If you are In a rush time or lazy mood - bake them into cake :)...If you have time and like to play with bolls  - make muffins! ( Have to separate the dough into bolls in order to get the equal size for each muffin, right? :) )

Fresh and organic rhubarb stalks from my friend's garden. I can make many many muffins out of them. 

Temperature: 175c

300g rhubarb - you can use more/ less of them depends on your choice of acidity
100g butter
2,5 dl flour ( I use 1,5dl flour and 1dl rye flour, or you can use only rye flour, even more healthier :)
1,5 dl sugar
4  teaspoon vanilla sugar
1 teaspoon baking power
1 egg

Nib sugar (also knows as pearl sugar or hail sugar) 

****Prepare two middle-size bowls. One for the butter + vanilla sugar. One for the dry ingredients.
**** Get ready a pie form. Any form will do, I normally use the rectangle form for the cake one. Or get really your muffin papers in the muffin tray.

By the way, no need to bring out your big blender or beater....USE YOUR HANDS!

Let's start!

1. Use the first bowl. Melt the butter and put the vanilla sugar into it. Whip them together until the sugar melt with the butter.

2. Mix flour, sugar and baking power into the second bowl. Mix them well with a chop sticker or stick. (By doing this the sugar and the baking power will be equaled mixed with the flour).

3. Now put the egg into no.1 and whip them together.

4. Then pour No.2 (mixture of the dry ingredients) into the mixture of butter and egg. Pour them in in three times. Mix them gently while pouring in the flour (go by the clockwise direction). 

5. Then spread out the dough into the form or muffin paper. 

6. Now you can cut the rhubarb into 2 - 2,5 c.m. per piece. Don't measure them all, please. Not sure about how big 2 c.m. is, measure the first piece, then you can cut the rest of them with feeling by looking at the first one :)

7. Then cover the dough with the rhubarb! You really have to press them into the dough, not on top of the dough. You can see here I have cut some of them into some small pieces too in order to press them into the corner. 

8. Sprinkle the pearl sugar on top. Again up to your taste. If you want sweeter, pour in more. Otherwise, as I say "lagom" will be good :).

9. After that put them into the oven for 30 min.

It's done! 

10.Now makan lah! (Eat in Malay :)) You can enjoy it with just a cup of coffee/tea, or serve with an extra kick - vanilla ice-cream! 

The muffins taste even better with tea in my favorite mug.

I forgot to take this one out in time the other day!
I was busy chatting with a friend on FB and didn't hear the timer rang.
You see, distraction is harmful to your baking. :) Don't follow my mistake!
Well,  I took away the burning part (only the top part) while it was hot.
The cake, thank goodness was still edible and tasted as good as the muffins!  :)