Rhubarb Bread

With our rhubarb plant ready to burst with fruit, I started hunting out some recipes to make use of it. I love rhubarb pies, but thought I might do something different this year. I found a delicious recipe for Rhubarb Bread that I decided to try...and now share:

1 cup milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cups vegetable oil
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour whole wheat or white
1 tsp flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 325, grease two 9x5 loaf pans (or one 8x8 which is what I used & it worked out great). In a small bowl combine milk, lemon juice, and vanilla, let stand for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, oil and egg. Combine flour, salt and baking soda, stir into mixture alternately with milk mixture until just combined. Fold in rhubarb and nuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.

In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the loaves. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Rhubarb must be the easiest plant to grow, or maybe it's just perfectly suited to this Michigan climate because I don't do a *thing* to it and every Spring get a beautiful crop. This recipe makes a delicious bread, and much like other fruit breads, it's more like a cake. It passed the kid and husband test, and is great for breakfast or dessert. :)

Recipe courtesy of http://www.portlandfoodie.com