Cinnamon Rhubarb Bread

It’s rhubarb season! We have just a little bit of rhubarb (one struggling plant) in our garden, but we had a half-dozen stalks and were wondering what to do with it. Then I moved a folder in the kitchen rack where I collect coupons and menus and such, and out popped this recipe that I don’t even remember clipping. It was developed by the Heart Smart folks at Henry Ford Health System and printed in the Detroit Free Press, probably last year. I had just enough rhubarb (though I felt it could have used a little more). The best thing is you don’t have to cook the rhubarb first, just chop it up.

I didn’t have any whole-wheat flour so I used all-purpose. Maybe that’s one reason the bread seemed so light.

Ingredients:

¾ cup diced rhubarb
1 cup plus 2 Tbs.  sugar, divided
1 container (5.3 ounce) low-fat plain Greek yogurt (about
⅔ cup)
¼ cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup white whole-wheat flour
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1 tsp.baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
⅛ tsp. salt

Strawberry Glaze:
1 Tbs. strawberry jam
⅓ cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tsp. water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with baking spray (or use a parchment-paper pan liner); set aside. In a small bowl, toss rhubarb and 2 tablespoons sugar; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together remaining 1 cup sugar, yogurt, oil, egg, and vanilla with an electric mixer.

In a separate bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until just moistened, being careful not to over mix. Gently fold in rhubarb and its juices. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

To prepare glaze: Heat jam until easy to stir. Add powdered sugar and stir. Thin glaze with 1 to 2 teaspoons water. Spread glaze over top of bread while warm.

Cool bread in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread  from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 12 slices