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Mar 22, 2021

Mandarin Orange and Rhubarb Mini Loaves

These Mandarin Orange and Rhubarb Mini Loaves are perfect to make when rhubarb begins showing up in grocery stores and farmers markets. 

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Slices of Mandarin Orange and Rhubarb Mini Loaves




These little rhubarb and orange breads are super easy to make and take advantage of the rhubarb bounty available in the spring. 

You can also enjoy this bread any time of the year. When you spot rhubarb in the grocery store, buy it and freeze it! I like to cut it into small slices, freeze them on a quarter sheet pan, and then put them in a freezer bag to bake with all year long. 

Chopped rhubarb




Most of the flavor and color in rhubarb is in its skin, so be sure not to peel it. While you might think of pie when you think of rhubarb, it's also excellent in these little loaves. 

I baked these loaves in my new Circulon 6-cavity mini loaf pan from one of our Spring Sweets Week Prize Sponsors. It's perfect for converting a quick bread recipe into mini loaves. 



Mandarin Orange and Rhubarb Mini Loaves in pan




This bread combines the sweet flavor of Mandarin orange and tart flavor of rhubarb. The bread is super moist and not overly sweet. In fact, it's mostly sweetened by some honey and the orange juice. 

The Mandarin oranges I used were super sweet and the zest added so much "orange-y" flavor to this bread. I received the oranges and the rhubarb from Melissa's Produce, another Spring Sweets Week sponsor. 

Also in the box were some gorgeous organic carrots, kiwi berries (which were the first thing to be devoured by my family). some grapefruit, a super juicy pineapple, key limes, kumquats, and cherimoya.

 Later this week I'll be posting a recipe for candied kumquats, which I used in a green tea sourdough bread, and one of these days, I'll be posting my new favorite cherimoya margarita.

I used the organic carrots in a spicy carrot salad

Assorted produce




I supplemented the flour in these little loaves with some pecan meal. If you can't find pecan meal, just whir some pecans in your food processor until you have fine crumbs. You can also finely chop pecans with a sharp knife. 

The orange flavor in these loaves is fairly faint. If you want more, you can add more zest or a bit of orange oil. 

The Mandarin oranges were wonderful by the way. 

Mandarin Orange slices



To make these little loaves easy to remove from the pan, I lined the cavities with parchment paper with little "handles" for lifting them out. 

Another trick I used to make sure that the little loaves were evenly sized was to weight the batter and then divide it by 6 so that I could weigh out the batter evenly into the pan. Now that I've done the work for you, you can rest assured that 2/3 cup of batter per loaf is just about perfect! 

A scale for baking is a beautiful thing. 

Rhubarb mini loaves



These loaves are great for gifts. You can also wrap them tightly and freeze them for later. They are delicious with whipped cream or ice cream, or just rewarmed and sliced for breakfast. 

Tips for making this rhubarb bread:

Just use the "muffin method" to make the batter. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. 

Next, add the dry ingredients in stages into the wet ingredients. 

To level the batter in the baking pan, just tap the pan on your counter before placing it in the oven. 

Be sure to let the loaves cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack so thaqt they don't break apart while you are handling them. 



Mandarin Orange and Rhubarb Mini Loaves halved




Welcome to #SpringSweetsWeek 2021 hosted by Heather from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks!   

With the weather warming up and flowers beginning to bloom let's celebrate with spring sweets and a fun giveaway!  This year, 24 food bloggers from around the country are sharing over 100 sweet recipes that are perfect for the spring season.  Say goodbye to the snow and cold and get ready to enjoy the best spring treats like cupcakes, cookies, pies, dessert boards, and even a few beverages!  

SpringSweetsWeek Recipes:

We share recipes from #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest! Make sure you follow the board to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.



Mandarin Orange and Rhubarb Mini Loaves




Mandarin Orange and Rhubarb Mini Loaves

Mandarin Orange and Rhubarb Mini Loaves
Yield: 12 servings
Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories
These Mandarin Orange and Rhubarb Mini Loaves are perfect to make when rhubarb begins showing up in grocery stores and farmers markets.

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • Zest of one orange
  • 1 1/2 cups of rhubarb that has been sliced into 1/4 inch slices
  • 2 cups (9 ounces) all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup pecan meal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

  1. Spray the cavities of a 6-cavity mini loaf pan with spray oil and line with parchment paper. 
  2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, honey, butter, orange juice, and orange zest. stir in the rhubarb.
  4. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pecan meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger. 
  5. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture in stages and stir to combine. 
  6. Add 2/3 cup of the batter to each cavity of the pan. Tap the pan firmly on the counter to settle the batter. 
  7. Bake the loaves for 22 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 
  8. Cool the loaves in the pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack. 

Calories

169.76

Fat (grams)

9.77

Sat. Fat (grams)

5.15

Carbs (grams)

20.57

Fiber (grams)

0.97

Net carbs

19.60

Sugar (grams)

14.62

Protein (grams)

1.78

Sodium (milligrams)

290.20

Cholesterol (grams)

35.84
quick bread, rhubarb
Quick bread, breakfast
American
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Created using The Recipes Generator

Would you like to comment?

  1. Orange and rhubarb sounds like the perfect combination. The pink bits are so pretty in the loaves too. I can't wait to try this when my mom's rhubarb is ready!

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  2. I just recently made an orange rhubarb crisp and was surprised by how well they work together! I love this combination especially in a bread!

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  3. I love the flavor profile of these breads. Don't you just love this pan?

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  4. I have never used orange and rhubarb together, I think I need to!

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  5. Who could resist a mini loaf with these flavors?? What a perfect treat!

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  6. I love the little bits of rhubarb in here!

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  7. Mandrine orange and rhubarb, what a perfect flavor combination!

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  8. The color in these is so pretty, like a breath of spring!

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  9. I've never seen rhubarb in anything except a pie! This is exceptional! I have to remember not to peel it.

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  10. I haven't tried orange with rhubarb before but it sounds wonderful. The color on your rhubarb in the loaves is perfect.

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