A Burst of Spring: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

I have always loved Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.  I remember choosing them from the Costco pack of assorted muffins – you know the pack that had chocolate, blueberry and poppy seed (well, that’s when they included lemon poppy seed. They are now long gone and Costco replaced them with some sort of apple cake…err I mean muffin!).

When I saw a fellow blogger, The Way the Cooke Crumbles, post these a few weeks ago, I was instantly reminded of how much I loved these muffins, and set my mind to making them!  Finding poppy seeds wasn’t the easiest of tasks, but I finally found some and away I went!

How good are they?  I made 12 at 8pm on Thursday night….Friday afternoon at 2pm, there were 4 left.  Let me remind you that it is only CH and I in this house.  I may have skipped making dinner and lunch, and we just ate these instead.  I am planning to make another batch on Sunday evening to have as breakfast for the week (if they last that long!).

I definitely recommend adding this to your baking list.  They aren’t overly sweet, just a nice hint of lemon and all around just delicious!  I skipped doing the glaze and/or frosting and just lightly dusted them with sugar when they came out hot from the oven!

I hope you enjoy…I’m off to fight CH for the last one!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Yield:  12 muffins
Prep Time:  10 minutes
Cook Time:  16 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon, for grated zest and its juice
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds

For the Icing (Optional)

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

~ OR ~

• 3 tsp of fine sugar, for dusting while the muffins are warm from oven

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Butter or spray a regular-size muffin pan or line with paper muffin cups.

In your KitchenAid mixer, fitted with the flat mixer, mix the sugar and lemon zest together until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of lemon strong.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the lemon/sugar mixture and combine well.

In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter together until well blended.

Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and on medium-low speed, stir to blend.  Don’t overmix – a few lumps are OK and it’s better than over mixing the batter.  Stir in the poppy seeds.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.  (Note – The mixture will have the texture of scones, or at least for me it did!  It was quite a sticky batter and a little hard to place in the muffin tin.  Just use your hands, it’s easier!)

Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thick knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Carefully remove each muffin from its mold and place on a wire rack.

Either sprinkle immediately with fine sugar, or cool the muffins completely on the rack before icing them.

Recipe From Tuesday’s with Dorie Host: A Cup of Sweetness (Post Inspired by The Way the Cookie Crumbles)