Lemon poppy seed muffins: Your ultimate holiday treat
Before it's time for holiday baking, it's worth saving your energy. If you want to prepare something delicious for dessert, choose a simple recipe for speckled muffins. These muffins come out light and fluffy, and they have a charming look with poppy seeds sprinkled throughout.
12:57 PM EST, November 24, 2024
Lemon poppy seed muffins are a great addition to a warming tea with spicy flavors. The juice and zest from the lemon give them a pleasantly refreshing taste, which I enhance by adding classic icing. I can't resist reaching for another muffin myself.
Carefully wash the lemon for your baking
The lemon peel is often coated with protective wax and may contain pesticides to protect the fruit from pests. If you want to get rid of harmful substances, it's worth using a simple home method.
Soak the lemon in a solution of water and baking soda—just 1 teaspoon of baking soda per quart of water. Remove it after 5 minutes and thoroughly wash the lemon under running water. This procedure not only removes impurities but also lets you fully enjoy the natural aroma of the lemon in speckled cupcakes.
What icing do I make for poppy seed muffins?
I make the icing using a tried-and-true method that my mom showed me a long time ago. I gradually add lemon juice to powdered sugar, mixing until I achieve a thick, very slowly flowing consistency. To drizzle the muffins, I prepare icing with 3.5 oz of sugar and juice from half a lemon.
Recipe for Speckled Lemon Muffins
Making these muffins is very simple and doesn't require a mixer. Just mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones. From the proportions below, you'll make 12 speckled cupcakes.
Dry ingredients:
- 9 oz of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 5 oz of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds
- Zest from one lemon
Wet ingredients:
- 5 fl oz of oil
- 2 eggs
- 5 fl oz of buttermilk or yogurt
- Juice from 1 lemon
Instructions:
- Sift the flour into a bowl, and mix with baking powder, sugar, and poppy seeds. Add the zest grated on a fine grater to the dry ingredients.
- In another bowl, mix eggs with oil, buttermilk (or yogurt), and lemon juice.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix with a spoon.
- Spoon the batter into muffin molds.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit.
- Once the muffins have cooled, drizzle them with lemon icing. You can also sprinkle additional poppy seeds on top.
