It is a real treat to have a Lemon Poppyseed Muffin for breakfast with a cup of coffee. The recipe starts with creaming the butter and sugar so that the end product is more like a cake and not like a traditional muffin. The batter also contains sour cream which adds moisture and richness. When creaming the butter and sugar be careful to make sure it is light and fluffy before you add the eggs, this step helps to create a muffin that is tender and light. The final step when making this muffin is to top it with a glaze made out of lemon juice and vanilla sugar, this adds extra sweetness and a little tartness.
This recipe comes from one of my favourite cookbooks, The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread. I absolutely love this book and also the author’s bakery Amy’s Bread located in NYC. I often purchased her breads and baked goods when I lived in the city; everyday on my walk home from school I would pick up one her Challah Chocolate Twists as my afternoon snack.
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Recipe from Amy’s Breads
makes 12 large muffins
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 1/2 cups (+1 Tablespoon) sugar
5 large eggs
1/3 cup poppy seeds
2 Tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest
2 Tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
3 1/4 cups all Purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon Baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup + 2 Tbsp Sour Cream (Full-Fat)
Glaze
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Vanilla Sugar
Position one rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin cups or line 12 muffin cups with muffin papers.
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the eggs, and mix until fully combined. In a small bowl, combine the poppy seeds, lemon zest, the lemon juice, and the vanilla extract. Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk together. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix slowly until almost combined. Add the sour cream, and mix until almost combined. Finally add the remaining dry ingredients and mix just until barely moistened. Be very careful not to overmix this batter. Gently scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
Bake in a preheated oven for 16 minutes, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through the baking time. Bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Watch the muffins carefully and do not overbake! While the muffins are baking, in a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and sugar to make a glaze. Just as the muffins are removed from the oven, brush the lemon glaze generously over each one to moisten.
Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pan and place on a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve these muffins warm from the oven or within 8 hours after baking. Wrap the remaining muffins in plastic film to keep them moist
Comments
Just made these and they came out great! I added about a half cup of water to the batter at the very end because it seemed way too doughy and they turned out pretty well. Love the glaze too.. I loaded them up with it. It’s amazing how perfectly conical the tops become! Thank you!