Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Ingredient list

For the muffins:

• Lemons: fresh lemon juice and zest gives the muffin batter the best flavor.
• Poppy seeds: they add crunchiness and pair great with lemon. Poppy seeds made for baking are processed and apt for eating.
• Greek yogurt: it's a great ingredient that renders tender muffins and a tanginess perfect to balance out the sugar in the recipe.
• Butter: use your favorite unsalted butter.
• White, granulated sugar.
• Eggs: fresh, large.
• Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper. 
• Flour: all-purpose flour and cake flour work.
• Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
• Baking powder and baking soda: are used as leaveners to help the muffins rise, so make sure they aren't expired. 

For the glaze:

• Powdered sugar: also called confectioners or icing sugar, you can easily buy it online. Domino powdered sugar is a very popular one.
• Lemon juice.

How to make lemon poppy muffins

It's a vintage muffin recipe made the old-fashioned way.

You don't need special equipment, just two bowls, a whisk (or wooden spoon), and a spatula. Super simple.

Lemon sugar: the lemon zest is rubbed with the sugar to extract flavor from the oils. They're then added to the rest of the dry ingredients.

Quick mixing: the wet ingredients are added to the dry ones, and you should integrate well but never beat or overmix.

Make sure there are no flour spots left in the bottom of the bowl, something that can happen when the batter is dense, as this one. Using a spatula for this step is the best option.

Dense muffin batters look irregular when going into the oven but will smooth and even out during baking.

Vintage Kitchen tip: don't overmix the batter when you combine the two preparations. Use a spatula for easier and gentler mixing, and stop when the dry ingredients are integrated. This will result if fluffier and softer muffins.

The muffin pan

Or muffin tin, as it's also called. They come in different shapes and sizes.

• If using paper liners: buy ones that fit well. Always check the measurements of both, especially the bottom diameter.
• Greasing or buttering the pan: use baking spray or soft butter.
• How to get even muffins: dividing the batter evenly among the tins or muffin liners is key. The easiest way to do this is with a cookie scoop, so you measure the same amount each time. You can also weigh the batter and know how much goes into each muffin cup.

Lemon syrup

Good muffins should be soft and fluffy, which implies not being dry.

Adding a simple syrup is one of the best ways to add extra flavor and moistness to a muffin. In this case, we mix sugar with lemon juice.

Brushing the muffin tops: right after you take them out of the oven, while still hot (so they absorb as much syrup as they can), brush the tops of the muffins. It's the simplest way to get most syrup into the muffin and spill as little as possible. Though some will drip down anyways, it's a fact.

Lemon glaze

• Powdered sugar glaze is the perfect way to dress up these muffins. It adds sweetness, more lemon flavor, and seals in moisture. Every bite is luscious!
• How to make it: mix powdered sugar with lemon juice. How much juice is always the question, and it depends on how thick you want the glaze to be. Less juice for a whiter, thicker topping, and more juice for a more tart lemon glaze that will be runnier and add a thinner layer of icing.

Kitchen notes

• Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
• Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
• Wet ingredients: it's important to add the melted butter slightly warm and at the end, after you've mixed the eggs with the Greek yogurt. This will ensure that the butter doesn't seize or curdle bits of egg (which can happen if you add it too hot).
• Lemon syrup: adds moisture and flavor, so don't omit it! It will seep right into the muffins by adding it cold to the hot muffins. If you don't add it and they cool down, heat the syrup before adding it.
• Yogurt: I love the tanginess of Greek yogurt (plain, unsweetened), but you can also use sour cream with excellent results. I have made it with both.
• Amount of seeds: this recipe calls for two tablespoons; you can add up to 3 if you want muffins overflowing with a lot of crunch. Some people like it that way though it makes the muffins denser.
• Tart lemon flavor: some like a sweeter muffin with a nice lemon flavor, and others like to almost pucker. While muffins are not meant to make you pucker, you can add more flavor by using more lemon zest, as much as double the amount in the recipe.
• Muffin tins: I use regular-sized ones, a very old pan I love. You can butter or spray each one or use muffin cups (muffin liners, cupcake liners, or paper cups), so there's minimal cleanup of the pan, and it makes them easier to transport and store.
• Storage: I fervently believe muffins are meant to be eaten in the first few hours they're made. But they last a day or two if covered with plastic wrap, in a bag or airtight container.
• Freezing them: is the best option if you're not eating them soon. Do so after brushing them with syrup but before adding the glaze. Defrost at room temperature and warm them slightly in a medium oven (350°F/180°C) before eating.