Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

This is a great recipe for bakery-style lemon muffins with a nice dose of crunchy poppy seeds, that will rise tall and crack slightly at the top as they bake to a golden brown. A cold syrup is brushed the minute they get out of the oven and topped with a sweet lemon glaze when they cool down for even more flavor!

About this recipe

So moist and irresistible, you'll want to make them often.

I set out to make a bakery-style muffin and a very lemony muffin, all in one. The challenge in making them was adding as much lemon flavor as I could to each bite. Otherwise, they're just another muffin with seeds. So far, they're the best lemon poppyseed muffins I ever made.

There is a simple technique to bring more flavor out of fresh lemon zest (it works with other citrus too) and that is to rub it with the sugar before adding it to the batter. This releases the oil that is present in the skin of the lemon and mixes with the sugar creating lemon sugar in this case.

Together with brushing the muffins with a cold syrup and then adding a final lemon powdered sugar glaze, I added fresh lemon flavor everywhere I could. We should be able to really taste it, right?

Ingredients

• 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.
• Sugar: use white, granulated sugar. Light brown sugar can also be used, and also half of each.
• Vanilla: use pure vanilla extract or paste if you can. The amount is a small one so not to overpower the lemon, but enough to mellow the flavor in a good way.
• Flour: all purpose flour works well as does cake flour.
• Salt: sweet recipes need a touch of salt to bring out flavors. I like kosher salt.
• Baking powder and baking soda: both act as leavening agents for these lemon poppyseed muffins, and you can get away with using only baking powder. But not just baking soda.
• Eggs: I usually use large, grade A eggs. The freshest the better.

How to make this recipe

It's a vintage muffin recipe made the old-fashioned way. That means that you don't need special equipment, just two bowls, a whisk (or wooden spoon) and a spatula. Super simple.

Easy steps

• Dry ingredients: these include the poppy seeds and lemon zest that is rubbed with the sugar first to extract more lemon flavor (images 1 and 2 below). Use a large bowl for this part because this is where you'll be mixing the final batter.
• Wet ingredients: they are mixed together in a medium bowl and with a certain order: first lightly mix the eggs, then add the yogurt and lemon juice, and last the melted butter. (images 3 and 4).
• Quick mixing: the wet ingredients are added to the dry mixture (image 5), and you should integrate well but never beat or over mix. When there are no dry spots, stop mixing. Make sure there is no flour mixture in the bottom of the bowl, something that can happen when the batter is dense, as this one. That's why I use a spatula for this step (image 6).

Muffin pan

Or muffin tin as it's also called. They come in different shape and sizes, and you should buy paper liners that fit well. So always check the measurements of both.

How to get even muffins: depending on who will eat the muffins (maybe you're taking them to a barbecue or a bake sale) you'll want them to eat a perfect lemon poppy seed muffin, right?. For me they're mostly an afternoon snack at home, but still. Either way, we do want them to bake at the same time, and for that the key is: divide batter evenly among tins or muffin liners. The easiest way to do this is probably with a cookie or ice cream 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

We all want moist muffins, don't we? Even though the word sometimes makes us cringe, I believe good muffins should be soft and fluffy, which implies not being dry at all. I find that adding a simply syrup is one of the best ways to add extra flavor and moistness to a muffin. In this case the liquid is lemon, of course, because lemony muffins is our number one goal.

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. I use a brush because it's the simplest way to get the most of the syrup into the muffin and spill as little as possible. Though some will drip down anyways, it's a fact.

Lemon glaze

Adding a powdered sugar glaze is the perfect way to dress up these muffins. It adds sweetness, more lemon flavor, and seals in the moisture. Every bite is luscious!

How to make it: simply mix powdered sugar with lemon juice. How much juice is always the question and that 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 more runny and add a thinner layer of icing.

My top tips

• Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!
• 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 cook bits of egg (that can happen if you add it too hot).
• Syrup: it add moisture and flavor, so don't omit it! The way it will seep right into the muffins is adding a cold lemon syrup to the hot muffins. But, if for some reason 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 great results. I have made it with both.
• Amount of seeds: this recipe calls for two tablespoons and you can add up to 3 if you want them overflowing with them. I know some people like it that way though it makes the muffins a bit denser.
• Tart lemon flavor: some like a sweeter muffin with a nice lemon flavor, and other like to almost pucker. While muffins are not meant to make you pucker, you can add much 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 you can use muffin cups (also called muffin liners, cupcake liners or paper cups). There's minimal clean up of the pan and they're easier to transport and store.
• Storing them: I fervently believe muffins are meant to be eaten in the first few hours they're made. But they do last a day or two if kept covered with plastic wrap, in a bag or airtight container. Freezing them is the best option for me when not eating them immediately and before adding the glaze. Defrost them at room temperature and warm slightly in a medium oven (350°F/180°C) before eating.

Frequently asked questions

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