Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
This is a mouthwatering recipe for bakery-style lemon muffins, tall and crunchy from the poppy seeds. As soon as they come out of the oven, they're brushed with syrup and then topped off with a sweet, tangy glaze that takes their flavor to the next level!
Servings 12 medium muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest from about 2 lemons
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and just warm
For the cold syrup:
- ¼ cup lemon juice use the ones you zested
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Lemon glaze:
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice fresh
Instructions
For the muffins:
- Turn on the oven at 350°F (180ºC).
- Butter or spray 12 muffin tins, or fill with paper liners (also called muffin liners or paper cups).
- Mix ⅔ cup sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon zest in a large bowl, rubbing it with the tips of your fingers until the oil in the lemon zest starts to impregnate the sugar.
- Add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons poppy seeds.
- Mix 2 eggs lightly in a medium bowl.
- Add ¾ cup Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well.
- Add the warm ½ cup unsalted butter and stir until smooth without beating, only whisking or mixing.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the wet ones.
- Stir with a spatula only until it is moistened; there may be traces of flour. Do not beat or overmix much, but make sure there are no large spots of flour at the bottom of the bowl.
- Divide evenly between the muffin tins. Use a cookie or ice cream scoop or a spoon.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out dry. Don't be tempted to over bake them so they don't dry out.
For the ccold syrup:
- Mix ¼ cup lemon juice with 3 tablespoons granulated sugar just before taking the muffins out.
- Brush this syrup over the hot muffins just out of the oven.
- Let it soak and cool completely on a metal rack. If using paper liners remove the muffins from the pan onto the cooling rack. If not using liners, make sure to take the muffins out of the pan as soon as you can handle them cut carefully, so the syrup doesn't make them stick. Cool completely.
For the glaze:
- Put ¾ cup powdered sugar in a bowl.
- Add half the lemon juice and mix until smooth. Keep adding a little more juice until you reach your desired consistency. You might not want to use it all. Or need a little more. Adjust to your liking.
- Top the muffins with the lemon glaze and let dry before eating.
Notes
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 to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking 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).
Syrup: it adds moisture and flavor, so don't omit it! When you add a cold syrup to hot muffins it seeps right into them, making them moist and flavorful. But, if for some reason you don't add it and the muffins 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; 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 in an 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 them at room temperature and warm them slightly in a medium oven (350°F/180°C) before eating.
