Poppy Seed Muffins Tested Recipe

Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe

There are mornings when I like to eat something sweet. That something sweet usually means a muffin, and one of my favorites is these Poppy Seed Muffins. I like that their texture and flavor are quite similar to a pound cake yet they surprise with their tangy lemon flavor and addition of crunchy poppy seeds. They are baked in a hot oven which gives their crust a lovely golden brown color that is wonderfully crisp. The lemon flavor of these muffins can be enhanced by drizzling the still warm muffins with a sweet yet tangy lemon glaze.

Poppy Seed Muffins can be made with either plain full fat or reduced fat yogurt or sour cream. I do not, however, recommend using non fat yogurt or sour cream. What I also like about these Poppy Seed Muffins is their tangy citrus flavor which comes from adding lemon zest to the batter. Lemon zest is the outer yellow skin of the lemon and it is where most of the fruit's flavor and perfume are found. Try to use organic lemons and make sure to thoroughly wash the lemon before removing its' skin. The other welcome addition to these muffins is poppy seeds. Poppy seeds are the tiny ripe black seeds of the opium poppy plant and while their flavor is said to be nutty, it is barely recognizable because they are so small. Rather, what you notice is their delightful crunch and how pretty they look dotting the batter. It is hard to imagine that it takes 900,000 of these tiny kidney-shaped seeds to equal one pound.

Poppy Seed Muffins: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or spray each muffin cup with a non stick vegetable spray.

In a bowl, whisk the flour with the poppy seeds, salt, and baking soda.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the lemon zest, yogurt (or sour cream), and vanilla extract until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture just until moistened. Do not over mix. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Bake for about 18 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about five minutes before removing from pan.

Lemon Glaze: Place the sugar in a small bowl and stir in the lemon juice. While the muffins are still warm, drizzle the tops with the glaze.

Makes 12 muffins

Adapted From:

Junior League of Denver. Creme de Colorado Cookbook. C&C Publications. Denver: 1987.

Poppy Seed Muffins:

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

Zest of one lemon

1 cup (240 ml) plain yogurt or sour cream (do not use non fat yogurt or sour cream)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze: (optional)

1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners sugar (powdered or icing sugar)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Note: Lemon zest is the yellow outer skin of the lemon that contains the fruit's flavor and perfume.