Kendra's Treats

I think it’s safe to say, judging by the number of muffin recipes on the blog, that my obsession with muffins is second only to my obsession with cupcakes =). But I mean, aren’t muffins and cupcakes like cousins or something anyway? Maybe I like muffins so much because it’s like eating a cupcake for breakfast–especially these muffins, because they even have a glaze on them.

These are way up on my list of favorite muffins. I don’t think I had ever made muffins with yogurt before, but the yogurt keeps them super moist. And I would describe their crumb as somewhere between your usual muffin and a cupcake–delicious! Maybe you are thinking that winter isn’t really the season for lemon muffins, but for some reason I was craving the fresh, bright flavor of lemon and between the zest and the lemon glaze, these muffins really delivered–just what I was wanting. My only complaint was that the recipe makes too many for two people. Next time I’ll definitely half the recipe. Enjoy!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
For the muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
juice of one lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 350Ëš F.  Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Combine the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir briefly to combine.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.  Mix in the lemon zest and the vanilla extract.
4. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in two additions alternating with the yogurt, beating each addition just until incorporated.
5. Divide the batter between the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds full.  Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. While the muffins are still warm, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl to make the glaze.  Drizzle a small amount of the glaze over each muffin.  Let the glaze set before serving.
Makes 16-18 muffins.
*adapted from Joy of Baking