When Life Gives You Lemons - Make Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Dan has a client who has an abundance of lemons growing in her yard. For the past few months she has been gathering a bunch and leaving them on our doorstep. Each time it feels like such a sweet (+ tangy) surprise! We have lemon in our water each morning and have been using lemon in our weekend (and week night ;) cocktails. But you know I’ve had a major craving for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins and with all these lemons I had to nail down a great recipe for us all. I love this one and using Greek yogurt really ramps up the tangy lemon flavor. Give it a try and let me know what other lemon recipes you’d like to see!

When life gives you lemons … make these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins! Is that how the saying goes?

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

What You Need; 1 cup sugar, 1 lemon, 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (You can also use sour cream here. It will give you more of a tangy flavor), 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/4 cup milk, 2 eggs, pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons poppy seeds. * Optional for more of a lemon flavor 1 tsp lemon extract. You’ll also need a muffin baking pan, cooking spray or cupcake liners.

What You Do

-The first thing I like to do is zest the lemon directly over the sugar and then use my fingers to rub the two together. This helps permeate the lemon zest and flavor through out your sugar giving the muffins a great lemon flavor through out.

-In another mixing bowl, whisk together your Greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla + lemon extracts, and melted butter. Whisk until smooth.

-Now with the lemon you took the zest from, cut it in half and juice both halves into the Greek yogurt mixture. Be sure to use a juicer tool or your hands to keep any lemon seeds out! Whisk the lemon juice into your Greek yogurt mixture.

-In the bowl with your lemon zest + sugar, add your baking powder, salt, and flour. Then slowly add these dry ingredients into your wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth.

-Add in your poppy seeds and use a spatula to fold them into the muffin batter. I like to use at least 3 tablespoons of poppy seeds because I love the extra crunch. You could get away with just adding 2 tablespoons though.

-When making muffins I like to just use cooking spray in the muffin tin rather than cupcake liners. Though you can do whatever you like best! I love the subtle crisp texture baking the muffins directly in the pan offers.

-Use an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure to pour batter into each muffin space.

-Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean!

-Enjoy warm. Store in an air tight container or zip top bag for up to four days