The Baked Bite: Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
When I was a little girl, my family used to frequent a cafe called Beyond Expectations in San Francisco. I distinctly remember that the owner was a very kind man, who greeted us with familiarity each time we stopped in. I can still picture the large, glossy lemon poppyseed muffins they sold there - with perfect domes on top. Unfortunately, the cafe closed down - and I have not been able to find a bakery that sells muffins quite like them since.
My ideas for the blog often come from foods I suddenly remember loving as a child, or things I taste now and want to recreate. When I remembered Beyond Expectations, I began searching the internet vigorously for lemon poppyseed muffin recipes. I tested several, and this one from the blog ful-filled yielded the best results. I made several modifications and have included my version below!
I have yet to recreate the Beyond Expectation muffins perfectly (side note: if anyone knows this cafe was and can find the previous own online, let me know. I need his recipe!), but these muffins get pretty close. They have a golden crust almost reminiscent of cornbread - so don’t be alarmed if they look almost brown when you take them out of the oven. Happy baking!
The Recipe (adapted from Ful-Filled):
The Ingredients
FOR THE MUFFINS:
113 g (1/2 cup - 1 stick) unsalted regular or Vegan butter, *at room temperature
200g (1 cup) granulated white sweetener (I use Lakanto classic Monkfruit blend)
zest of 2-3 lemons- about 10g or 2 tbsp
60 g (1/4 cup) neutral vegetable oil (I use avocado)
2 large eggs- about 155 g, *at room temperature
1/4 tsp fine grain salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
120 g (1/2 cup) sour cream or Greek yogurt
310 g (2 1/2 cup) all purpose flour
You can use a gluten-free, Measure 4 Measure all purpose blend if desired
10 g (1 tbsp) baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
22 g (3 tbsp) poppy seeds
1 large egg yolk (about 20 grams), for egg wash
FOR THE (OPTIONAL) GLAZE:
50 g (1/2 cup) powdered sweetener (I use powdered Monkfruit or erythritol)
about 2 tbsp lemon juice
The Instructions
Making the Batter:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds.
In a medium sized metal bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar with the lemon zest and use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar.
If using a stand mixer, fit it with the paddle attachment, add the room temperature butter & beat on medium-high until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time. Wait to add the next egg until the first is well incorporated.
If you do not have a stand mixer, use a fork to mash the butter with the sugar mixture until well combined, about 5-7 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time. Wait to add the next egg until the first is well incorporated.
Add in the oil, vanilla & sour cream/Greek yogurt of choice, allowing each ingredient to fully incorporate before adding the next.
Add the the dry ingredients in three additions, either beating in each addition with the mixer on low until just combined into the liquid or mixing in each addition with your fork.
After all the ingredients are combined, beat on low for an additional 30 seconds or mix with your fork.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Baking the Muffins:
While the batter is resting, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 (F) using the convection setting (if possible).
Prepare two muffin tins by lining every other cavity in the muffin tin with a muffin baking liner (you will need 8 muffin liners). Each muffin tin will only have 4 cavities filled. Alternatively, use a jumbo muffin tin and fill just four cavities. Spray the muffin tins with avocado or coconut oil spray.
Use a large spoon to fill each cavity with the batter. Make sure to fill all the way to the top of the cavity.
Place the muffin tin in the oven and set a timer for 10-11 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the muffin tin from the oven briefly and use a pastry brush to spread the egg wash very delicately on the tops of the muffins. Return the muffin tin to the oven, but make sure to rotate it 180 degrees so that the muffins cook evenly.
Bake for another 8 minutes, and then check to see if the muffins are ready. They should be domed and deeply golden-brown, and a skewer inserted into the center of a muffin should come out with a few crumbs attached. If they are not ready, return to the oven for 2-3 more minutes.
When the muffins are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes in the muffin tins before removing them to cool down to room temperature on a wire rack. The muffins taste the best when they have completely cooled to room temperature.
Once they have cooled, drizzle glaze over the tops if desired. The muffins can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for up to three days. Or individually wrapped and frozen to be enjoyed another time :). f you plan to freeze them do not glaze beforehand.
Dairy Free Sour Cream (adapted from Sweet Laurel):
Ingredients:
One 13.5 oz can of full-fat coconut milk OR 1 can of coconut cream, refrigerated overnight
15 g (1 tbsp) non-dairy yogurt, such as coconut yogurt
1 tsp lemon juice
21 g (1 tbsp) maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
If using full-fat coconut milk, scoop the solidified cream from the top of the can into a metal bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. If using coconut cream, scoop about half the can into the bowl.
Using a fork and some vigorous arm strength, or the whisk attachment of the stand mixer, beat the coconut cream until it begins to thicken. Continue beating until soft peaks form.
Use a spoon or rubber spatula to slowly fold in the yogurt, lemon juice, maple syrup, and vanilla.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or preferably overnight, before using. There may be some leftover that you do not need for this recipe, but the leftovers will last for up to a week.