Lemon Poppyseed Bakery Style Muffins (small Batch)

By Mariealicerayner @MarieRynr

 
Lemon Poppyseed Bakery Style Muffins.   I am always up for trying out a new muffin recipe. I adore muffins and who doesn't?  
Not quite a cake, they are delicious hand-sized treats that are delicious served with hot cups of tea, no matter the season!  What's not to love!
 
I baked a small batch of lemon & poppyseed muffins on here earlier this year. You can find that recipe here.  Its very good.  I like to try new things however and when I saw this Lemon Poppyseed Muffin recipe on a blog called Butternut Bakery, I was all in!  I had to try it.
I also have my oldest daughter staying with me at the moment while her husband is away visiting family with his mother. I wanted to make her something special for her breakfast.  She loves muffins and so there was no better time to try this recipe out than right now!
 
I did take some liberties in adapting the recipe. First of all I cut it in half. Neither one of us needed more than six muffins in the kitchen tempting us.  Secondly her recipe was a bit faffy with having to leave the batter sitting for an hour prior to baking, etc.
I don't do faff these days. I am far too impatient in my old age, and so I didn't leave the batter to rest for an hour at all.   I have to say it did not make a difference. My muffins still rose nice and tall and had a beautiful flavor.
 
I also chose to rub the lemon zest for the muffin batter into my sugar a  la Dorie Greenspan style. It really helps to enhance the lemon flavor.  This is something I learned from her and I have been doing it ever since.
I also chose to finely zest the lemon for the syrup you brush on the baked muffins, adding it in right from the start pretty much.  This really add another lovely hit of lemon flavor!   Can you ever really have too much of that? I think not!!
 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE LEMON POPPYSEED BAKERY STYLE MUFFINS
Simple baking ingredients. Make sure everything is room temperature before you start.
  • 1 1/4 cups (160g) plain all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 TBS poppy seeds
  • 14 cup (55g) butter, melted
  • 1 TBS vegetable oil
  • 1 large free range egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 1/2 TBS (32g) sour cream, room temperature
  • 1/8 tsp almond extract
  • 1 TBS freshly grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
  • 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) milk, room temperature

 
For the lemon syrup glaze:
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • the grated zest of 1/2 lemon

 
I just used regular granulated sugar for these, and ordinary lemons. I have never seen unwaxed lemons here in my local area.  Just wash the lemons really well before zesting and dry.  That way you will get rid of any insect dirt or debris.
This is the type of lemon juicer that I use.  It is enamel, rather than metal and doesn't impart any metallic taste to the juice.  
This is the type of citrus zester that I use. It does a super job of zesting the skin and keeping it contained, ready to dump into the bowl.
I highly recommend both and gain nothing from sharing them with you. I simply like to share what works well with my readers.
 
Many of you often ask about my ceramic muffin tray. It is one I bought from The Bay not too long after I moved back to Canada. I really love it. Its attractive and the perfect size for me.  They no longer carry it.
The tea cup and plate was one that I bought in the UK at a Charity Shop.  It is very old, but I love it.  I love these tea cup and plate sets.  I am trying to collect some and now have three different ones.

HOW TO MAKE LEMON POPPYSEED BAKERY STYLE MUFFINS (SMALL BATCH)

I adapted the original instructions to my usual method of making and baking muffins with excellent results!!

Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Butter a six cup medium muffin tin really well, or line with paper liners.

Rub the sugar and lemon zest for the muffins together in a bowl. Whisk in the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds, combining everything together well.

Whisk the egg, sour cream, both extracts, lemon juice, and milk together in another bowl.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet. Mix together just to combine. The batter will be a bit lumpy. That is as it should be.

Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost to the top.


Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, then REDUCE the oven temperature to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes longer until well risen and golden brown. They should spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Brush with the lemon syrup as soon as you remove them from the oven. (I did this several times to use up all the syrup.)

To make the lemon syrup put the lemon juice and sugar into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil. Add the lemon zest and then simmer on low for about 10 minutes. (Do this while the muffins are baking.)

Leave the muffins in the pan to cool for about 5 minutes before lifting them out to a wire rack to cool to warm. Delicious served warm with copious cups of hot tea!


 
These are lovely muffins with a beautiful texture and loads of lovely lemon flavor, not to mention a light crunch from the poppyseeds.  As you can see from the inside, they have the perfect muffin texture.
You can skip the glaze if you wish, but I highly recommend that you don't!  This lemon glaze really sets these muffins apart and adds to their deliciousness!
Thoroughly enjoyed by us both.
 
Some other muffin recipes from the English Kitchen that you might enjoy are:
SPECIAL K BREAKFAST MUFFINS - These make the perfect breakfast muffin. Simple and filled with fiber. You can use ordinary Special K cereal, or you can be a bit more extravagant and use one of the varieties which contain fruit.  This recipe makes half a dozen fabulous muffins.

SIX WEEK REFRIGERATOR BRAN MUFFINS -  These are the muffins that I used to make for my boss when I worked at the Manor. They are an excellent muffin. Mix together, store in the refrigerator, scoop and bake. They could not be easier or more delicious! The batter keeps for up to six week, but they are so tasty I doubt you will have it around that long!



Yield: 6 medium muffinsAuthor: Marie Rayner

Lemon Poppyseed Bakery Style Muffins (small batch)

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 18 MinTotal time: 28 MinThese bakery style muffins are fabulously tasty! They have a beautifully moist texture and plenty of lemon flavor. A lush lemon syrup is brushed on top immediately after you take them out of the oven for even more lemon flavour!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups (160g) plain all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 TBS poppy seeds
  • 14 cup (55g) butter, melted
  • 1 TBS vegetable oil
  • 1 large free range egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 1/2 TBS (32g) sour cream, room temperature
  • 1/8 tsp almond extract
  • 1 TBS freshly grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
  • 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) milk, room temperature
For the lemon syrup glaze:
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • the grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Butter a six cup medium muffin tin really well, or line with paper liners.
  2. Rub the sugar and lemon zest for the muffins together in a bowl. Whisk in the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds, combining everything together well.
  3. Whisk the egg, sour cream, both extracts, lemon juice, and milk together in another bowl.
  4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet. Mix together just to combine. The batter will be a bit lumpy. That is as it should be.
  5. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost to the top.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, then REDUCE the oven temperature to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes longer until well risen and golden brown. They should spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
  7. Brush with the lemon syrup as soon as you remove them from the oven. (I did this several times to use up all the syrup.)
  8. To make the lemon syrup put the lemon juice and sugar into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil. Add the lemon zest and then simmer on low for about 10 minutes. (Do this while the muffins are baking.)
  9. Leave the muffins in the pan to cool for about 5 minutes before lifting them out to a wire rack to cool to warm. Delicious served warm with copious cups of hot tea!
Did you make this recipe?
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That is one very happy girl!  It has been so much fun having her around!  She goes home tomorrow. I will miss her! So will the cats!

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