American Classics
20130108-236411-lemon-poppy-seed-yogurt-muffins.jpg

[Photograph: Alexandra Penfold]

I'm pro-Lemon Poppy Seed in theory, but in practice, I find the muffins tend to be overly sweet and unnaturally moist. I wanted a Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin that was lemony without being fakey fake. Fat-free Greek yogurt gives these lemon muffins an extra bit of tang.

This recipe is adapted from Dorie Greenspan's wonderful book Baking: From My Home to Yours.

About the author: Alexandra Penfold is mild-mannered literary agent by day, food ninja by night. Never one to skip dessert she's the Brownie half of Blondie & Brownie and a Midtown Lunch contributor. You can follow her on Twitter at @blondiebrownie.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: Serves 16
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Special equipment: 2 12-cup regular muffin tins (not mini or jumbo sized!)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest (zest from one lemon)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
  • 2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Procedures

  1. Move your oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 400° F. Line muffin pans with 16 paper liners.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Form a well in the center and set aside.

  3. In medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, butter, vanilla, zest, lemon extract, and lemon juice until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients into the well and stir to blend until batter is moistened. Fold in the eggs. Divide the batter evenly among the muffins cups.

  4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a couple of minutes then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. Once completely cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.