Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Twelve soft, domed lemon muffins dotted with poppy seeds and finished with a thin lemon icing drizzle. Batch yield: 12 individually iced muffins, baked together in one 12-hole tin. One serving: 1 muffin with one-twelfth of the lemon icing. Allow approximately 148 minutes from starting to serving. Prep time is total non-oven elapsed time: 30 minutes for butter softening and ingredients to lose their chill, 25 minutes of active preparation before baking, 50 minutes of cooling, 5 minutes to mix and drizzle the icing, and 15 minutes for the icing to set. Active preparation totals 30 minutes; cooling_minutes includes the 15-minute icing-setting period. Preheating overlaps the final 15 minutes of softening and is not counted again. All 12 muffins bake together for 23 minutes, with no sequential tray batches. A cool room or an oven requiring extra baking time may extend the total. Appliances: Oven; Electric hand mixer. Equipment: Standard 12-hole muffin tin, approximately 35 × 27 cm; 12 paper muffin cases; Digital kitchen scales; Measuring jug; Fine citrus grater; Citrus squeezer; Mixing bowls; Whisk; Flexible spatula; Teaspoon; Wooden skewer; Wire cooling rack; Oven gloves. Allergens: Contains wheat flour, dairy butter, yogurt and milk, and eggs. Check packaged ingredients for any additional allergens or cross-contact warnings. Nutrition is estimated per iced muffin. Storage: Let the icing set before storing. Keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring refrigerated muffins to room temperature before eating for a softer texture. Freeze individually wrapped muffins in a sealed freezer container for up to 2 months; thaw while wrapped at room temperature for about 2 hours. The icing may soften slightly after freezing.
125 min
Prep
23 min
Cook
12
Serves
264
Calories
Macros · per serving
4g protein
39g carbs
10g fat
Ingredients
For 12 servings
- 115 g Unsalted butter, cubed
- 150 g Granulated sugar
- 8 g Finely grated lemon zest
- 2 whole eggs Large eggs
- 150 g Plain full-fat yogurt
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
- 260 g Plain all-purpose flour
- 18 g Poppy seeds
- 8 g Baking powder
- 2 g Bicarbonate of soda
- 3 g Fine salt
- 60 ml Whole milk
- 55 ml Lemon juice
- 100 g Icing sugar
Instructions
- 1
Allow 30 minutes for the cubed butter to soften at room temperature: it should indent easily but not look melted or oily. Bring the eggs, yogurt and milk out of the fridge at the same time. During the final 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F conventional or 200°C/390°F fan, with a shelf in the centre.
- 2
Line a standard 12-hole muffin tin, approximately 35 × 27 cm with wells about 7 cm across and 3 cm deep, with 12 paper muffin cases. Finely grate and weigh the lemon zest, then squeeze and measure the juice. Reserve 25 ml juice for the icing and use the remaining 30 ml in the batter.
- 3
Whisk the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a bowl.
- 4
In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest with an electric hand mixer for 2–3 minutes, until noticeably paler and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then briefly mix in the yogurt and vanilla. A slightly curdled appearance at this stage is normal.
- 5
Using a flexible spatula, fold in half the flour mixture. Add the milk and 30 ml lemon juice, fold briefly, then fold in the remaining flour mixture just until no dry flour remains. The batter should be thick and scoopable; do not beat it smooth. Do not taste raw batter, and wash hands and utensils after contact with raw egg or flour.
- 6
Divide all the batter evenly between the 12 cases, approximately 84 g per case. The cases should be generously filled, just below their rims. Bake all 12 muffins together for 5 minutes at the initial temperature.
- 7
Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 180°C/350°F conventional or 160°C/320°F fan. Bake for another 18 minutes. The tops should be domed and lightly golden, spring back when gently touched, and a skewer inserted into the centre should emerge clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. If necessary, bake a little longer to reach these cues.
- 8
Leave the muffins in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack. Cool for another 40 minutes, or until completely cool before icing.
- 9
Whisk the icing sugar with the reserved 25 ml lemon juice until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Divide all the icing over the 12 cooled muffins with a teaspoon, approximately 10 g per muffin. Allow 15 minutes for the drizzle to set before serving or packing.
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