Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Who doesn’t enjoy a nice muffin?  I guess that just about everyone likes them, and most people enjoy a lemon flavoured cake.  So put the two together, with some poppy seeds and you arrive at a really enjoyable muffin.

I researched various recipes and came up with my own version, mainly because all the options I looked at differed, using milk, yoghurt, sour cream, creme fraiche etc.  I had some double cream that needed to be used up, so I wanted to use that instead of any of those previously mentioned products. The amount of poppy seeds also varied between the recipes.  I decided upon two tablespoons as a reasonable amount.

I also wanted to try to create a little crunch on the top, rather than an icing, so I used some lemon juice with some granulated sugar, and brushed it over the top of the muffins while they were still very hot, straight from the oven.  A little of the lemon juice soaks into the muffin and leave the sugar to harden nicely.

They taste delicious, and are soft and moist.  I thoroughly recommend these to you all.

Ingredients:

• 260g self raising flour
• 200g granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds
• 112g unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• grated rind of two medium lemons(or one large)
• 2 large eggs
• 240ml double cream(or sour cream or buttermilk)

for the top:

• 2 lemons -juiced
• 50 grams granulated sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200c. Grease a twelve cup muffin tin, or put paper muffin cases in each hole.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and mix until combined.
4. Add the vanilla extract, lemon rind and double cream and mix until combined
5. In a separate bowl combine the flour, poppy seeds and salt.
6. Add those dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir until just combined.  Do not beat, it just wants to be mixed in so that all the flour is mixed in.
7. Using a spoon, or scoop, place the mixture, evenly between the twelve muffin cups.
8. Bake in the oven for 18 minutes.
9. Mix the lemon juice and 50g of sugar together, but not so much that the sugar dissolves.
10. Test the muffins with a toothpick to see that it comes out clean. If so remove from the oven. If the toothpick is not clean leave the muffins in the oven for another two minutes.
11. As soon as they are out of the oven you can drizzle the lemon/sugar mixture over the top of the muffins, or you can use a pastry brush to coat them.
12. Allow to cool so that the lemon/sugar mixture make the tops of the muffins slightly crunchy.
13.