Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Approximate cooking time: 60 minutes
Makes 12 muffins
I derived this recipe from a Splenda® cookbook, but the muffins are so moist, delicious, and sweet that you'd never know they are low in sugar. Granted, with things like 3/4 a cup each of butter and buttermilk, along with 3 eggs, I wouldn't exactly call these muffins diet food. On the other hand, as muffins go, it is hard to come up with anything as light as these without bran being involved. The beauty of lemon poppyseed muffins is in the delicate flavor, which is in no way sacrificed by this recipe. My three year old son, for example, has no problem wolfing them down, and he can be a pretty picky eater. Just don't eat one of these before getting a drug test.
What you'll need:
3/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 lemons
2-1/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup granulated Splenda® (you can substitute more sugar)
1/2 cup nonfat instant dry milk
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp poppyseeds
1/4 tsp salt |
Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sifted flour, sugar, and Splenda®. Mix with a hand mixer on medium speed until the butter is crumbly throughout.
Add dry milk, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix for another minute.
In a separate bowl, zest and juice both lemons as thoroughly as possible, making sure to avoid the seeds.
Add the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Wisk together.
Pour half of the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Mix on low for a minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, add the rest of the buttermilk mixture, and mix on medium for another minute or two, until it is thoroughly combined.
Add poppyseeds and mix for thirty seconds. Spoon the finished batter into a lined muffin pan (you don't need to grease it). The cups should be nearly overflowing with batter and it should make 12 muffins. Place the pan in the oven.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. If you are unsure of the doneness, you can stick a toothpick or wooden skewer into the center of one of the muffins and pull it out. If the toothpick is mostly dry, the muffins are done. Take them out of the pan quickly and let them rest for 5-10 minutes on a cooling rack. Serve warm.
-e. magill 3/16/2012
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