Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

This recipe is not new to the blog, but one that definitely deserved to be rescued from the archives. You see, up until a couple of weeks ago, it reigned as my favorite muffin. Now I think it is tied with the chocolate peanut butter swirl muffins. Oh wait, I just remembered the pumpkin cream cheese muffins…shoot. Well, anyway, these are very near the top of the list of awesome muffins you really need to try. I particularly love this recipe because it is so quick and simple to whip up. It uses ingredients I pretty much always have on hand so whenever I need a last minute treat to bring to someone, these are one of the first things that I tend to consider. And, they are always a hit wherever I serve them with no leftovers. What more reason do you need to try them?

Yield: about 12 muffins

Ingredients

For the muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
1¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)

For the glaze (optional):
½ cup confectioners' sugar
1-2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Combine the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Stir briefly to combine. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in the lemon zest and the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in two additions alternating with the yogurt, beating each addition just until incorporated.
Divide the batter between the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the muffins are still warm, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl to make the glaze. Drizzle a small amount of the glaze over each muffin. Let the glaze set before serving.

Source

adapted from Joy of Baking

http://www.annies-eats.com/2011/04/11/lemon-poppy-seed-muffins/