Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

My boyfriend's aunt and uncle are coming for a visit this week, so I thought it was a perfect occasion for some baked goodies.

These lemon poppy seed muffins from Dorie Greenspan's Baking are nothing short of delicious!

For the muffins

2/3 cup sugar

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

For the icing

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray and flour 12 molds in a muffin pan. Place pan on baking sheet and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and you can smell the lemon fragrance. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

3. In a large bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and melted butter together until well blended. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and gently but quickly stir to blend. (The mixture will be lumpy, and that's okay - don't over mix!) Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the middle of the largest muffin comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before icing.

Enjoy!