Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins

All righty! Let’s hope this lemon/poppy seed combo works out better than the last time. I actually have lemons this time, so I feel that automatically makes things better. I’m going on a ski weekend to West Virginia this weekend with some friends. Lemon muffins seem like just the thing to much on before going out into the cold (mid to high 40s? What?). I found this recipe which is adapted from a recipe by Dorie Greenspan. The malt ball cookie recipe is also hers, so I feel like using another of her recipes is a safe bet. I don’t have time for icing (nor do I trust myself to pull it off), so I’m skipping that step.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

 

When looking for new recipes, the first place I always check out is FoodGawker. I love being able to browse by looking at pictures of food and by what ingredients I have on hand. I always seem to be out of something, but I never let that stop me when I’m in the mood to cook.

My brother gave me a gift card to Penzeys for Christmas. I stocked up on lemon extract and poppy seeds in the hopes of making lots of delectable treats (hopefully craving lemon isn’t a sign of anything). Tonight was the night! I found this recipe on Sweetsonian (doubly appropriate since I also live in the DC area). It didn’t call for milk or yogurt. It was fairly easy to make. I just wish there was an easy and fast way to get butter to get to room temperature. The waiting is the worst part for me. The extract tasted a bit alcoholy to me in the batter, but I hoped it would burn off.

Eating the first piece now! It’s dense. A bit crunchy (the recommended hour and twenty minute baking time seemed excessive to me. I stopped it at an hour. I think it could have used a bit less time in the oven). Hm a bit salty too. There’s no taste of lemon. Ah well! That’s what I get for using extract instead of zest. Time to find a different recipe.

Cooking Movie: Jurassic Park