Channel bright spring days by baking lemon poppy seed muffins

March can be a frustrating month for Minnesotans, with below-freezing temperatures that linger on and off too long and spring so close yet so far away.

Our frosty months do, however, coincide with citrus season, and the bright, sunny colors and bold, tart flavors are often just what our bodies are craving. I am a fan of all the citrus in my baking: oranges, blood oranges, grapefruit and the like, but lemons will always hold top spot in my heart. “A universe of gold | a yellow goblet of miracles | a ray of light that was made fruit,” Pablo Neruda writes in his “Ode to the Lemon,” and I couldn’t agree more.

So here is a cheerful recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. I am also including some of my best muffin tips; after years of making every kind every which way, this is what I have learned.

First, standard muffin tins are surprisingly varied, both in cavity size and colors. Because of this, your muffins may not bake up exactly like mine. I highly recommend baking a test muffin in your pan whenever you try a new recipe so you can determine how it will bake up in your particular pan. Dark-colored pans will bake up faster, especially around the edges of the muffins. Also remember that not every oven bakes the same, either, and baking times in recipes can be viewed as suggestions.

For this recipe I do recommend a liner to bake the muffins in. The liner helps protect the outsides of the muffin from getting too brown and helps keep the muffins tender. If you prefer to grease the pan, you can; I use a floured pan spray for the muffin cavities, and a non-floured spray for the top of the pan (the flour can burn on the top of the pan). Lightly spraying the top of the pan helps release the muffins easier if they bake out wide.

Muffins usually rise better when every other cavity in the pan is filled; the muffins have more space to rise, and have a better chance of developing a nice, round top. While some people recommend filling the batter-less cavities with water, for various reasons (even muffin baking, preventing pan warping, etc.), I have always left them empty and have never had a problem.

I like to use a portion scoop to dish the batter into the muffin pans. It ensures both consistency and a well-rounded top. I used a 2-ounce scoop for this recipe.

Most muffins, including these, can be frozen. To freeze, wrap the cooled muffins in plastic wrap and place in an airtight, freezer-safe container or plastic bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. The night before serving, put the muffins in the refrigerator to thaw. When serving, serve at room temperature, or place individual muffins in the microwave for a few seconds just to heat through.

Makes 10 muffins.

From Sarah Kieffer.

For the muffins:

For the icing:

Directions

To prepare the muffins: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla and poppy seeds; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on low speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar, lemon zest and salt and beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the egg, beating until incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add a third of the flour mixture, beating on low until just combined. Beat in the buttermilk mixture and the remaining flour mixture in halves, alternating between the two and ending with the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Scoop a scant ⅓ cup of the batter into each liner. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out with just barely a crumb, 18 to 24 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then gently remove them and transfer to a wire rack.

To prepare the glaze: While the muffins are cooling, in a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, butter and salt. Add the powdered sugar and mix together, then whisk until well combined and smooth. Add more lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin the icing to your preferred consistency; the icing should be thick but pourable. Pour the glaze over the warm muffins and let set before serving. Muffins are best eaten the same day they are made, but they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Sarah Kieffer is a Minnesota baker, cookbook author and creator of the Vanilla Bean Blog. Follow her on Instagram at @sarah_kieffer.