Play time (Giant lime-glazed lime poppy seed muffins)

I love Wednesdays and Thursdays when I don't have classes and get to play around in the kitchen. It's even better when you're not planning on making something, but get a craving and just happen to have the ingredients on hand!  I got 15 limes for just over a dollar this week and had some poppy seeds in my spice bowl, so when I came across Dorie Greenspan's recipe for lemon poppy seed muffins I knew it was meant to be. 

You see, I haven't had lemon poppy seed muffins since I was little.  And to be honest, I didn't really care for them.  They were too grown-up tasting.  Here we don't get lemons, so why not use limes?  The zing and zest of the limes, combined with the mysterious linger of poppy seeds is incredible.  Ice the muffins with a powdered sugar-lime glaze and you've got a fragrant snack for any time of the day. 

P.S.  When I have my own café, these are sure to be on the menu! 

Giant lime-glazed lime poppy seed muffins
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours

Ingredients
⅔ cup sugar
Grated zest and juice of 1 large or 2 small limes
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup plain yogurt (may substitute sour cream)
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 TBSP poppy seeds

For the icing:
1 cup powdered confectioners' sugar, sifted
2-3 TBSP fresh lime juice

Preheat the oven to 400F and place the rack in the middle of the oven.  Grease a  6-cup jumbo muffin pan (you may use a normal 12-cup muffin pan). 

In a large mixing bowl, rub the sugar and lime zest together with your fingertips to moisten the sugar.  It should be very fragrant.  Whisk in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, vanilla, lime juice, and melted butter until well blended.  Pour the liquid mixture over the dry mixture and using a rubber spatula (or whisk), stir gently until just blended.  Do not over-mix.  Add the poppy seeds. 

Fill the muffin cups about ⅔ full, dividing the batter evenly between them.  For jumbo muffins, bake in preheated oven for 22-24 minutes.  For regular muffins 18-20.  They are done when the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool muffins for 5 minutes in their pan on a rack.  Remove the muffins carefully and cool completely on a wire rack. 

To make the glaze and ice the muffins:  Put the powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl and add about 1 ½ TBSP of the lime juice.  Stir with a spoon to moisten the sugar.  Add enough lemon juice, a tiny bit at a time, to get an icing that is thin enough to drizzle from the tip of the spoon.  To ice the muffins, they must be completely cool.  I put all of the glaze in a ziplock bag, zipped it closed (very important!), cut a small hole in one of the corners, and drizzled the icing over the muffins.  You may also ice the tops completely.

 

Comments

[Karen]

Sar,

I can't wait for you to have your own cafe so I can try these muffins. They look delicious!

Love,
Abu

[Sarah]

Aww thanks mommy! They are really really yummy :D Can't wait to see you!

Love
Sarah