Name: Extra-Lemony Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Yield: Makes 12
Ingredients: ½ cup neutral oil (such as grapeseed or canola), plus more for muffin pan; 2¾ cups plus 1 Tbsp. (350 g) unbleached all-purpose flour; 2 tsp. baking powder; ¾ tsp. baking soda; ½ tsp. kosher salt; ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar; 2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest; 2 large eggs; ¾ cup lemon curd, store-bought (such as Bonne Maman) or homemade; ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek); 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

A batch of lemon poppy seed muffins on a cooling rack.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele

For extra-lemony lemon poppy seed muffins, a trio of lemony ingredients are combined in this sunny recipe: fragrant lemon zest, tart juice, and rich lemon curd (either store-bought or homemade). Begin with one of my favorite Dorie Greenspan tricks—rub the lemon zest into some sugar, which brings out a vivid lemon aroma, tints the sugar, and infuses it with the oils from the peel of the fruit. Lemon curd does double duty to sweeten as well as keep the muffins moist. Together these extra steps make for a bright and tangy individual-sized quick bread.

The key to yield a tall-topped and crispy-edged muffin reminiscent of the kind you’d find at a breakfast counter is to fill the muffin tin cavities to the brim. Consider baking with an empty baking sheet on the bottom oven rack while the muffins bake in their tray on the middle rack; this helps regulate heat in your oven as well as helps to catch any spills or potential overflow. Using the oven’s bottom rack rather than putting the sheet pan right under your muffin tin ensures that your muffins get good, consistent exposure to heat and bake evenly from bottom to top.

Poppy seeds have a high oil content and can go rancid quickly, so it’s worthwhile to buy your poppy seeds directly from a trusted source with high turnover (a good bulk section or vendor like Burlap and Barrel is a better choice than the dusty, neglected spice shelves of your local supermarket). Once purchased, store poppy seeds sealed in the fridge or freezer to maintain freshness. To see if poppy seeds you have in your cabinet are still fresh, give them a sniff and a nibble: they should be sweet and a little nutty when good, and may be bitter or flavorless when bad.

Baking a breakfast assortment? Check out Laurie Ellen Pellicano's Morning Glory Muffins and Banana Muffins, and click through for even more muffin recipes →

What you’ll need

Blue Poppy Seeds
$9 At Burlap and Barrel
Lemon Curd
$8 At Amazon
Muffin Pan
$32 At Amazon

Recipe information

Total Time
55 minutes
Yield
Makes 12

Ingredients

½ cup neutral oil (such as grapeseed or canola), plus more for muffin pan

2¾ cups plus 1 Tbsp. (350 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. kosher salt

¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest

2 large eggs

¾ cup lemon curd, store-bought (such as Bonne Maman) or homemade

½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 425º. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Lightly coat flat top of muffin pan with neutral oil to prevent sticking.
Step 2
Combine 2¾ cups plus 1 Tbsp. (350 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, ¾ tsp. baking soda, and ½ tsp. kosher salt in a medium bowl.
Step 3
Add ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar and 2 Tbsp. grated lemon zest to a large bowl and use your fingers to massage zest into sugar until moistened and very aromatic. Whisk in 2 large eggs until smooth. Whisk in ¾ cup lemon curd, ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek), and ½ cup neutral oil (such as grapeseed or canola). Whisk in 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice and 1 tsp. vanilla extract.
Step 4
Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until halfway combined. Mix in 2 Tbsp. poppy seeds until just combined and no flour streaks remain. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling them to the brim.
Step 5
Bake muffins for 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350º. Continue to bake, rotating pan once after 15-minute mark, until the top springs back to the touch or a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, an additional 15–20 minutes. Let cool in pan slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Muffins are best the day they are made and even better if they are still warm.