Meyer Lemon Muffins

BecR's Note:

I am a lemon fanatic! These exquisite lemony muffins make for a wonderful picnic or sack lunch treat. Meyer lemons are a cross between a true lemon and a mandarin or sweet orange. Recipe is from the L. A. Times.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 18

Yield: 18.0 muffins

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar, and
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 meyer lemons, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ceylon cinnamon (regular cinnamon is fine)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400°F Combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, the baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. Cut two lemons into 1-inch pieces (include the thin peel, but not the white pith!). Put them in a blender and pulse until the lemon is finely chopped. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the milk, butter and chopped lemon. Stir.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the lemon mixture. Stir just until all ingredients are moistened.
4. Spoon the batter into well-buttered cups of muffin pans, filling each half full.
5. Combine the remaining 2 T. sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle about 1/4 t. over each muffin. Cut the remaining lemon into 9 paper-thin slices; cut each slice in half. Top each muffin with half a slice of lemon.
6. Bake about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Run a small spatula or knife around each of the muffins to loosen, remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm. Makes 18 muffins.

Reviews

[punky o]

Can words even express how much I love these muffins? I am partial in the extreme to Meyer lemons- really, there are few things better- but baking doesn't always capture their unique meyer-y goodness. These muffins do. Mmmmm.

[Chef #741022]

I increased the sugar to 1 1/2 cups because of Mariannneee's review. I think the bitterness comes from the pith; perhaps cutting some away before grinding would be helpful. I topped them with coarse sugar crystals mixed with regular lemon rind I had on hand in the freezer instead of cutting paper-thin slices of an expensive meyer lemon. They were good on the first day and spectacular on the second.

[Don Steele]

BecR,Made these yesterday and due to the reviews following the recipe I added one half teaspoon of baking powder and hand peeled the lemon scraped the pith off of before adding to the processor..altough they did not rise as most as some muffins the taste was great..I do think that perhaps a measurement to the amount of lemon would help as some could be larger than the other,but not a great deal...If I am lucky to be able to purchase the meyers again will centainly remake....Thanks.....Don