Very Lemony Muffins

If you love lemon flavour it can't get more lemony than this.

All sweet Valentine Day's treat with a tangy twist. Classic. :) 

Ingredients (makes approx 12 muffins)

For Muffins: 

• 280g/10oz plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 115g/4oz caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 200ml milk
• 6 tbsp/ 90ml sunflower oil
• juice of one lemon and zest of 2 lemons
• approx 4 tbsp lemon curd (optional)

For the lemon syrup

• Juice of one lemon and a bit of zest
• 80g granulated sugar

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F/Gas Mark 6 and grease muffin tin or place cases in muffin tin.
2. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder then stir in the caster sugar.
3. Lightly beat the eggs in a separate bowl and then beat in the milk, oil and juice of one lemon. Make a well in the dry ingredients’ bowl and pour in the beaten liquid then stir gently until combined but try not to over mix. Then stir through the zest of two lemons (You could leave a little for the lemon syrup to make it extra lemony).
4. Spoon half of the mixture into the prepared muffin tins or cases then add a teaspoon of lemon curd into the centre of each one before spooning the rest of the muffin mixture on top if you would like the muffins to have a lemony creamy surprise. However, the muffins are just lovely without this.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until they are well risen, golden brown and firm to the touch.
6. While baking the muffins, make the lemon syrup with the juice of one lemon, granulated sugar and lemon zest. Mix the lemon juice and granulated sugar in a small bowl to give a runny consistency.
7. Then transfer to a wire rack. Prick the warm muffins all over with a skewer then pour over the drizzle – the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping

"seriously lemony" lemon Drizzle cupcakes

Lots of people are having nasty colds at this time of year. My very good friend had one and she said she would be off work and staying in bed. Poor thing. :(   Fortunately, I'm ok so far, so I decided to make little cupcakes to cheer her up.   These are "seriously lemony" cupcakes which contain lots of vitamin C which, I hope, helps her to fight the cold.  I posted "lemon drizzle muffins" in this blog before, but these are "lemon drizzle cupcakes" ... yes, different. I understand that muffins and cupcakes are different things. Muffins tend to use a liquid form of fat like vegetable oil whereas cupcakes likely require a solid form of fat like butter or margarine. 

So, here are my cupcakes filled with a lot of lemony moisture. Ahhhh, seriously good. 

Ingredients (8-9 cupcakes) 

• 6 oz plain flour  (or self raising flour)  
  
• 6 oz caster sugar
• 6 oz low-fat spread (or butter if you prefer)
• 2 tsp baking powder (if you use plain flour)
• 2 eggs
• 1-2 Tbsp milk
• zest of 1 lemon

      For the lemon syrup

• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp sugar 

Method

1. Put all ingredients (except the lemon syrup) in a bowl and whisk up with an electric whisk. The mixture should have a dropping consistency. If not add a bit of milk.
2. Pour the mixture into cupcake cases that are placed in the tin.
3. Bake for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven (180c). 
4. When the cupcakes are baked, leave then in the tin for a few minutes and then take them out to cool.
5. When the cupcakes are still slightly warm, make a few holes in each cupcake and pour the lemon syrup over each one. (about 1-2 tsp each) 
6. Let them absorb the lemon syrup.