Photo of Lemon–poppy seed mini-muffins by WW

Lemon–poppy seed mini-muffins

4
Points®
Total Time
25 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Serves
24
Difficulty
Easy
This classic recipe is a crowd pleaser for breakfast, brunch, or as a snack, and it’s ready in just 25 minutes. The lemon syrup adds both flavor and moisture to the muffins. Poking holes in the muffins and brushing them while they are warm ensures that they will absorb every bit of the delectable sweet-tart syrup. You’ll need to buy two lemons to produce enough zest and juice for this recipe. You’ll want to zest the lemons before you juice them, removing just the thin yellow layer. The white pitch below can add a bitter flavor. Mix the batter just until the flour mixture has been incorporated into the wet ingredients to produce the most tender muffins.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour

2 cup(s)

Sugar

1 cup(s)

Poppy seeds

3 Tbsp

Baking powder

2½ tsp

Table salt

½ tsp

Fat free skim milk

¾ cup(s)

Canola oil

¼ cup(s)

Egg

1 large egg(s)

Egg whites

1 large

Lemon zest

1 Tbsp, grated (about 2 lemons)

Fresh lemon juice

¼ cup(s)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with paper liners.
  2. Whisk together the flour, 3⁄4 cup of the sugar, the poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the milk, oil, egg, egg white, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the flour mixture is moistened.
  3. Fill the muffin cups evenly with the batter. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 10 – 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack.
  4. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1⁄4 cup of sugar and the lemon juice in a small microwavable bowl. Microwave on High until it boils, 45 seconds to 1 minute; stir until the sugar is dissolved. With a wooden skewer, poke 5 holes in each muffin. Gradually brush the lemon syrup over the muffins, letting it soak in before brushing on more syrup. Serve the muffins warm or let cool completely. Yields 1 muffin per serving.