Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

I woke up the other day with the biggest craving for these lemon poppyseed muffins. It was cold and grey out, and all I wanted was to sit down with a hot cup of coffee and a warm, sugary treat - and the scent of lemons always just brighten up the morning for me, especially in the winter.

These muffins are sweet and simple, and come together quickly - great for last minute cravings.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
For the batter:
*2/3 cup sugar
*1 lemon (zest and juice)
*2 cups all purpose flour
*1/2 tsp baking soda
*11/2 tsp baking powder
*1/2 tsp salt
*3/4 cup sour cream
*2 eggs
*1 tsp vanilla
*1/2 cup unsalted butter
*2 1/2 TB poppy seeds

For the glaze:
*juice of 1 lemon
*1 cup confectioners sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Melt the butter and let it cool.

Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers or the back of a spoon until the sugar is damp. Then add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk until combined. In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and melted, cooled butter. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix until just barely combined. Add the poppy seeds, and stir briefly (it's okay if there are still a few lumps in the batter - they'll bake out. But if you overstir, your muffins could turn out tougher than you'd like).

Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. While the muffins are baking, whisk together the lemon juice and confectioners sugar for the glaze. Add up to a tablespoon of water into the mix, if needed, to make sure the glaze is thick but easily able to be poured. When the muffins come out of the oven and are still warm, use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over each muffin. 

Enjoy, and let me know in the comments if you try this recipe out!