Today, muffins. I’m excited to share this wonderful Bakery Style Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (with Crunchy Sugar) recipe, as I think it’s a pretty stellar one. A muffin to beat all others. The brightness of the lemon juice and zest pair so wonderfully with the mellow sweetness of vanilla (we’ll add lots), and the subtle crunch of poppy seeds and course sugar adds the perfect texture. I’m here to tell you that if you’ve never considered the benefit of a nice hit of texture to your muffins, you’re in for a lovely surprise here.

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This is the kind of MKL recipe that is genuinely tough for me to not sneak bite after bite of as I’m shooting it, because they’re so delicious, in every possible way. Not a terrible problem to have, I suppose.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Tips, Tricks, and FAQ’s

What are poppy seeds?

Poppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the opium poppy. The tiny, kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years. It is still widely used in many countries, especially in Central Europe and South Asia, where it is legally grown and sold in shops.
Wikipedia

Are poppy seeds good for you?

Poppy seeds seems to contain some health benefits, but it seems that there is greater research needed to really come to any big conclusive results here. But, poppy seeds are purported to be full of good-for-you plant compounds and nutrients such as manganese. The oil from poppy seeds seeds has been suggested to boost fertility and to even aid in digestion.

Umm, so go on and eat another muffin. That’s my conclusion here.

What is the difference between muffins and cupcakes?

Muffins shouldn’t be confused with cupcakes, though they’re sometimes lumped together. These two things are not equal, as cupcakes are meant to be much lighter, with a less dense crumb. Muffins, however, comprise a sturdier, courser, more substantial build. Our bakery-style lemon poppy seed muffins strike a nice balance of tender crumb, subtly sweet flavor, and the just-right muffin texture of which I am so fond.

Technically speaking, muffins are made by the muffin method, which actually qualifies them as small quick breads. In the muffin method, wet ingredients are combined in one bowl, while the dry ingredients are combined in a separate one. The contents of the two bowls are incorporated together with minimal mixing to avoid gluten development and a tough final texture. The crumb you end up with after employing this “muffin method” is courser than that of a cupcake.

As such, cupcakes are small cakes (um, duh). They are created by using any one of the more classic methods of cake baking, such as the creaming method, the reverse creaming method, the genoise method, the chiffon method, joconde, and so on. Cupcakes almost always have a much finer, more tender crumb than their muffin brethren.

Quick Muffin Reference Guide

Muffins are usually less sweet than cupcakes.
Cupcakes are almost always void of crispness or crunch of any sort, whereas muffins are often texturized in one way or another, by adding nuts or a sugar topping.
Cupcakes are typically iced or frosted, whereas muffins tend to lack that, often sporting simply crumb or sugar crusts instead.
Muffins are often made to overflow their baking tins, resulting in tops that are larger, giving them a bit of a mushroom shape. Cupcakes on the other hand, usually have a top or cap that is consistent in size with the rest of the cake.

Storing and Freezing your Coconut Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

These muffins with keep nicely for you at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 3 days (if they last that long!). They will keep in the freezer for about 2 months.

What you’ll need to make these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Bakery Style

These muffins feature a triple-lemon muffin base that is made even better tanks to the addition of lots of sweet vanilla, crunchy poppy seeds, and a sparkly sugar topping. The vanilla-lemon soak seals the whole deal.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 heaping tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 cup plain Greek or regular yogurt, at room temp (sour cream, or mayonnaise can be subbed – yep)
2 large lemons
½ teaspoon lemon extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
2 eggs, at room temperature
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup turbinado sugar

For the Vanilla-Lemon Soak

⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

How to make these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Bakery Style

As mentioned above, we’ll employ the classic Muffin Method here. This just means we’ll mix together a bowl of dry ingredients, and then a bowl of wet ingredients. We’ll gently fold them together and then finish with some melted butter. This yields a nice crumb and a moisture level befitting anything with the bold title of “bakery style.”

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Butter/grease 12 standard muffin tins, being sure to grease the top surface of the pan as well (these are big and will likely spill over the edges – which is what we want!).

In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a second large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the yogurt (or sour cream), the zest of 2 lemons, the juice of 1 lemon, the lemon extract, vanilla extract, and eggs. Fold this wet mixture into the flour mixture just until combined. Fold in the butter.

Divide the batter between the muffin tins, filling them just to the tops. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of turbinado sugar over each muffin. Bake until just done, about 20 to 24 minutes (use a tester to check at 20 minutes).

Meanwhile, add the ⅓ cup sugar and ⅓ cup lemon juice to a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently until the sugar has dissolved and turn off the heat. Add the vanilla and let it cool a bit while the muffins bake.

When the bakery style lemon poppy seed muffins are out of the oven, brush them liberally with this lemon-vanilla soak. Enjoy when they’re cool enough to handle.

These will keep, covered, in a cool, dry place for up to 5 days. They will freeze for up to 2 months.