Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

(Jamie is a guest blogger from Jamie Cooks It Up!.)

Every time the calendar rolls around to Bleak Mid Winter I start to crave everything lemon. Beach Street Lemon Chicken, Luscious Lemon Pie and Blackberry Cashew Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette...to name just a few. Lemon is one of my very favorite flavors and when the weather is drab and dreary, I can't seem to get enough of its sunny disposition.  

In an effort to "bring on the lemon" I tweaked my recipe for Poppyseed Bread to make these yummy muffins. They are packed with lemon flavor! When they were warm from the oven I dipped the tops into a heavenly lemon sugar glaze. It was the right thing to do, friends. They turned out wonderfully well. I hope some of you have a chance to try them! 

Muffins:

3 C flour

1 1/2 t salt

1 1/2 t baking powder

2 1/2 C sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 C milk

1 1/2 t vanilla extract

2 Tb fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1 C + 2 T canola oil

1/4 C poppy seeds

Glaze:

3/4 C + 1 Tb sugar

1/4 C freshly lemon juice

1 1/2 t vanilla

dash salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Stir your flour, salt, baking powder and sugar together in a medium sized mixing bowl with a wire whisk. 
3. In a separate mixing bowl whisk up your eggs until they are nice and frothy. Add the milk, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest and oil. Wisk it all together until it's nicely combined. 
4. Pour in your poppy seeds and give it another whisking to incorporate. 
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Using a wooden spoon, stir everything together just until combined. You don't want a lot of flour clumps, but you don't want to over mix here either. 
6. Line your muffin tins with cupcake liners and fill them 2/3 full of batter. 
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow them to sit in the pan on your counter for about 5 minutes. 
8. Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze and dip the top of the muffins in the glaze. Set them on a wire rack to cool. 

Enjoy!