Big Fluffy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

I finally got around to making muffins with yogurt and I have got to say it is definitely worth the extra trip to the store. These are some big beautiful muffins! This is a basic muffin recipe from America's Test Kitchen which is easy to modify to create different muffin varieties. 

The ingredients are as follows:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/2 cups plain lowfat yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the flour sugar, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl whisk together the yogurt, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice. Fold the mixture into the flour mixture. Then fold in the melted butter.  

Distribute the mixture evenly among the muffin cups. I used a 1/3 measuring cup.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  I have found that if they are slightly undercooked they loose their nice soft, fluffy texture and aren't as good the next day.

Let them cool for 5 minutes and then add the glaze. 

For the glaze:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Heat the glaze mixture for 3 to 4 minutes. Once homogenous brush the warm syrup onto the muffins. 

Before the lemon glaze

And for a side note, I wanted to share a card my Aunt made me, which has been hanging on my refrigerator for the better part of a year now.  The little dog's name is Romeo George Pancake, thanks to my cousins.