Crunchy Lemon Muffins
In this recipe, un-dissolved sugar and citrus juice are used to coat the just-cooked muffins and give them a crunchy texture and a lovely tangy citrus flavour.
Muffins are not as rich as cupcakes and are easier and less fuss to mix and bake. Best served warm, they may be refrigerated for several days, or frozen and reheated when required. Serve these muffins with tea or coffee, added them to packed lunches, or warm and split them, and serve with berries and cream or yoghurt, for dessert.
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 75g butter, melted (or, 50g butter + 2 Tbsp canola oil, or 5 Tbsp oil)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg, preferably size 7
- Grated rind of 2 lemons, or 1 lemon and 1 other citrus fruit (save the juice)
- 1/4 cup sugar, for coating the muffins
Instructions
- 1.
Turn the oven to 200 C with a rack in the middle of the oven.
- 2.
Put the flour and first measure of sugar in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- 3.
Put the butter, milk, egg and citrus zest in a small bowl and mix well.
- 4.
Tip the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and fold them together, preferably with a flat-bladed stirrer. Mix just until the flour is dampened but NOT until the mixture is smooth.
- 5.
Using two spoons, put spoons of mixture into 12 regular muffin pans or 24 mini-muffin pans coated with non-stick spray or rubbed with soft butter.
- 6.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. While muffins cook, put about 1/4 cup lemon juice (or lemon and other juice) in a small bowl.
- 7.
If the muffins do not come out of the tins easily while they are very hot, leave them to stand for a minute or two, then twist gently and lift them out.
- 8.
Add the sugar to the lemon juice.
- 9.
Dip the top half of each muffin into the juice and sugar mixture, and turn it slightly before lifting it onto a rack. If there is still some juice left, re-dip the muffins in it or brush the mixture onto the muffins.
