Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 10 g baking powder
- 2 g fine sea salt
- 2 lemon zest
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs, room temperature, large
- 120 g plain yogurt or sour cream
- 100 ml vegetable oil
- 30 ml lemon juice
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Lemon Drizzle
- 60 ml lemon juice
- 50 g granulated sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, rub the lemon zest into the 150g of sugar with your fingertips until the sugar resembles wet sand and is fragrant.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the lemon-sugar mixture and whisk well to combine.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, vegetable oil, 30ml lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix; a few lumps are fine.
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
While muffins are baking, mix the 60ml lemon juice and 50g granulated sugar in a small bowl for the drizzle. Do not dissolve the sugar completely.
Remove muffins from the oven and immediately poke several holes in each muffin using a skewer or toothpick.
Spoon the lemon drizzle over the hot muffins, allowing it to soak in while the sugar crystals remain on top for crunch.
Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Chef's Notes
- Rubbing the zest into the sugar is the secret to a professional bakery flavor; it extracts essential oils that would otherwise be lost.
- Using oil instead of butter ensures the muffins stay moist for days, even when refrigerated.
- For the classic 'drizzle' crunch, use granulated sugar for the topping rather than caster or powdered sugar.
- These muffins freeze beautifully; just wrap them individually after they have completely cooled.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent drying out.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze without the drizzle for best results, or wrap tightly with drizzle applied.
Reheating: Microwave for 10-15 seconds to restore fluffiness.
