Lemon Almond Muffins

Lemon Almond Muffins

Continuing on the lemon theme from earlier this week, I pulled out a recipe I used to make quite often for Lemon Almond Muffins. I think Mom recorded this one while watching a cooking show many years ago.

It's almost unfair to call these little babies "muffins", as they are more like little cakelets (is that a word? If not, I think it should be). Dense and moist, these are unusual muffins. You'll notice the batter is different from any muffin you've made, as it is very dense and looks almost like bread dough when it comes together. This could be because there are no eggs in this recipe, plus it calls for cream of tartar, so the texture is quite different. You'll also note there is no salt in the recipe, but I use salted butter and find it works well. Be sure to not overmix the batter as you'll end up with tough muffins (that made me giggle...).

You can use two teaspoons to put the batter in muffin tins, but I find the tops look a little prettier when you use a medium sized ice cream scoop.

This is a lovely recipe to prepare as company is about to arrive. The fragrance of warm lemon and almond will permeate your house and create a welcoming, comforting atmosphere...and a hungry group of guests!

Lemon Almond Muffins

2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 c. milk
1/8 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. almond extract
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 c. slivered almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease muffin pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and cream of tartar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, milk, almond extract, lemon juice and zest.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add liquid mixture, stirring gently with a fork until just moist. Do not overmix.

Fill muffin cups to about 3/4 full. Sprinkle tops with slivered almonds, if desired. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges turn brown and tops of muffins spring back when touched. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove muffins from pans and place on rack to cool completely, or serve when still warm.

Ever Lovin' Lemon Loaf

Mom's Ever Lovin' Lemon Loaf

My brother recently picked up a bunch of lemons on sale, then called me to ask what he should do with them. He truly has begun to channel our Mom.

He was thinking of trying Mom's Lemon Custard, the inaugural recipe on this blog (http://jinjahcookie.blogspot.com/2009/09/lemon-custard.html). I also recommended that he make Mom's wonderful Lemon Loaf, the best recipe for this loaf I've found so far.

I've adapted many loaf recipes by replacing shortening with vegetable oil, to remove the saturated fat. I find it usually works quite well in loaves, but decided to test on this recipe to be sure. You'll notice in the photo below that the loaf made with vegetable oil (left) turned out to have a much nicer shape and a lighter texture than the loaf made with shortening (right).

Loaf made with vegetable oil (left) and shortening (right)

My husband and fellow taste-tester agreed that there was no difference in flavour between the two loaves. Plus - and this is a bonus - you'll save yourself about 40 calories per loaf and a whack of saturated fat if you choose the vegetable oil option.

EVER LOVIN' LEMON LOAF

Loaf Batter:

1/3 c. vegetable oil or shortening
1 c. white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Grated rind of 1 lemon

Glaze:

1/4 c. white sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

To prepare cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat insides of a regular loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter. Set aside.

Beat together oil or shortening with sugar; add eggs one at a time, then add salt. Reduce mixer speed and add milk, mixing gently until combined. Add flour, baking powder and lemon rind all at once. Mix until thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl with spatula. Do not overmix or cake will be tough.

Pour batter into loaf pan and let sit for 2 minutes, then place in oven and bake for 50 minutes or until done. Remove cake from oven.

To prepare glaze:

Squeeze juice from 1 lemon and strain seeds and pulp. Add sugar and mix until dissolved. Spoon glaze over hot cake while still in loaf pan. Let glaze soak into loaf in pan for 30 minutes, then remove to a rack until completely cooled.

To store:

Wrap in foil and refrigerate. Serve cool or bring to room temperature.