May Cooking -- Lemonade Muffins

Lemonade Muffins 

Makes 12 muffins These tender muffins get a bright kick from frozen lemonade concentrate, giving them a wonderful, if very sweet, flavor. Don’t use sugar-free brands, made with artificial sweeteners, or the muffins won’t rise very well. 

Nonstick spray or paper muffin cups 

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

 1/3 cup sugar 

2 teaspoons baking soda 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

½ teaspoon salt 

1 large egg, at room temperature 

¼ cup buttermilk (regular or low-fat) 

One 12-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed 

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. To prepare the muffin tins, spray the indentations and the rims around them with nonstick spray, or line the indentations with paper muffin cups. If using silicon muffin tins, spray as directed, then place them on a baking sheet. 

2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Set aside. 

3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk until well blended. Whisk in the lemonade concentrate, melted butter, and lemon zest until smooth. Stir in the prepared flour mixture until moistened—do not overmix. 

4. Fill the prepared tins three-quarters full. Use additional greased tins or small, oven-safe, greased ramekins for any leftover batter, or reserve the batter for a second baking. Bake for 18 minutes, or until the muffins have lightly browned, flat tops and a toothpick inserted in the center of one muffin comes out with a crumb or two attached.

 5. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Gently rock each muffin back and forth to release it from the tin. Cool them for 5 minutes more on the rack before serving. If storing or freezing the muffins, allow them to cool completely before sealing in an airtight container or in freezer-safe plastic bags. The muffins will stay fresh for up to 24 hours at room temperature or up to 1 month in the freezer. 

Lemon Glazed Lemonade Muffins: Top the cooled muffins with Lemon Drizzle. 

Limeade Muffins: Substitute limeade concentrate for the lemonade concentrate and lime zest for the lemon zest. 

Raspberry Lemonade Muffins: Gently fold ½ cup raspberries into the batter just after adding the flour mixture. 

Strawberry Lemonade Muffins: Hull and thinly slice 8 large strawberries (about ½ pint). Add them along with the lemon zest. 

Lemon Drizzle 

Makes about 1/3 cup, enough for 12 muffins 

Acid keeps sugar from crystallizing, so the lemon juice in this recipe keeps the sugar in a semi-liquid form. It’s perfect for drizzling designs on the tops of baked muffins. 

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 

1. Stir the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth. Set aside for 15 minutes to firm up a bit. 

2. Drizzle approximately 1 teaspoon on top of each cooled, baked muffin. Alternatively, dip the cooled muffin tops into the drizzle, allow all the excess to drip back off, then turn the muffin right side up and allow the drizzle to set.