A Muffin For Easter Brunch

I made this muffin for the first time about a week ago. As one of the best of the best, it's a keeper, and would be a great addition to an Easter Brunch menu.

The recipe is taken from a cook book I've had since the 1980's entitled, "The Breakfast Book," written by Marion Cunningham. It's unusual for me to thrilled with a cook book that doesn't have lots of colorful picture illustrations (call me shallow) but this book is a favorite of mine and I often pull it off the shelf. (No photographs, but there are some lovely line drawings in it.)

I'll admit I usually like my muffins to be moist and heavy. These aren't. They're more cake-like and light (but not dry) and the flavor is so fantastic (just ask Chicken Mama who really, really wanted another one yesterday morning but, alas and alack, they were long gone) that they are definitely now one of my favorite muffins.

Here's the recipe:

LEMON YOGURT MUFFINS

1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1-1/4 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Lemon Syrup

1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water

For the muffins, in a medium bowl, combine the sugar, honey, eggs, yogurt, melted butter and grated lemon peel. Mix thoroughly.

To above mixture add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until just blended.

Spoon the batter evenly into 12 greased muffin cups filling each about two-thirds full.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

While the muffins are baking, prepare the syrup by combining the lemon juice, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, boil for one minute and then set aside.

When the muffins are baked, remove the muffin pan from the oven and set it on a cooling rack. Gently poke the top of each muffin 3 or 4 times with a fork. Then drizzle about 2-3 teaspoons of the syrup over each hot muffin letting it run over the top and around the edges.

Let muffins cool in the pans for a few minutes. Then remove and serve.

I have to repeat myself. These are very, very good.

The day I made them someone in my household grabbed one for a mid-afternoon snack. He (not mentioning any names) thought a little strawberry jam would compliment the lemon flavor. Although I didn't try it myself, I'll hazard a guess that it was okay.