Coconut Poppy Seed Muffins

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut yogurt (you can sub vanilla or plain)
  • 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, about 3 lemons' worth
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1 whole lemon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (one stick)
  • Plenty of coarse sugar for rolling (at least 6 tablespoons)
  • - FOR THE GLAZE -
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Adjust your oven rack to the center position and preheat to 375 degrees F.  Grease or line an extra-large muffin tin.

Step 2: Whisk the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl for about one minute until well mixed.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon zest, juice, coconut extract, and eggs until smooth.  Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture, stopping just when its all combined.  Fold in the melted butter.  Don’t overmix!  Doing so will overwork the proteins and create dense, tougher muffins.

Step 4: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, but making sure not to fill them much more than 3/4 of the way to the top.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes, checking after 20.  Rotate the muffin tin halfway through baking.  When they’re done, cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to glaze.

Step 5: Meanwhile, make the glaze: add sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla to a small saucepan over medium heat and gently cook until the sugar has melted, created a syrup; about 3-5 minutes.  Cool for a few minutes before using.

Step 6: Brush the cooled muffins with the lemon glaze.  Roll or sprinkle each with lots of coarse sugar, creating a sparkly, crunchy crust on top.

Enjoy these delicious and beautiful muffins from MyKitchenLittle!