Matt’s brother and his partner have the world’s most prolific lemon tree…I was going to say in their backyard, but well…it’s in their neighbours backyard! But anything hanging over your side of the fence is legally yours. Did you know that? There’s actually a fruit tree bounty law. Last time we visited them in the big smoke I came home with a big bag o’ lemons. And they casually remarked that just the day before they picked forty lemons off the tree, which still looked laden to me! See: prolific. So what’s a girl to do but get baking…
Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins
3 cups self-raising flour
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest of two lemons
140g butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 cup icing sugar
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius, line muffin pan with baking papers squares (I cut mine roughly 15cm x 15cm). Sift flour and combine with poppy seeds, bicarb soda and salt in a bowl.
Beat butter, sugar and lemon zest together until creamed. Add in one egg at a time and beat until combine. Reduce to low speed and add in half a cup of dry mixture, followed by half a cup of yogurt, continue mixing on low speed and adding half a cup of each until combined. Try not to overwork as your muffins won’t be soft and fluffy!
Spoon into your muffin pans, bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden and a skewer comes out clean. While they’re baking, combine icing sugar and lemon juice, drizzle on muffins after they’re cooled.
Lemon anything is my thing. I love love love my lemons. I’m sure that adding lemon is proven to make anything 78% better. Possibly 79%. If only my own lemon tree would start producing more fruit…sigh. I’m lucky to get a few very small, very hard, barely recognisable as ‘lemons’. Hmph. I know citrus are very hungry so I should perhaps be feeding it more…and we all know what Matt should probably be doing on it.
Do you love lemon anything too?
Got a prolific branch dangling over your back fence?
Tips for my lemon tree?
Anne@GritandGiggles says
Mmmm I love lemons and these sound delicious. I wish we had a lemon tree. I am sure we will the next place we live, along with many other fruit trees.
Prue says
Garden nerd has some tips! Matt must start peeing on it. Gross but true. Remove any plants growing around its base (even grass competes because lemons are very shallow-rooted. Once it’s established grass won’t be a problem but if it’s still small just remove all competition. Look at the leaves and if they’re yellowed with green veins it needs feeding. Lavender is an excellent companion plant because it will attract bees which will also pollinate your lemon blossom (you may just have a pollination problem if it’s producing lemons but they’re not fully forming). Also pick off about 70% of the flowers so it’s not trying to mature too many fruit at once, that way you may get a smaller crop but at least they’ll be useable.
xx
Jo @ CountryLifeExperiment says
Meg is in muffin baking mode at the moment. Almost every second day she wants to bake some. I’m giving her this recipe next time she asks 🙂 I cannot wait for our lemon tree to be big enough to fruit!
Emma @ asimplelivingjourney says
Oh they look lovely!
One of my favorite things is lemon butter! It reminds me of my dear old Nanna,
I will have to try these little muffins. The lemon makes them healthy yes? I’m quite sure it counter acts any “unhealthy-ness” of baked good – just add fruit and its all good! 😉
Warmly,
Emma
xx