Lemon and Poppy Seed Cupcakes

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Lemon is very refreshing and pairs well with poppyseeds. I made these for a special birthday treat. Candying the lemon adds a special touch and not to mention looks elegant &  fabulous.

Recipe yields a dozen refreshing cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/ 2 cup plain fat free greek yogurt or vanilla

1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lemon zest

2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup of AP flour

1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 cup of granulated sugar

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)

3 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract (I love penzey’s single strength)

Glaze

  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  •  4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about one lemon) Meyer Lemons work well with this if in season. (P.S. I saw them at ADLI the other day)!
  • 1 tablespoon Poppyseeds (optional)

Candied Lemon Slices

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 lemons, sliced 1/8 inch thick, seeds removed

Prework:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Place paper liners in your 12 count muffin tin. Set aside.
  • Place a wax paper or parchment paper down under a wire drying rack
Directions:
1. Place poppy seeds, zest, and yogurt in a small bowl. Set aside and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, this can take about 4 minutes depending on the softness of your butter. Lower the speed and add one egg at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated into the batter before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.

4. On low speed start to slowly add in the dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of the yogurt liquid mixture.

5. Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter evenly into the prepared liners. Gracefully drop the muffin tin on the counter a few times to free up air bubbles. Place the tin in the center of the oven on middle rack, bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Allow the cupcake to cool in pan for 1 minute. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and place on wire rack to cool completely before finishing with glaze.

6. Once the cupcakes are cooled completely start the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice together in a medium bowl, adding more lemon juice if consistency is too thick. Set aside. If you start this glaze early, You might even want to place plastic wrap on the top until the cupcakes are ready to be garnished.

7.  In the meantime, in a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and the water and bring to a boil, stirring with whisk to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon slices and allow for rolling boil over medium-low heat for about 8 minutes until slices are translucent, gently  stirring every other minute or so. Turn off the heat and transfer slices to a sheet of waxed paper.

7.  Start to pour the glaze over the cupcakes letting it drip down the sides. Let them set, top each cupcake with one candied lemon slice and a dash of poppyseeds.

Enjoy