Crunchy Lemon Muffin

Makes 12 regular muffins or 24 mini-muffins

Muffins are not as rich as cupcakes and are easier and less fuss to mix and bake. Best served warm, they may be refrigerated for several days, or frozen and reheated when required. Serve these muffins with tea or coffee, added them to packed lunches, or warm and split them, and serve with berries and cream or yoghurt, for dessert. In this recipe, un-dissolved sugar and citrus juice are used to coat the just-cooked muffins and give them a crunchy texture and a lovely tangy citrus flavour.

Crunchy lemon muffins (Alison Holst) Photo: Treats and Things

Ingredients

Mix together in a bowl, big enough to hold all the ingredients:

• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 3/4 cup sugar

Measure the next four ingredients into a small bowl, then mix them together:

• 75g butter, melted (or 50g butter + 2 Tbsp canola oil, or 5 Tbsp oil)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg, preferably Size 7
• grated rind of 2 lemons or 1 lemon and 1 other citrus fruit

Method

Turn the oven to 200 C with a rack in the middle of the oven.

Tip the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and fold them together, preferably with a flat-bladed stirrer. Mix just until the flour is dampened but NOT until the mixture is smooth.

Using two spoons, put spoons of mixture into 12 regular muffin pans or 24 mini-muffin pans coated with non-stick spray or rubbed with soft butter.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. While muffins cook, put about 1/4 cup lemon juice (or lemon and other juice) in a small bowl.

Have 1/4 cup of sugar ready to add to the juice after the muffins come out of the oven.

If the muffins do not come out of the tins easily while they are very hot, leave them to stand for a minute or two, then twist gently and lift them out.

Dip the top half of each muffin into the juice and sugar mixture, and turn it slightly before lifting it onto a rack. If there is still some juice left, re-dip the muffins or brush the mixture onto the muffins..(To freeze muffins, put two in each plastic bag, remove excess air and seal tightly).