Lemon Raspberry Muffins

These muffins are moist and flavorful. The lemon sugar adds a nice crispy coating.

Yield: 8 jumbo muffins or 12 regular


Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups raspberries (fresh)

Directions:
Toss sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon zest, rubbing it between fingers to release the oils. Let sit at least 1 hour and up to 1 day before. (Remove 1/4 cup and set remaining aside).

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place liners in muffin pan and liberally sprinkle cups with lemon sugar from 1/4 cup. Save remaining mixture for topping muffins.

Sift 2-1/4 cups flour (set aside ¼ cup for tossing with berries), baking powder, salt and remaining 3/4 cup lemon sugar together in a large bowl.

Add butter to flour mixture and cut in with a pastry blender or two knives until the butter pieces are pea-sized and smaller.

Whisk buttermilk, eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture stirring just until combined. The batter will be lumpy.

Measure out 1 3/4 cups raspberries and toss berries with remaining 1/4 cup flour and gently fold into batter. Sprinkle each liner with a generous amount of remaining lemon sugar and fill muffin cups with batter and sprinkle the tops of each muffin with the lemon sugar.

Bake 15 minutes and rotate pan. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes longer or until muffins spring back when lightly pressed in the center and/or a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Jumbo muffins will take approximately 5 minutes longer.

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   Link to Recipe: Lemon Raspberry Muffins

Toss sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon zest, rubbing it between fingers to release the oils. Let sit at least 1 hour and up to 1 day before.

1. Sift 2-1/4 cups flour (set aside ¼ cup for tossing with berries), baking powder, salt and remaining 3/4 cup lemon sugar together in a large bowl.

Add butter to flour mixture and cut in with a pastry blender or two knives

Until the butter pieces are pea-sized and smaller

Whisk buttermilk, eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl

Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture stirring just until combined. The batter will be lumpy.

Measure out 1 3/4 cups raspberries and toss berries with 1/4 cup flour you set aside.

Gently fold into batter.

Sprinkle each liner with a generous amount of remaining lemon sugar and fill muffin cups with batter.

Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with the lemon sugar and bake in a 400 degree oven.

Let cool and invert onto a wire cooling rack. Serve warm!