Lemon muffins by Sarah Cook

Light, fluffy and extra lemony, these easy lemon muffins have an extra citrus hit thanks to a simple glaze made with lemon juice and sugar.

​Ingredients

• 275g/9¾oz plain flour
• 225g/8oz caster sugar
• 50g/1¾oz ground almonds
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 unwaxed lemons, finely grated zest plus 2 tbsp juice only
• 150ml/¼ pint semi-skimmed milk
• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, melted
• 50ml/2fl oz sunflower or vegetable oil
• 2 large free-range eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze

• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 50g/1¾oz golden caster sugar

​Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with large paper cases.

2. Put the flour, sugar, almonds, baking powder and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl and mix well.

3. Beat together the milk, butter, oil, eggs, vanilla and lemon juice in a jug. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix together very sparingly until the dry ingredients are just wet. (overmix and you’ll get tough muffins).

4. Working quickly, divide the mixture between the cases – they should be about three-quarters full. Bake for 15–18 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when poked into the middle of a muffin in the centre of the tin. Quickly use a cocktail stick or skewer to poke holes in each muffin.

5. Combine the glaze ingredients straight away, then use a pastry brush or a teaspoon to cover the tops of the muffins. Repeat until all the glaze has been used. Lift the muffins onto a wire rack to cool a little, before eating warm or at room temperature.