Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins #MuffinMonday

Meyer lemons and lemon yogurt make a beautiful rich batter for these Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. Delicious sunshine in a muffin cup!

Who can resist the sweet and sour combination of lemon and mandarin orange that created the hybrid Meyer lemon? 

Last year when I was here in Providence visiting my daughters for spring break, I baked a beautiful (if I do say so myself – but you can go and judge for yourself) sweet bread loaf with lemons and poppy seeds. The weather was warmer at this time a year ago but the fresh, bright flavor of lemons is always cheerful and warming. Especially Meyer lemons. 

Weather reports are promising a chance of snow for the next two days– that’s right, snow again at the end of March, after the supposed start of spring! – so I baked muffins with the same flavors as last year’s bread. And added a lemony glaze, which makes them extra cheerful. If we can’t be warm and sunshiny outside, at least we can be inside. Snow, pfft. I laugh in your face.

Ingredients
2 cups or 250g flour
2/3 cup or 130g sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds (plus a couple of pinches more for decorating if desired)
Grated zest and juice of 1 Meyer lemon (Mine were small so one yielded only 1 1/2 tablespoons juice.)
3/4 cup or 185g lemon yogurt
1/4 cup or 60ml milk
2 large eggs
1/2 cup or 115g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Optional glaze – juice of one small Meyer lemon
About 4-5 heaping tablespoons powdered sugar

To decorate, if desired:
The glaze
Extra poppy seeds
Zest of one Meyer Lemon

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.  Butter your muffin tin or line it with paper liners.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds and salt to a large mixing bowl.

Grate in the Meyer lemon zest and mix. Juice your lemon.

In another smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, yogurt, juice and melted butter.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir until just mixed through.

Divide the mixture between the muffin cups in the pan.

Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes then remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.  I don’t have a wire rack in the house where I’m staying so I just used the top of the gas range. Worked perfectly.

If you want to add glaze, zest your second Meyer lemon and squeeze out the juice.  Add powdered sugar a couple of tablespoons at a time and stir well, until the glaze is a good drizzling consistency.

When your muffins are cool, drizzle on the glaze and sprinkle the muffins with a little lemon zest and a few poppy seeds each.

Enjoy!

Meyer Lemon Butter Sauce Prawns with Linguine

Meyer lemons, thought to be a cross between Eureka or Lisbon lemons and mandarin oranges, are only available for a few months at the beginning of the year. They work well in both sweet and savory dishes, especially seafood.

If you’ve been reading this space for a while, you know that last year, for the very first time, I found myself living somewhere I can buy Meyer lemons.  I brought a bag of six home and spent a great deal of time creating recipes that would let them play an important role. After all, they were not cheap. And, to reiterate, I only had six. This dish was one of our favorites and it’s just perfect for today’s Sunday Supper Valentine Recipes for Two theme.

Ingredients
1 lb or about 450g prawns or shrimp, cleaned and peeled
Sea salt
1 Meyer lemon
6-8 cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic
2 shallots
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Olive oil
2/3 cup or 155ml dry white wine
1//2 cup or 120ml cream
7 oz or 200g linguine
Generous handful arugula (rocket) or fresh spinach

Method
Thinly slice half of your Meyer lemon.  Juice the other half and set the juice aside.

Split each prawn in two down the middle with a sharp knife and give them a light sprinkle with sea salt.

Mince the shallots and garlic.

In a large non-stick skillet, pan-fry the lemon slices over a medium heat in a drizzle of olive oil.

When the slices are nicely browned, removed them from the pan and set aside. Add in two tablespoons of the butter and let it melt and sizzle.

Now toss in the prawn halves and cook them until they are all curly and just pink through.

Remove them from the pan and set them on the browned Meyer lemon slices.

Add in the last two tablespoons of butter, then the minced shallots and garlic. Turn the fire down and sauté them until they are soft and translucent.

Meanwhile put water on to boil for the linguine.

Add the wine and lemon juice to the shallots and garlic, along with the cherry tomatoes.  Stir well.

 Cook until all of the liquid has almost evaporated, keeping an eye on it and stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile put your linguine in the boiling water with a teaspoon or two of salt. Cook according to package instructions but set your timer for about one minute less than the prescribed time. When the linguine is almost done, toss in the greens, allow them to wilt.

Drain the whole pot through a colander.  Set aside.

When the shallot/garlic pan is almost dry, add the prawns and Meyer lemon slices back into the pan. Give it a good stir.

Pour in your cream and stir again.

Season with some extra salt and a few good grinds of fresh black pepper.

Divide your pasta into two bowls and then share the creamy, lemony butter sauce with prawns over the top.

Enjoy!

If you are looking for special Valentine’s Day inspiration, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got dishes for two galore today!  Many thanks to our host this week, Susan from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen, who just happens to have the perfect red Valentine kitchen.

Alluring Appetizers:

• Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Ricotta from Casa de Crews
• Kumquat Vanilla Marmalade from Shockingly Delicious
• Southwestern Meatballs wrapped in Bacon from Momma’s Meals

Exquisite Entrees:

• Almond-Crusted Sole with Mushroom Pilaf for Two from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Bacon Crusted Beer Mac and Cheese from Melanie Makes
• Baked Crab Cakes with Lemongrass-Ginger Mayo from The Weekend Gourmet
• Baked Pasta with Sausage and Fontina from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Baked Tilapia En Papillote from It’s Yummi!
• Chicken and Mushroom Alfredo from Cookin’ Mimi
• Drunken Snow Crabs from Family Foodie
• Eggs in Purgatory from Noshing with the Nolands
• Flambéed Veal Chops from MealDiva
• Homemade Philly Cheesesteak Stromboli from In The Kitchen With KP
• Meyer Lemon Butter Sauce Prawns with Linguine from Food Lust People Love
• Pan Seared Scallops with Lemon-Basil Beurre Blanc, Pancetta, Apples and Fennel from Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Pan-Seared Scallops with Linguine and Tomato-Cream Sauce from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Roasted Vegetable Lasagna for Two from Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
• Salmon Pakoras from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Swiss Fondue for Two from Curious Cuisiniere
• White Queso Mac and Cheese for Two from Daily Dish Recipes 

Decadent Desserts and Drinks:

• Baked Custard from Magnolia Days
• Cherry Spritzer Ice Cream Float from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Chocolate Budino with Strawberry Hearts from Manu’s Menu
• Chocolate Malt Bread Pudding from Alida’s Kitchen
• Chocolate Marshmallow Duets from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Chocolate Pots de Crème from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Fresh Berry Parfait with Crème Anglaise from Hip Foodie Mom
• Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies with Raspberry Sauce from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Funfetti Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle from Take a Bite Out of Boca
• German Rose Water Sugar Cookies For Two from Killer Bunnies, Inc.
• Gluten Free Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles from Gluten Free Crumbley
• Gluten-Free Deep Dish Hot Fudge Brownies for Two from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Ice Cream Stuffed Crepes with Nutella and Fresh Berries from Neighborfood
• Malawian Mbatata Cookies with Coconut Cream from Happy Baking Days
• Orange-scented Bread Pudding with Hard Sauce for Two from girlichef
• Pecan-Crusted Coconut Custards with Brandied Banana Sauce from The Texan New Yorker
• Pistachio Pudding For Two (From Scratch) from Chocolate Moosey
• 3 Japanese-Style Treats for Your Sweet from Ninja Baking
• Valentine’s Cupcakes with a Surprise from From the Bookshelf
• White Hot Chocolate from Pies and Plots

Meyer Lemon Upside-down Cake

The beauty of the internet is that we can learn about things that we would otherwise not experience in our lives.  We gain access to information and products that might have been out of reach before.  The downside of the internet is that sometimes it introduces us to things we still can’t have.  For years now, I have been reading about Meyer lemons.  They grow well in places with warm climates and most of the fruit becomes ready for picking in the wintertime.  If you plant Meyer lemons from seeds, it takes more than four years for the plant to produce lemons.  But most importantly, they are a hybrid citrus combining the tartness of lemons and the sweetness of oranges.  Who wouldn’t want to try such a lovely fruit?

If you follow my Facebook page, you know that I finally live somewhere that Meyer lemons are available.  Sadly, I don’t mean they are grown locally, although there is really no reason they couldn’t be, but they are imported for sale at my nearby grocery store.  I struggled with the outrageous expense and the fact that they had been flown clear from the other side of the world.  And then I broke down and bought some.   Lovely, truly lovely.   My bag had only six lemons so I had to choose my recipes carefully.  But I knew when I first cradled that yellow mesh bag in my eager arms, that upside-down cake would be one of them.


Ingredients
2 Meyer lemons
1/2 cup or 115g butter, plus extra for buttering the pan
3/4 cup, packed, or 150g light brown sugar

For the cake batter:
1 1/2 cups or 190g flour
1 cup or 225g sugar
1/2 cup or 115g butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup or 120ml milk
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.  Prepare your baking pan (about 10in or 25cm diameter) by buttering it liberally and then lining it with parchment paper cut to the exact size of the bottom.  You can take your chances and not line it if you have a non-stick pan but sometimes caramelizing sugar will stick.  And that is one of the risks of upside down cakes.

Melt your butter and allow it to cool slightly.  Add in the brown sugar and stir well.

Pour this mixture into the baking pan.  It should spread right out and cover the bottom.

Slice your lemons very thinly and remove the seeds from the slices.

Starting in the middle, cover your sugar butter mixture with the lemon slices, overlapping them ever so slightly.   As you get to the outside, you may have to cut some slices in half to achieve full coverage.

In a large mixing bowl, beat all of the cake batter ingredients at low speed until well mixed, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently with a rubber spatula.

Increase the beater speed to medium and beat for five minutes, stopping every couple of minutes to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Slowly pour the batter over the lemon slices in your baking pan.   Smooth out the top with your rubber spatula.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes.  The cake should begin pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Invert your serving plate on the top of the cake pan and turn both over quickly and decisively.  The cake should fall out of the pan on to the serving dish.

Gently lift the cake pan off and then peel the parchment paper off of the cake.  If any lemon slices have stuck to the parchment, ease them carefully off with the tip of a knife as you peel back the parchment.

Use a spatula to scrape up any syrup left in the pan and drizzle it over the cake.

This wonderful cake is sticky and tangy and sweet.  It will be most appreciated by anyone who is a fan of marmalade.  Or Meyer lemons.  Or cake.

I took this to a dinner party so I don’t have any photos of the cake being cut but I can tell you that each slice was served to warm acclaim with a generous dollop of crème fraîche.  I suggest you do the same.

Enjoy!