Lemon Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

This is probably my absolute favorite type of muffin. I LOVE almond extract, and poppy seed muffins, and the fresh lemon zest makes them so bright tasting! And they taste just like the muffins you would buy at the bakery- but even better, because they're not as oily, but still deliciously moist.

I first found this recipe among my mom's gigantic stash of recipes. I think it originally came from Country Woman Magazine (which, I must admit, I love). I have been making these muffins for years and they always disappear rather quickly. I have made some changes, though. They originally did not have lemon zest in them, but I love the combination of lemon and almond, and I think the zest just enhances the flavor. I have also decreased the amount of oil in the recipe. The original recipe resulted in muffins that were so oily, the top of the muffin stuck to your fingers. Still deliciously good, but I have always felt that eating an oily muffin makes me feel weighed down. Why have all that extra oil in there if you don't need it? And I don't think it added anything to the taste of the muffin.

So here is the recipe, with my changes to it:

3 c flour
2 1/2 c sugar
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
2/3 c vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp almond extract (or to taste)
Zest of 1 lemon (or to taste)

Shift the first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs until smooth. Add in the milk, oil, extracts, and lemon zest. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredient, mix until incorporated.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 24 muffins

Note: Almond extract is VERY STRONG. If you don't like it, definitely decrease the amount. Don't add extra! It will definitely overpower the muffins. Also, feel free to add even more lemon zest if you love lemon. 1 lemon gave a lemon taste, but not a strong one.

Hint: I buy fresh lemons a lot, for both the juice and the zest. However, I got tired of wasting money, using just the juice, then throwing the rind away. I can't remember where I learned this, but if you freeze the rind after juicing, you can then thaw out the rind and zest it before you throw it away! That way, nothing is wasted! I have yet to see if the zest is still the same, but I have about 3 lemon halves in my freezer waiting to test this theory.

Another hint: For best juicing results, use room temperature lemons. For best zesting results, use cold lemons.

Happy baking!