Lemon Slice Muffins
Submitted by longbear
Lemon slice muffins with a whole lemon round baked into the bottom of each one, inverted to reveal a caramelized citrus top. Bright, buttery, and bursting with real lemon flavor.
YIELD
1 dozenPREP
30 minCOOK
20 minREADY
50 minThese lemon muffins take a clever upside-down approach. A thin lemon slice sits on a bed of sugar at the bottom of each muffin cup, and when you flip them out of the tin, you get a beautiful caramelized citrus round on top of each muffin.
The batter itself is loaded with lemon three ways: grated zest dissolved in a sugar syrup, melted butter stirred in for richness, and the lemon slices baked right into the base. That triple hit means every bite tastes distinctly, genuinely lemony rather than vaguely citrus-flavored.
Making the zest syrup on the stovetop before mixing it into the batter concentrates the lemon oils and dissolves the sugar evenly. This gives the muffins a more intense flavor than just stirring raw zest into dry ingredients would.
Inverting immediately after baking is a must. The sugar on the bottom melts during baking and acts like a glue. Wait too long and the muffins stick permanently.
Pro Tips
- Grate only the bright yellow zest, never the white pith underneath. Pith is bitter and will throw off the balance.
- Slice the lemons as evenly as possible at about ¼ inch thick. Thinner slices burn; thicker ones stay tough and chewy.
- Butter the tins generously. The sugar base can stick aggressively, and you don’t want to lose those pretty lemon tops.
- Stir the batter just until combined. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the muffins tough instead of tender.
Variations
- Use Meyer lemons for a sweeter, more floral flavor that’s less tart.
- Add a teaspoon of poppy seeds to the batter for a classic lemon poppy seed twist.
- Drizzle a thin lemon glaze over the tops after cooling for extra sweetness.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Butter standard size muffin tins.
Finely grate the zest from the lemons, removing only the bright yellow portion of the peel.
Set the lemons aside.
Combine the zest, the water and ¼ cup of the sugar in a small saucepan.
Stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes, just until the sugar dissolves.
Add the butter and stir until melted, about 1 minute longer.
Set aside.
With a sharp knife remove and discard all the remaining peel from the lemons.
Cut the lemons crosswise into slices about ¼ inch thick; discard any seeds.
You will need about 12 nicely shaped slices.
Put about 1 teaspoon of the remaining sugar in the bottom of each prepared muffin cup and place a lemon slice on top.
In a medium bowl, stir and toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Set aside.
In a larger bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and the reserved lemon mixture until smooth.
Add the combined dry ingredients and stir just until blended.
Spoon into the tins, filling about ¾ full.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
Immediately invert the tins; the muffins should fall out.
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