My defining quality is indecision. I try hard to overcome it, but applying logic doesn’t help. Simplicity is usually the way forward, and I do my best to make snap decisions that won’t lead me down the analytical vortex of pros and cons, questions and their thoughtful answers.
When I wake up early, before Alex, I like to decide to make him breakfast. But when I have a bunch of work I’m hoping to cross off my list, then I wind up in a dilemma: flip pancakes for half an hour, or quit procrastinating and settle down to write? Down the rabbit hole of indecision I go: pancakes are love (see #2), so there’s that. But work needs to get done, too, and there’s no time like the present.
Fortunately, I recently solved the breakfast indecision in a new way: with muffins. The batter for these lemon muffins is no more difficult to throw together than pancake batter-in fact it’s practically the same-but once you’ve scraped it into a muffin tin, there’s nothing to do but wait. And work. No constant attention-flipping-required.
And these are muffins worthy expressions of love, you don’t have to worry about that. They are moist and rich, and only a touch sweet. They’re not the type to be confused with a cupcake. If anything, they’re like pancakes, blown up big and smothered in lemon glaze.
From my kitchen, albeit small, to yours,
Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK
**Recipe**
Glazed Lemon Muffins
Makes 10
Ingredients
For the muffins
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour or kamut flour or just more all-purpose flour
zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup safflower or canola oil
For the glaze
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush 10 muffin tins thoroughly with oil.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flours, lemon zest, salt, and baking powder.
In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the almond milk and oil and whisk to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula. There may be a few lumps, but that’s okay.
Distribute the batter evenly among 10 muffins tins. Using a liquid measuring cup, fill the two empty tins about halfway with water. (This prevents the pan from getting damaged in the oven.)
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the muffins have risen and are slightly golden. They should bounce back when you press down with your finger. Remove from a pan using a small offset spatula and place on a cooling rack set over a piece of parchment paper.
Make the glaze: whisk the sugar and lemon juice together in a small, microwavable prep bowl. Microwave at intervals of 5 seconds, stirring between each, until the sugar is dissolved.
Prick each muffin a few times with a fork. Spoon the glaze over each muffins. Eat immediately, or within the hour, or at the very least on the same day.
