Jumbo Raspberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Isn’t it crazy how much our lives change in such a short amount of time? I remember about 7 or 8 years ago how my mornings would go. My husband, then my fiance, would leave to work in the wee hours of the morning before the kids and I were even awake. I’d rush every morning, throw the kids in their clothes, get presentable and take my makeup with me, drop them off at the bus stop because my commute was too long to be able to take them to school that early, and then I’d brave about an hour to an hour and a half of a commute to get to work only about 25 minutes away. All before 8:00 AM.

Breakfast? Not likely.

My mornings were so rushed, dealing with pre-teen moods, and sluggish elementary age children that wanted to drag their feet. Thankfully their schools had breakfast, but I was left rushing off to work and if I had an available few minutes I’d stop at the corner market near my work and grab some snacks. Maybe a juice and a muffin or breakfast/granola bar, then I’d head promptly to my break room at work to grab some of the coffee they offered to employees.

I often look back at those periods of my life and marvel at how rushed we always were. I’d like to think that now I’d organize our time a bit better. Have a better schedule. But you never know, it’s always easier to look at those things from a different perspective once you are no longer living that life.

Those  muffins I would pick up though before work? I always chose the jumbo sized ones that were full of poppy seeds. I would leave it on my desk at work and dig my fingers in, eating a little bit at a time for hours while I worked. I don’t miss those days, but sometimes I do miss those muffins.

So much so, that months ago I attempted to recreate them. The results were disastrous, which is why you never saw them. I attempted a healthier approach, but they ended up tasting like sawdust. Maybe I’ll perfect my healthier muffins, but these… these are scrumptious. I switched up the muffin flavors a bit, they still have poppy seeds sprinkled all over, but they also include fresh raspberries and a delicious sprinkling of lemon. Yum!

What I learned from my muffin disaster months ago is that poppy seeds can tend to dry out the batter or make it dense. So instead of adding whole eggs to the creamed butter, I added just the yolks, then whipped up the whites and added them towards the end to create a lighter crumb. I also used plain yogurt (you can substitute with sour cream or buttermilk as well) and I began by making them at a higher heat for a few minutes, then lowering the temperature for the duration of the baking time. This allowed a bit of a heat shock to make the muffin tops puff quickly so you have a beautiful, round topped muffin to enjoy, just like the ones I used to buy.

Even though my mornings now look a little bit different and our family has grown to now include two more kids and two dogs, I’m still able to enjoy my favorite kind of muffins in the same manner while I work (from home). In fact, I’m digging in now as I type this up. Delish!

Ingredients for Jumbo Raspberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• zest of 2 lemons
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1.5 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup fresh raspberries, rinsed and patted dry
• raw sugar for muffin tops

Directions:

Begin by creaming the butter on low speed, then slowly add in the sugars. While adding sugars, also add the zest.

Add egg yolks, then vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds.

While continuing to mix on a low speed, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. The mixture will be almost crumbly in texture.

Once mixture begins to come together, add the yogurt, then the lemon juice.

Remove mix from mixer, then beat the egg whites in a separate bowl on high until frothy and thick.

Fold egg whites into mix with a spatula.

Then fold in raspberries.

Line your jumbo muffin pan with jumbo sized liners, spray lightly with baking spray. Add muffin mix to each liner, they will be full almost to the top. Sprinkle with raw sugar

Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and set the timer for about 25-30 minutes, depending on your oven. Once tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean, then they are done! Remove from oven and let cool just a bit.

You can also remove the muffins from the pan after a few minutes and let cool on muffin racks.

These are delicious served warm, either with a bit of butter spread on or even as is. They also taste just as good all the way cooled down, perfect for grabbing on the go for a snack or quick breakfast!

Enjoy!

What do your own mornings look like?