I’ve said it many times before, but one thing about me is that I am not going to let any ingredient or food go to waste. So when I had a scant 1/2 cup of ricotta left in the fridge, I knew I had to do something with it. And you know what that no-waste mentality got me? Some Lemon Poppyseed Muffins. So I think it’s a pretty good strategy.
I added some almond extract to these, in addition to he poppyseeds, because I remembered how good these lemon almond cookies were. I think lemon and almond is an underrated pairing, and they work together very subtly. The almond extract isn’t overpowering or strong, but it definitely brings something to the table and plays up the lemon.
Which brings me to my poll. There’s no lemon poppyseed muffin category at the state fair this year, but there is a Lemon bread category. It’s officially titled “Lemon bread, no additions” and the instructions include “No icing.”
So… objectively, it’s a pretty boring lemon loaf category. And that’s fine, because everyone’s will have to be boring. But also… how do you stand out in that crowd?
I have to poll my dedicated audience family here: would you consider almond extract to be an “addition?” Is an addition just a mix-in? Or is it any extra flavor? Vanilla extract wouldn’t be an addition, so is almond?
Please let me know what you think of the definition of “additions.” It feels incredible pedantic. And I’m not sure who gets to actually make that call. I emailed the State Fair question email last year with a similar question about adding orange to brownies, and they said they did not know. So… go figure. I may just have to make my own call. In the meantime, I’m enjoying my new strategy of making just six muffins.
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PinDescription
Makes 6 muffins
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more to grease the baking pan
- 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract (or, vanilla extract)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to blend.
- Zest the lemon into your granulated sugar and rub the zest in until it’s fragrant. Using a mixer, cream the butter, ricotta and lemon sugar until blended, about 3 minutes. With the machine running, add the egg and almond extract. Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, until just incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.
Notes
Adapted from Alexandra Cooks