https://mydarlingvegan.com/lemon-poppy-seed-muffins/Vegan Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe
let me just tell you how I make these poppy seed muffins. no recipe card in my head. just hands.
this morning I made them at 5am for a delivery. I was half asleep. still came out good. so you can do it too.
what you need – but don’t stress
flour. regular one. about one and half cups. I don’t level it with a knife like tv chefs. just scoop and shake a little.
sugar. maybe three quarter cup. sometimes I use less. sometimes I sneak in maple syrup if i have. not a big deal.
poppy seeds. two big spoons. not the tiny spoon. the one you eat cereal with. if you put too many, your poop will look weird tomorrow. just warning you.
then baking powder. one small spoon. baking soda. half small spoon. salt. pinch.
mix them in a bowl. use your fingers. i don’t like whisks. too much noise.
now the wet stuff
milk. plant milk. i had oat milk today. soy is thicker. almond is watery but works. one cup.
oil. any oil that doesn’t taste like anything. vegetable oil. sunflower. even melted coconut but make sure it’s not hot. one third cup.
vinegar. apple cider. one big spoon. this is the secret. no vinegar = no lift. i forgot once in 2019. still remember the shame.
vanilla. one small spoon.
pour all wet into a cup. stir with a fork. let it sit for one minute. it will look like it went bad. that’s good. that’s the acid talking to the milk.
mix them – and this is where people kill their muffins
pour wet into dry.
now. use a wooden spoon. or a spatula. or even a fork. just don’t use a mixer. i swear on my mother’s grave – mixer will ruin it.
fold. like you’re folding a blanket. slowly. stop when you don’t see white flour anymore. the batter will still have lumps. that’s fine. those lumps are your friends.
if you keep mixing until it’s smooth, your muffins will be tough. like chewing a shoe. i’ve done it. my niece said “uncle, these are hard.” i said “dip them in tea.” she didn’t laugh.
fill the tray
put paper cups in your muffin tray. if you don’t have, just oil the tray. use a paper towel with oil on it. rub inside each hole.
spoon the batter. fill three quarters. not to the top.
tap the tray on the counter. two taps. you’ll see tiny bubbles pop. satisfying.
bake
oven at 180. or 350. whichever you understand.
put tray inside. close door. walk away.
do not open for 18 minutes. i don’t care if you smell something. leave it.
after 18, poke a toothpick in the middle muffin. if it comes out with wet batter, give it 2 more minutes. if it comes out with a few crumbs or clean, done.
take out. wait 5 minutes. this is hard. but wait. then take muffins out and put on a rack. if you don’t have rack, put on a plate but turn them on their side so air goes under.
what usually happens
if they come out flat – your baking soda is dead. or vinegar is old. buy fresh.
if they come out hard – you overmixed. next time mix less. even if you see small flour streaks, stop.
if they stick to paper – cheap paper. spray the paper with oil before filling.
if they burn on bottom – your oven is too hot. lower to 170 next time.
how i store them
in a container with lid. on counter. two days.
in fridge. five days. but warm them up a little. cold muffin tastes sad.
in freezer. wrap each in cling wrap. two months. to eat, microwave 20 seconds or put in oven at 160 for 5 mins.
if you mess up badly
dry muffin? crumble into a cup. add yogurt and jam. eat with spoon. no waste.
burnt muffin? scrape off the black part. the inside is still fine. i do this when no one is looking.
someone asked me last week
“bubby can i use whole wheat flour”
half and half. half white half whole wheat. add two spoons more milk. full whole wheat will taste like cardboard. don’t do it.
“bubby can i add lemon”
yes. zest of one lemon. add it to the dry flour. makes it brighter. good for spring.
“bubby why is my batter so thick”
different milk. add one spoon of milk at a time until it looks like thick cake batter. not runny. not doughy.
okay biko i’m tired of typing
go make them. don’t overmix. don’t open the oven. don’t cry if they fail. try again.
i failed three times before i got it right. first time i forgot sugar. second time i used coconut oil that was solid. third time i opened the oven at ten minutes and they sank.
fourth time. perfect.
so go. and when you finish, come back and tell me what happened. not “they were good.” tell me exactly. “the tops were dark but inside was raw.” then i’ll tell you what to fix.
that’s it, biko. now get out of my chat and go bake.
