By now, you are probably tired of hearing me profess my undying love for all lemon and citrus related things. Obviously, when I found myself with a few lemons and a surplus of ricotta cheese (why don’t I ever learn and just buy the small container?), I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Even if you’re not a big fan of lemon (i.e. my husband) these muffins just have a subtle flavor. The poppy seeds give them a nice, unexpected crunch and the glaze just gives these already moist muffins an extra dose of juiciness.

These muffins aren’t necessarily in the healthy category but for the occasional breakfast treat, they are perfect. Like with any sweet breakfast bread, these go well with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

To make them a bit more substantial and healthy, feel free to substitute half of the flour with whole wheat! Also, don’t be afraid to go overboard with the lemon zest. If I was thinking straight, I would have added a lot more to this batch. Lesson learned.

Lemon Poppyseed Ricotta Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins
Time: 16 minutes
adapted from here

Ingredients
7.10 ounces all purpose flour
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 T poppy seeds
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 C part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 C water
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 T grated lemon zest (add 1 T more for a stronger flavor)
2 T fresh lemon juice (add 2 T more for a stronger flavor)
1 large egg
Cooking spray

Directions
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt. Make a well in the center.
In another medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, water, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and egg. Whisk together until incorporated.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Lightly coat muffin tins with cooking spray. Scoop out 1/4 C portions of batter for each muffin.
Bake for 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans. If desired, glaze as instructed below.

Glaze (optional, but delicious)
4 T powdered sugar
1 T fresh lemon juice

In a small bowl, mix together sugar and lemon juice until smooth and no lumps of sugar remain. Brush lightly over each muffin, once they are cool.