Tuscan Lemon Muffins for a Spring Pick Me Up

Tuscan Lemon Muffins

If dreary Spring weather is getting you down, lift your spirits by adding bright, zesty lemons to your every day cooking. Today I've featured this recipe from Cooking Light magazine for some aromatic muffins that include a splash of sunshine with every bite.  A name like Tuscan Lemon Muffins could not be more fitting for a Spring pick me up!


When I think of Tuscany I think of golden yellow? It always reminds me of  the movie "Under The Tuscan Sun." The movie had plenty of images of Tuscan villas bathed in golden yellow sunlight. Imagine walking amongst rolling hills lined with cypress tree soldiers, surrounded by ancient vineyards, olive and lemon trees with nothing but the sounds of  birds singing to interrupt your dreaming.

In Italy, limoni are everywhere from handpainted ceramics to lemons at the fruit stand the size of baseballs. Around here lemons are as popular and widely used as simple spices like salt and pepper. I have embraced lemon juice and zest as a cornerstone in my love for Mediterranean cuisine. A little lemon goes a long way!!! Besides being a fundamental ingredient in seafood dishes in Italy, lemon is one of the most popular sweet treat flavours as well with its place right alongside almond, hazelnut and chocolate. From the nationally celebrated beverage Limoncello to its tart, citrusy flavour featured in biscotti, cakes and gelato lemon is celebrated this season.

The brightly coloured outer layer of citrus fruit, the zest, contains scented essential oils that impart a handsome flavour to dishes. When a recipe calls for strips of zest, a vegetable peeler works very well. But for fluffy, grated zest, try using my favourite kitchen gadget a micro plane zester. Years ago I remember watching an episode of Martha Stewart where she used a woodworkers microplane to zest her lemons. I am sure this is where the idea came from to create a microplane for cooking. Best invention yet!

When juicing your citrus to extract the maximum juice, either roll your citrus fruit around on a flat work surface, pressing down firmly with the palm of your hand, or warm through gently by dropping into a pan of hot water, popping into the microwave for a few seconds, or even placing in a warm oven for a minute or two. I use the microwave method myself and there is never a drop of juice wasted.

Sit down for a leisurely breakfast with one of these zesty ricotta muffins, dream of Tuscany and let the world go by.

**Tuscan Lemon Muffins** 

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light

7 9/10 ounces all-purpose flour (1 3/4 cups)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt); make a well in center. Combine ricotta and next 5 ingredients (through egg). Add ricotta mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Place 12 muffin-cup liners in muffin cups; coat with cooking spray. Divide batter among muffin cups. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over batter. Bake at 375° for 16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

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