I’m a pretty casual kind of girl. I could live in my fleece bootcut pants and sweatshirts. In fact, I did when I was a stay-at-home mom. Ahhh…. those were the days. No dress code, no worries. No showers either. Ew.
Sometimes you just want to be a little fancy. Put on a frilly frock, curl your hair, swipe on some gloss, and invoke the spirit of days long past. Tea time. I want to make this a reality, and I’m a little bit closer today.
It could be a Hobbit-like wish for many meals a day, but I think we should make afternoon tea a part of daily life. Why let the Brits monopolize this tradition? Pull out the silver tea set and lay out an array of dainty little cakes. It’s time for a tea party!
These mini muffins are touched with just a hint of lemon–no feeling like someone cleaned your mouth out with Pledge. They’re also just barely sweet, which makes them the perfect afternoon treat. A little something golden to nibble between sips. The only question left is one lump (of sugar) or two? I’ll put on the water.
Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole milk minus 1 Tablespoon milk, plus 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 vanilla bean scraped
- 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 mini muffin pans with paper liners or spray with baking spray and set aside.
- Measure out the milk, add the white vinegar, and let sit.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the granulated sugar and butter. Add the eggs, vanilla bean scrapings, lemon juice, and lemon extract, beating until well incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a fork.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and pour the milk/vinegar over the top. Stir with a silicone spatula until just blended. Stir in the poppy seeds.
- Portion out into prepared baking pans, filling no more than 2/3 full (these will rise quite a bit).
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely
Notes
Those are so cute! I have to tell you, I have tea everyday at about 4 and these would be a tasty addition 🙂
See! The movement is on–let’s bring tea time to the US!
Love the idea of a tea party and these little cakes would be simply perfect for the occasion. I love lemon poppy seed anything and surprisingly I’ve never made any from scratch. How is this possible? I think it’s time to rectify that. Lovely recipe!
I’m not sure I have ever eaten anything lemon poppy seed before this; it seemed like a huge oversight. The first time I made it, I did try using fresh lemon juice, but the flavor was way too subtle for my taste. This won’t knock you down in a citrus coma, but at least you can taste the lemon now.
Oh my gosh, when I saw the shape of your mini muffins I thought “is that using the Nordic Ware mini Bundt cake pan?” and sure it enough it was! I have one (love Nordic Ware stuff), but haven’t used it yet. I also love lemon poppy seed anything! These would be perfect for a tea party.
It’s a beautiful pan, isn’t it? I can say that making brownies in it, however, is not a great idea. 😉