Healthier poppy seed muffins baked to perfection
We wanted to make poppy seed muffins with rich, full flavor; fluffy, tender interiors; and golden crusts. We were amazed to find that our go-to recipe had a whopping 22 grams of sugar per muffin, so we hoped that our new recipe would work with a sugar content of only 11 grams.
We turned to Sucanat, which we ground in a spice grinder to ensure that the tops of the finished muffins weren’t speckled. Lemon zest seemed like a natural complement to the poppy seeds, but we could only add so much zest before the muffins started to taste soapy, and our muffins were still lacking flavor.
To fix this problem and to up the perceived sweetness without adding more sugar, we started by increasing the vanilla. This helped, but tasters still wanted more flavor, so we scoured the pantry for solutions. We found our answer in ground anise seeds, which had a sweet, subtle licorice flavor that rounded out the muffins perfectly.
Next, we needed to fix the texture of the muffins; they were a bit dense and tough. To create a finer crumb and a less chewy texture, we switched from allpurpose flour to cake flour. A combination of baking powder and baking soda ensured good rise and good browning, but we also increased the oven temperature and raised the oven rack to help achieve the perfect golden brown crust.
You can skip grinding the Sucanat; however, the muffins will have a speckled appearance. Low-fat yogurt can be substituted for the whole-milk yogurt, but the muffins will be slightly drier.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Anise-poppy Seed
Muffins in “Naturally Sweet.”
Anise and Poppy Seed Muffins
Servings: 12 Start to finish: 1 hour 3⁄4 cup (4 ounces) Sucanat 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces 11⁄2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs