Lemon Poppyseed Muffins - Easy and Healthy Enough for Breakfast

Remember when I was looking for a recipe for lemon poppyseed muffins?  Oh my word, it was exactly a year ago! (What is going on? Help me analyze this).

I didn't find one (then!) that was easy or healthy enough for breakfast. I guess I'm picky about muffins. I like to eat them for breakfast or snacks. I like them healthy (why? I'm not sure - "muffin" just says "not indulgent" to me). I like them to be straightforward; if I want fancy, I'll make scones or a yeast-raised treat.

I made the millet muffins in Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day.  They were much too rich, and used butter.  I maintain that oil works best in quick breads and muffins (but quick breads are tricky to bake without the middle being goopy and the edges too dark).  However, I loved the texture of the millet in the muffins.

And I got serious and fiddled with recipes until I got one I like.  Straightforward.  Healthy. Easy enough for breakfast (no lemon glaze, which seems to be the popular approach to lemon poppyseed muffins).

Thrift at Home Lemon Poppyseed Muffins - makes 12-16

Mix together dry ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry uncooked millet
3 tsp. poppy seeds
grated zest from one large lemon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Separately, mix together the wet ingredients and whisk well:
1 cup plain yogurt (if you're using Greek yogurt or very thick yogurt, dilute with milk to make the consistency of thick buttermilk)
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
juice of one lemon

Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients, stirring just until mostly mixed - lumps and floury bits are fine (tough muffins from overmixing are not fine).

Fill paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, until muffin tops spring back when gently touched.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to finish cooling.

The next recipe revision upped the baking powder a little.  Better puff.

In my experience, adding uncooked millet to baked goods is like adding nuts.  It's not part of the flour chemistry.  If you don't have uncooked millet, I think you can safely leave it out of these muffins.  I keep millet on hand for this casserole and this hot cereal, if you need a gentle push towards buying millet. I like my family to eat more grains than just wheat, rice, and oats.