Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

My husband likes to tease me for my chronic over and misuse of the word "literally."  Of course I mean it metaphorically when I use it but I think culturally it has just become a way to add emphasis to get a point across.  Randomly, I happened to look up the word "literally" in the Merriam Webster Dictionary and I literally fell out of my seat when I read the definition.  (Note: I did not end up on the ground but I was really surprised to read the secondary definition).

The secondary definition says: "in effect: virtually -- used in an exaggerated way to emphasize a statement or description that is not literally true or possible."

Huh!  I wonder if it was always a secondary definition that I wasn't aware of or added as a result of the shifting cultural use of the word.

Nonetheless, as these muffins came out of the oven, I LITERALLY scarfed down 3 of these.  These are really light and fluffy, not overly sweet and quick to pull together.

The original recipe is from Gonna Want Seconds, but I omitted the lemon glaze.  I thought the muffin had the right about of sweetness without the added glaze.

RECIPE:
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 c. oil
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. buttermilk* (see NOTE below for a substitute)

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
2. Combine wet ingredients
TIP: I use a pint measuring cup, start my buttermilk substitute in it and then add all the other wet ingredients to that cup to minimize the number of dirty dishes.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined.
4. Portion into muffin tins.
TIP: I use a large cookie scoop to muffins all the same size
5. Place in a preheated 400°F degree oven and bake 10 minutes, lower the temperature to 325°F and bake another 5-7 minutes.  Check doneness by inserting a toothpick.  It should come out dry.  Otherwise, lightly press the top of the muffin and it should spring back.

Makes ~21 muffins

NOTE: I rarely have buttermilk in the fridge.  So an easy substitute is to combine 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Use normally as you would buttermilk.  Don't worry, you won't taste the vinegar in your muffins!

ENJOY!