Sour Cream Muffins with Candied Ginger and Lemon
Adapted From Joy Of Cooking
yield 12 muffins
Baking time: 20-45 minutes, depending on your oven
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream or full-fat plain yogurt (see notes, below)
Scant 1/2 cup granulated sugar (increase to 3/4 cup for a sweeter muffin)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick unsalted butter
1-2 large lemons, juiced, Meyer if possible (amount depends on how juicy your lemons are; you want about 1 tablespoon lemon juice)
approximately 2 ounces candied ginger, chopped finely (this need not be a perfect measure)
Muffins will bake more evenly ingredients are at room temperature before beginning.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Fill a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin cups, or butter well lavishly. Nonstick spray can also be used.
Have two large mixing bowls ready: mine are 4-quart size.
Mix or whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt in the first bowl until blended. Set aside.
In the second bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until well blended.
Melt butter in pan or microwave until just melted, not boiling hot. Pour slowly into wet ingredients, whisking continually. You don’t want to scramble the eggs with hot butter. Add remaining butter, whisking, until fully blended into wet ingredients.
Pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients. Blend wet with dry quickly, using a large metal or wooden spoon. Stir until batter is just combined. A few lumps are okay.
Using a two-tablespoon measuring spoon, ice-cream scoop, or a regular spoon, portion batter into the muffin tin. I find a spatula helpful for easing batter off spoon.
Bake muffins 15-20 minutes. Mine are usually done at 17 minutes; a tester will come out clean.
Cool on a rack. Muffins will keep at room temperature 2 days. They freeze beautifully in zippered freezer bags.
Notes: any dairy will work here, from skim milk to heavy cream. If you use skim milk or regular milk, you don’t need to use baking soda. But for any other dairy product, use both baking powder and baking soda to ensure the muffins rise properly.