Do you have some leftover ricotta? How about making these Lemon Ricotta Muffins? These are perfectly sweetened with a light texture. The lemon sugar topping provides an extra burst of citrus with a little crunch.
Place the granulated sugar and the zest (organic) in a small bowl.
Use your fingertips to rub these two ingredients together for a couple of minutes.
Remove 1 tablespoon of lemon sugar and set it aside. This will be used to sprinkle over the muffins before they are baked.
To Make the Muffins:
Preheat the oven to 400℉/200℃. Position rack to middle.
Grease or line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners; set aside for now.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients ( flour, baking powder, salt and lemon sugar) together for 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the room temperature wet ingredients.
Add the wet mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. This is a thick batter.
Fill the muffin tins two-thirds full with the help of a disher or ice cream scoop.
Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over the tops.
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until top bounces back when lightly touched.
Remove from heat. Gently lift out the muffins and transfer to a wire rack to cool off.
Notes
Preheat the oven to 400° F (200 ° C).
For best results, take out the eggs, milk and ricotta 30 minutes before planning to start the recipe.
Use high-quality ricotta for the best results.
Use a micro-plane or a box grater for grating the lemon zest, the bright yellow outer layer of the lemon peel. Avoid grating the white pith as it is bitter tasting.
Whisking the dry ingredients together is important to properly distribute the baking powder. This prevents large air tunnels in the finished product.
Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, quickly portion the batter as the baking powder is activated.
Sprinkling lemon sugar over the top of the muffins before baking ensures glistening, crispy muffin tops.
How to store: Store at room temperature, for up to 2 days, in an airtight container. For longer storage, wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze.Does the ricotta need to be drained? If using homemade ricotta, no. If you see an excessive amount of liquid from your commercial product, it is probably best to strain it.Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.