Zingy Lime Muffins

This muffin doesn’t contain any fancy flavour combinations or other such faff from the world of molecular gastronomy. It is an unashamed citrus bomb.

If you’re strapped for time or you just can’t be bothered to do all that cake decorating nonsense, you’ll like this recipe. All you’ve got to do is throw it all in and it’s done. The key to the lime’s success is in this base muffin recipe. It is super light and fluffy, and it is unobtrusive. If you use yogurt instead of milk, as I’ve done here, it gives this texture, loads of moisture and slightly sharp, clean taste that complements the lime well. Green muffins cases are compulsory, of course.

Step 1

First, preheat your oven to 190C/170C fan/Gas 5. Line your muffin tins with 12 muffin cases.

Step 2

Into a large bowl, add your sugar, egg, oil, yogurt, milk and lime zest. Yup, you should weigh each liquid, as stated. Mix these together until they are roughly combined.

Step 3

Add your flour and baking powder on top, then mix these in with a wooden spoon. You want this mixture rough and lumpy, but no bare flour should be visible.

Step 4

Divide this mixture between your muffin cases, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until your muffins are well-risen and have turned a glorious golden brown colour. As you leave them to cool, make your icing.

Step 5

Use a zester to zest your other lime and keep this back for later. Squeeze the juice out of both your limes into a small bowl, and add your icing sugar, a little at a time. Whisk after each addition, until you get a smooth mixture that’s a thin-but-gloopy texture.

Step 6

Dollop your icing onto each muffin, so that it makes a ‘splat’ effect, drizzling down the sides. Sprinkle your reserved lime zest on top, and your muffins are now ready.

Top Tip:

For a less sharp hit, you can substitute the limes for any citrus fruit. Because of lime’s much higher levels of acidity, muffins made with lemons  will be much less tangy.

Enjoy!