We’ve been on a muffin tear this week. But our Honey Girl’s Mr. Right arrives tomorrow morning from Alabama for a visit. And since his favorite meal of the day is breakfast, she’s test driving another muffin idea we had tonight to make sure it’s perfect for an airport basket-full-of-love welcome. As we were walking through the co-op, picking up some delicious things in which to poach some fish for dinner, I thought the richness of mascarpone might be nice in a muffin, and she immediately disappeared towards the produce section for some beautiful meyer lemons. 
This recipe will definitely be in our repertoire from here on out. I happened to have some candied meyer lemon slices in the refrigerator for a glow-y garnish, but they are delicious all by themselves, moist and rich, with a bright but soft lemon flavor and the lightness of a muffin. (See our true muffin obsession here and here. No muffin imposters, please!) They’re especially nice straight from the oven with a generous lashing of fresh butter. Now that’s a nice welcome.
Simplify it:
Use conventional lemons in place of the meyer lemons, or a mixture of lemon and orange or lemon and tangerine.
Use sour cream in place of the mascarpone.
Meyer Lemon Mascarpone Muffins
Yield: 24 dainty muffins
Ingredients:
½ c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 T. meyer lemon zest, grated finely
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
½ c. unsweetened applesauce
5 large eggs
¼ c. freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice
1 c. mascarpone cheese
3 c. all purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur.)
½ t. baking soda
1 ½ t. baking powder
½ t. salt
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 muffin tins with 24 muffin papers, or butter the muffin tins.
- In a medium bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, zest, and sugars.
- Add the applesauce and mix well.
- Add the eggs and mix well.
- Scrape down the bowl and add the lemon juice and mascarpone cheese and mix well.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix only until incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter into the muffin tins and bake for 12 minutes.
- Rotate the muffin tins from left to right and 180 degrees to ensure even baking.
- Bake an additional 8 to 12 minutes, or until the muffins are pale golden brown and spring back when pressed lightly in the center.
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Simple, beautiful.
Oh, thank you!
Basket full of love…how sweet!
Thanks for sharing your family stories and your fabulous recipes!! So many good ideas! I made BOTH the lemon and orange muffins and they were giant hits!!
Thank you, Sheryl! You’re so sweet.
Mmm, a batch of those muffins would hit the spot! Beautiful pictures. I have a sweet treat linky party going on at my blog and I’d like to invite you to stop by and link your muffins up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2011/03/sweets-for-saturday-10.html
Thanks!