Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Years ago, when I was a young mother, we had a muffin shop at our local mall. I remember taking my small children there, parking the stroller, toddler leash, baby sling and other paraphernalia at the entrance and letting them have the muffins of their choice. Sometimes they would choose the double chocolaty chip. Sometimes they would choose the apple strudel-y looking muffin. And sometimes they chose whatever muffin had frosting.

Kids are finicky that way.

One order always remained the same though. Mine. My favorite muffin was the lemon poppy seed muffin. It was large, fluffy, full of lemony goodness and loaded with poppy seeds, and for 20 minutes I was in total blissdom.

Of course my children spent their time dropping most of their muffins on the floor while  simultaneously spilling their apple juice, and I was usually breastfeeding discreetly under the table, trying to keep the juice from running up my baby son's nose. But with my muffin in hand, it was as close to a glorious 20 minute "break" as I was going to get while at the mall. 

Of course, as the children got older and the numbers increased, trips to the mall got fewer and farther in-between.

And then one day, the muffin shop closed.

The Atkin's diet murdered them.

Fast forward 19 years (*gasp!) and I have finally found my former bliss. Lemony goodness that rivals those good old mall muffins.

Minus the mall.

Can it get much better than that?

Since these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are gluten-free, I guess it can!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Level of Difficulty~Easy

~The Players~

2-1/3 cup gluten free flour mix

2/3 cup organic sugar

1 Tb. poppy seeds

1 Tb. baking powder

1-1/2 t. xanthan gum

1 t. unflavored gelatin powder (I use ChillOver powder from Mary Jane's Farm)

1 t. sea salt

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup expeller pressed coconut oil, melted (doesn't have the coconut taste)

2 large pastured eggs

juice of 1 lemon

1 t. vanilla extract

Lemon zest of 2 organic lemons

Preheat oven to 375F. Generously grease muffin pan.

Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients and zest until smooth.

Make a well in center of flour mixture and add wet ingredients. Combine until just mixed.

Divide batter evenly in muffin pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until muffin tops are lightly browned.

Makes 12.

Enjoy!