So it is probably no secret, but I tend to overindulge. I mean really overindulge. Not like I had an extra big slice of cake this weekend and I’m good the rest of the week. I’m talkin on a daily basis I have no self-control and eat copious amounts of sugar. Let’s take Sunday for example, I got a pie delivery from fruit+flour and she threw in a freshly baked honey chocolate chip cookie with peanuts that I quickly devoured then I was off to Canele for an incredible brunch that started with a baked pancake with Meyer lemon custard and was followed by a fried chicken sandwich and three ginormous slices of thick pan perdu French toast with mascarpone. Yeah that is a true story and that was all in the first half of the day. I went on to end my night by eating a slice the pie I had delivered in the morning. It was a Bailey’s Irish Piecream (yes! ice cream in pie form, more about that later) and it was heavenly. So you see I overindulge. But what is a girl to do when there is so much deliciousness to be had?
Well knowing that I have this overindulgence problem and knowing that when I woke up this morning I would be hankering for some muffins I decided to lighten the load a bit by baking Lemon Almond Olive Oil muffins. They have no butter, minimal sugar and are still sweet and satisfying. Oh and I only made 4 of them to keep myself in line thanks to the awesome recipe (below) from Dessert for Two. Smaller portions mean room to enjoy a bigger variety of desserts right!? Back to the muffins… the olive oil lends a nice earthy green flavor to the muffin complimented by the bright bursts of lemon. These muffins are dense but not dry and are filled with crunchy almond slivers. I also added almond extract to amp up the almond flavors and because I am a sucker for the fragrance and flavor of almond extract! When you need a break from all of those rich and heavy desserts, get your sweet fix with these lemon almond olive oil muffins.
Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.
Lemon Almond Olive Oil Muffins
recipe from Dessert for Two ~ In case you haven’t figured out by the name of my blog, my recipes only serve two people. This recipe makes 4 perfect little cupcakes.
1/4 cup high-quality olive oil
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) citrus zest
1/3 cup sugar
3 drops almond extract
1 egg white
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoon citrus juice
1/3 + 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
powdered sugar for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350˚ and place 4 cupcake liners in 4 cups in a muffin pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and citrus zests of your choice. Add the sugar, almond extract, egg white, milk and citrus juice. Whisk the liquid ingredients together very well. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and slivered almonds. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and stir until just combined. Divide the batter between the 4 muffin cups and bake on the center rack in the oven for 16-18 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness—cupcakes should be moist with some crumbs clinging to the toothpick. Let cool, dust with powdered sugar and serve.