Poppy Seed Muffins

Usually we tend to pair poppy seed with lemon when talking about muffins, but what happens when you're all out of lemons? Well, we could have just dropped the idea altogether, but where is the adventure in that? And if there's anything I'm a fan of, it's adventure to the nth degree! So we did what we do best, and improvised.

Truth be told, my little sister is the baker of the family. My mom's got pies down like it's nobody's business, but when it comes to cake we turn to the one and only Meemster. I'm not at all certain as to how we got on the subject, but I was talking with her last night about muffins. We dug around in the kitchen for her lemon poppy seed muffin recipe.

Because I am dairy-free, my heart fell a little bit when I read that it called for sour cream or yogurt. I'm still figuring out where to get dairy free alternatives around here since the big move. We found Tofutti brand vegan sour cream at the local Super 1 and my spirits instantly lifted! Neither of us had ever used it before, but hey! If this is an adventure, we better make it a grand one.

And honestly, guys, these muffins! They are wonderful!

Here is what you'll need: (makes 12 muffins)

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 (8 ounce) carton Tofutti vegan sour cream
1 egg (we used the egg, so it isn't a totally vegan muffin, but you can sub in 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce as a binder instead)

Here is how you do it:

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. When baking I have forgotten this step multiple times and I always end up kicking myself waiting for the oven to get hot.

Then, in a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking soda and powder, and salt. In a separate bowl combine the oil, lime juice, sour cream and egg (or applesauce). Once the wet ingredients are all mixed up and have lost their identities amongst each other, pour them over the dry ingredients.

We were about a tablespoon short on the lime juice, and our mixture was looking a bit on the dry side. To overcome this minor setback we added the missing amount in rice milk. Once that came together, the batter was sticky and moist. Just the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it!

We scooped the batter into our lined muffin tin and popped those suckers in the oven 14 minutes. They came out a little sticky on the inside, so they went back in for an extra couple of minutes. Just make sure you don't burn the tops and your toothpick comes out clean when you're checking to see if they're done.

Once the muffins are up to par with your high standards, let them cool and serve with a nice glass of rice milk. Or perhaps maybe just whatever beverage choice you see fit. Eat, enjoy, repeat.