Muffins al Limoncello (Limoncello Muffins)

A nice freshly baked muffin is always inviting, a delight for the palate that children – but also adults – cannot resist.

Muffins are tasty sweets (usually, but there are also salty muffins) typical of the American cuisine. The addition of limoncello is my Italian touch to this recipe.

Limoncello is made from the zest of Sorrento lemons grown on the Amalfi coast in Campania. Lemon zest, or peels without the pith, is steeped in spirits until the oil is released. The resulting yellow liquid is then mixed with simple syrup.

According to some, the term muffin derives from the French soft mouflet, while according to others from the German term muffuff small cakes, referring to the type of dough.

Muffins with Limoncello liquer are simply delicious: the addition of lemon flavor gives an irresistible taste to your muffins !! Try them and let me know

MUFFINS AL LIMONCELLO (LIMONCELLO MUFFINS

Total preparation time: 30 minutes       Baking time: 15-20 minutes              Servings: 12

Limoncello Muffins

INGREDIENTS

320 g (2 heaping cups) Italian flour grade 0 or all-purpose flour
30 g (1 oz) potato starch
15 g (1 tablespoon) baking powder
2 g (½ teaspoon) baking soda
1 pinch of salt
140 g (2/3 cup) sugar
2 medium eggs
120 ml (½ cup) limoncello liqueur
120 ml (½ cup) whole milk
110 g (½ cup) melted butter
2 tablespoons whole yogurt
1 organic lemon, zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350°F) and set oven rack to middle position.
2. In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt (dry ingredients). Add the sugar and mix
3. Whisk the eggs, milk, butter, yogurt, limoncello, lemon zest and vanilla (wet ingredients) in another bowl
4. In a large bowl form a “volcano” (a mountain with a hole in the center) with the flour and other powdered ingredients, pour the mixture of the liquid ingredients in the center. Mix gently and for a very short time to form the batter (it does not matter even if lumpy).
5. Pour the mixture with a spoon into a muffin mold in each of the 12 paper cups (if you do not have paper cups, grease and flour the molds).
6. Bake for approx. 15 minutes, until the muffins have completely risen and the surface is golden brown.
7. Leave to cool in the mold for approx. 5 minutes before. They are best when served slightly warm.
To store the muffins, remove them from the mold and let them cool on a wire rack. Store in a closed, ventilated container for cakes (max. 1-2 days). Before eating them, wrap them in aluminum foil and heat them in a warm oven for approx. 5-10 minutes or in the microwave (HIGH) for 20-30 seconds. You can also freeze them. Before serving, thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours or the fastest method is to heat them wrapped in aluminum foil in the oven at 180° C (350°F) for 15-20 minutes. Muffins are certainly best eaten freshly baked on the day of preparation.
Note: It is very important not to mix the batter for a long time because this makes the muffins compact, certainly not as soft as they should be. Also stick to the quantities of baking powder and baking soda. Too much leavening agent causes excessive leavening with subsequent collapse of the dough. When the dry ingredients have been mixed with the wet ingredients, bake quickly because the baking powder starts to act instantaneously. – Paola