The recipe for these muffins comes from a Moosewood cookbook, “The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.”  I got this book from a college friend soon after graduation and whenever I cook from it, it reminds me of that friend and others who introduced me to vegetarian cooking.  The cookbook is one of the few that I owned at the time and before the advent of the internet; I owe so much of what I know about cooking to the Moosewood books.  I probably made this recipe 100 times in my early 20’s, and whenever I make it again I have fond memories of experimenting with different ways to do the relatively simple tasks of melting butter, making lemon juice and rind, etc..

Ingredients:

A little butter or oil for the muffin pan (if it’s nonstick or not using liners)

6 tablespoons brown sugar

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup yogurt

1 egg

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 cups unbleached white flour

a few dashes of nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional Additions:

1/2 cup minced nuts

1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen, defrosted and drained)

Glaze:

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375F.  Lightly line or grease 12 muffin cups, if they’re not nonstick.

2) Combine the brown sugar, melted butter, yogurt, egg, lemon juice, and lemon rind in a medium sized bowl and beat well.

3) In a separate medium-sized bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.  Make a well in the center, and pour in the wet mixture.  Stir briefly, in quick decisive strokes.  If you so desire, stir in the optional nuts and/or raspberries.

4) Fill the muffin cups just up to the rim.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted all the into the center comes out clean.  Remove the muffins from the pan right away, and cool on a rack for about 10 minutes before glazing.

5) To prepare the glaze, combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer.  Let it cook for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.  Spoon about 1 to 2 teaspoon glaze onto the top of each muffin– it will soak in.  Let the glazed muffins stand for about 5 minutes before serving.