Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Muffins

Ingredients

• 2-4 tablespoons poppy seeds (Your preference, do you want good poppy seed coverage per muffin or do you want poppy seed explosion)
• 2/3 cup plain soymilk (sweetened)
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest (approximately 2 large lemons)
• 2 tablespoons flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)
• 6 tablespoons hot water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup vegan sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 3/4 cup vegan powdered sugar (optional)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick spray, set aside.

2. 2

   Combine the poppy seeds and soymilk in a small bowl. Set aside, stirring occasionally.

3. 3

   Grate the lemons, obtaining 2 tbsp lemon zest. I highly recommend the Microplane Zester/Grater. It is worth the price and makes zesting a breeze. I suspect it will last a few lifetimes (at least).

4. 4

   Make a “flax egg” by mixing the flaxseed meal with 6 tablesppons (1/4 cup PLUS 2 tbsp) hot water in a small bowl. Set aside, stirring occasionally.

5. 5

   Whisk together the flours, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, set aside.

6. 6

   In a small bowl combine the lemon zest and sugar. Rub together, with your hands, until they are evenly mixed.

7. 7

   In a large bowl combine the lemon-zest sugar, oil, applesauce, lemon juice, “flax egg” and the vanilla and almond extracts. Mix well.

8. 8

   Add the flour mixture and the soymilk/poppy seed mixture in alternating batches, stirring after each addition (or, if using an electric mixer, add in alternating batches as the mixer is running). Do not over mix.

9. 9

   Add dough to the mini muffin pan using a tablespoon (1 tbsp = 1 mini muffin).

10. 10

    Bake 10-11 minutes, let cool in pan for two minutes and move to a wire rack to cool completely.

11. 11

    For regular sized muffins, bake 18-25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean (I haven’t tried this yet; the time is approximate and my best guess).

12. 12

    For a 9x5 loaf, bake 50-70 minutes until a tester comes out clean (I haven’t tried this yet; the time is approximate and my best guess).

13. 13

    OPTIONAL GLAZE: In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the glaze on the muffins. There should be left over glaze. Let the muffins cool completely and store in an airtight container.