I wanted to make some really fluffy and lemony muffins for a party so I made these zesty lemon muffins using dairy-free spread and almond milk:

You’ll need:

• 2 ½ cups self-raising flour
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
•  2 lemons juiced
• 1 cup of almond milk
• ½ cup melted butter or dairy-free spread
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the lemon syrup:

• The juice of the 2 zested lemons above
• ½ cup sugar

How to make the lemon muffins:

1. Heat the oven to 180°C and line a muffin pan with paper basket cases or put some silicon cases on a baking tray.
2. Mix the flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the lemon zest.
3. In a small bowl mix the melted butter, milk, eggs and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and  mix  with a wooden spoon until  you get a smooth batter.
4. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups then bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
5. Whisk the lemon juice and sugar together in a small saucepan and heat up gently. Simmer for about five minutes until reduced and syrupy. Turn off the heat.
6. When the muffins are done, poke each with a toothpick and drizzle the warm lemon syrup on top or brush each with a silicon brush.
7. Let them cool for 10 minutes in the tin (or silicon cup) then move them to a plate.

Tips

• I used rose-shaped silicon cups but you can use other moulds or just a normal muffin tin.
• Don’t overmix the batter – or your muffins will be stodgy