Making the Lemon Curd

Place a couple of inches of water in the bottom of a small pot, or the bottom portion of a double boiler if you have one.

In a glass or metal bowl (or the top portion of the double boiler), mix the lemon juice, zest, sugar, egg yolks, egg, and salt. Whisk the ingredients all together.

Place the bowl over the steaming water and stir continually as the mixture cooks. It’ll begin to look smoother as it cooks, and then will start to thicken. Continue to stir until the mixture thickens.

Set a fine mesh sieve over a clean bowl. Pour the lemon curd into it and stir it to encourage it through the sieve. Any bits of cooked egg and zest will be removed, leaving you with a smooth lemon curd.

Stir the butter into the hot curd until it has completely melted. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the curd to prevent a dry skin from forming on top and put it in the fridge to cool completely. It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Mixing the Muffin Batter

In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together. Add the lemon zest, and stir it into the creamed butter and sugar until it’s fragrant and the mixture is fluffy.

Stir in the sour cream and lemon juice, then the eggs until you have a cohesive, smooth mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and use a spatula to fold them in. You want all of the flour to be combined, but don’t overmix! That can cause gluten development, which leads to tough muffins.

Baking the Muffins

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Fill each one about half way with muffin batter, then use a spoon to hollow out a bit of the center. Make sure to NOT create a hole that goes all the way to the bottom of the muffin cup.

Place a heaping teaspoon of the curd into the center well, then fill the rest of the cup around and over the curd. To do this, use your finger to push a bit of the batter all around the edge of the curd, then smooth a bit more over the top.

In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the zest of a lemon. Rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is fragrant.

Sprinkle a generous 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon sugar over each muffin, then place them in the oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the muffins are puffed and a light golden around the edges. Don’t over bake them, as that can cause the curd to completely absorb into the muffins and leave the crumb dry.

Glazing the Lemon Muffins

Sift a cup of powdered sugar into a bowl. Add 3-4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice to it, stirring to create a glaze. It should be thin enough to run off the end of the spoon, but thick enough to lay in strings across the top of the muffins.

Once the they have finished baking and cooled slightly, drizzle the glaze over them with a spoon. I did it first one direction, then the other, but you can decorate them in any way you’d like.