Raspberry, Coconut, Lemon and Poppy Muffins, Gluten-Free

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, organic, softened
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil*
• ¼ cup coconut palm sugar, or light brown sugar
• ½ cup natural cane sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk, or half yogurt, half milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon rind, grated fine
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ tablespoon almond extract
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour**
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• ¾ cups fresh raspberries, picked over, can use 1/2 frozen
• 12 fresh raspberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin cups, 12 regular sized, or 24 minis. Place the first 5 ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer (butter through sugar), or can mix by hand. Using a paddle, mix on medium speed 2 minutes until well blended, and sugar starts to dissolve.
2. Add the eggs on slow speed, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Add the next 6 ingredients (milk through vanilla). Mix just to combine. Add the flour, coconut, baking powder and poppy seeds. Mix in very gently. Remove the bowl, fold in the raspberries by hand.
3. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the muffin cups. Press a raspberry on the top of each muffin. Can top with a sprinkling of some extra coconut and turbinado sugar (has a nice crunch). Bake for 22 - 25 minutes for regular sized muffins, or until just firm on top, and a tester comes out clean. Smaller muffins cook quicker.
4. Cool, drizzle with raspberry glaze.
5. Raspberry glaze: Place 1/4 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen) in a small glass dish. Add 2 T. natural cane sugar. Stir. Let sit one hour, or place in the microwave 45 seconds, stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pass through a fine strainer and into a small bowl. Add 1 t. lemon juice and 3 T. confectioner's sugar. Stir well with a fork. Add more sugar if necessary. The glaze will thicken slightly as it sits.

Enjoy these muffins, and eat the day, or day after they are made. The raspberries are fragile.

PS: I found the cute muffin cups in the photo at Home Goods!

* with concerns about gmo’s and processing of oils, use a vegetable oil which has not been chemically treated, this is called “expeller pressed”.

This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of it's author, Karen Sheer.