I got a lemon tree 5 years ago and kept it in a pot, it never grew me any lemons so a couple of years ago I transferred it to the garden. It really suffered for a year and all the leaves fell off after the ants attacked it. It miraculously came back to life last year with new leaves and record heights, but no lemons. Only now for the first time can I see a few tiny lemons on the tree. Maybe 2017 is going to look golden! One day I’ll be able to try muffins with my very own lemons but until then I’ll practice.

Hope you can put this recipe to practice and share a few with your friends and neighbours during the holiday season.

T.

Makes 12 muffins

Preparation: 7 minutes              Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp salt
• 25g poppy seeds
• 320g plain flour
• 245g greek yoghurt
• 130g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 25g lemon juice
• lemon zest
• 70g butter
• 100g pear, peeled, deseeded, quartered
• 100g apple, peeled, deseeded, quartered

• 155g icing sugar
• 15g lemon juice
• 15g hot water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190c.
2. Grease a 12-hole muffin tray.
3. Add apple & pear to the bowl, chop – 8 seconds, speed 4. Set aside in a small bowl.
4. Without washing the bowl add butter & melt, 2 mins, 60 degrees, speed 1.
5. Add lemon zest, juice, eggs, sugar, yoghurt and mix 10 seconds, speed 5.
6. Add flour, poppy seeds, salt and mix 20 seconds, speed 5.
7. Add reserved fruit and mix 10 seconds,  speed 5.
8. Spoon the batter into muffin tray and bake for 30 minutes until the muffins are golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool.
9. Place a medium bowl on top of the Thermomix lid and weigh in the sugar, lemon juice and water. Mix by hand until combined.
10. Dip the muffin tops into the mixture, then place the muffins on a rack, top side up, and allow the glaze to set.

Tips:

Add more or less water if you would like a thinner or thicker glaze.