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Upside-down muffins feature winter's best citrus

Recipe:  Meyer lemons require a light hand in baking


Lemond slice muffins in tin
The muffins are flipped after baking, revealing the Meyer lemon slices on the
bottom. (Photos: Kathy Morrison)

Any bright, ripe citrus is welcome in winter, but I have a special place in my heart for Meyer lemons. Believed to be a cross between a mandarin and a lemon, a Meyer lemon is sweeter, more golden and more floral than a regular lemon. The relative lack of pith means Meyers can be eaten whole (OK, spit out the seeds), though I usually try to use the fruit as accents in savory dishes. It makes wonderful vinaigrette, for example.

However I haven't baked with Meyers as much as I'd like. I decided to change that when the crop ripened on my tiny backyard Meyer lemon tree.

But the baking recipes I came across were so loaded with sugar and other ingredients that I had to wonder if the creators had trusted the Meyer lemon's flavor. The fruit is sweet-tart; it doesn't need syrup AND glaze to make a delicious treat.

So I went back to an old cookbook, the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library "Muffins and Quick Breads," which has several citrus recipes. I decided to remake a recipe for Lemon Slice Muffins -- designed for tart lemons -- to feature my precious Meyers.

This recipe is a bit fussy, so you can skip the whole lemon-slice part if you want and just make the muffin batter. (I'd sprinkle some zest on top, in that case.) But if you love Meyers and want to show them off at brunch,  do try the muffins with the (lightly) sugared whole lemon slices baked on the bottom. Flipped over, they are like little spots of sunshine on a foggy day.

3 Meyer lemons
Meyer lemons are more golden than tart lemons
and have thinner skin.

Meyer lemon slice muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

3 Meyer lemons, washed and dried

Butter or cooking spray for pan

1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for pan (alternatively, 2-3 teaspoons coarse sugar just for the pan)

1/2 tablespoon water

6 tablespoons butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, room temperature

1 cup milk, room temperature

Instructions:

Lemon slices on a green board
Cut thin slices of lemon and be sure
to pop out any seeds.

Saving out the largest of the 3 lemons, grate the zest from the other 2. Squeeze half of one of the zested lemons to measure 1/2 tablespoon juice.

Combine the zest, the 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 tablespoon water and the 1/2 tablespoon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the 6 tablespoons butter and stir another minute so the butter melts. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter or grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Sprinkle about 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar or coarse sugar in the bottom of each cup.

Cut the stem end from the remaining lemon, then slice the rest of it very thin into 12 slices. Place one slice in each muffin cup, removing any seeds you come across. (I cut the large slices in half and overlapped them, but those didn't stick to the muffins as well, so I recommend just stuffing the larger slices whole into the bottom of the cups.)

Make the batter: Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a larger bowl, whisk together the reserved zest-butter mixture, the eggs and the milk until well-combined. Stir in the dry ingredients just until blended; small lumps are OK.

2 muffins on a blue plate
Meyer lemon slice muffins make a delicious brunch
bread or afternoon snack.

Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in one comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Remove the pan to a cooling rack. Let cool for a minute or two, then flip the muffins over with a knife or thin spatula. (Alternatively, put the cooling rack on top and flip the whole pan over at the same time.) You might have to retrieve a lemon slice or two, but they'll stick right back on.

Serve muffins warm.

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Dig In: Garden Checklist

For week of March 24:

In between cloud bursts, try to catch up with early spring chores. 

* Attack weeds now! Get them before they flower and go to seed. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout. Aim for 1 inch below the soil line.

* Start preparing vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.

* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.

* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to help corral blossom blight.

* Feed citrus trees, which are now in bloom and setting fruit. To prevent sunburn and borer problems on young trees, paint the exposed portion of the trunk with diluted white latex (water-based) interior paint. Dilute the paint with an equal amount of cold water before application.

* Feed roses with a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium available in that product).

* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. Try using well-composted manure, spread 1-inch thick under the tree. This serves as both fertilizer and mulch, retaining moisture while cutting down on weeds.

* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.

* Seed and renovate the lawn (if you still have one). Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.

* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and cole family plants, such as cabbage, broccoli, collards and kale.

* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground.

* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.

* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.

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