Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/3 cup crème fraîche
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest (or regular lemon zest)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
Even when the recipe doesn’t look great, it can inspire. Case in point: the recipe for lemon rosemary muffins on the Bisquick package. The rosemary is dried and baking mix is required, but the flavor combination made me hungry.
I thought about what sort of muffin would best showcase bright, zesty lemon without overpowering the quietly sophisticated taste of rosemary and settled on an olive oil batter. Would it be too sweet?
Would it taste too much like a dense olive oil cake? (To be clear: That would not be a bad thing, but I was aiming for ethereal.) To lighten it up, I folded in some crème fraiche and whipped the eggs with sugar.
The muffins turned out better than I’d imagined. They have a subtle sweetness that’s reminiscent of a very good cornbread. The interior is airy with an exceptionally delicate crumb. You could eat them toasted for breakfast, with a smear of butter and a sprinkling of sea salt, or plain for an afternoon snack. You could top them with a dollop of lemon curd and whipped cream for dessert.
If you can’t find Meyer lemons, regular lemons will work nicely as well. The lemon extract is very optional, and I’ve tried adding a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to the batter (along with the olive oil and the lemon extract), which is not necessary but not a bad idea either.
Method
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line it with muffin papers.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the sugar with the eggs until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the crème fraîche and mix well.
Add the olive oil and lemon extract and lemon juice (if using) and mix well.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine, but don't over mix.
Fold the lemon zest and rosemary into the batter.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin tins. Fill each well about 2/3 of the way full. If you have extra batter, just fill up as much of another pan as you can.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The muffins should be JUST barely beginning to brown. As soon as they start to get even slightly golden, take them out. It's really key not to overbake these, or they won't be as nice and moist.
Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes in the pan before enjoying.