valentine's day strawberry muffins

Ingredients

• Servings: 24
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
• 12 slices fresh strawberry
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Ready Time: 50 mins


• mix lemon juice with as much milk as needed to measure 1 cup; let the soured milk stand for 5 minutes before using.
• preheat an oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c).
• line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.
• cream together the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large bowl.
• beat in the eggs, one at a time; add the lemon extract.
• gradually stir in the lemon zest and soured milk.
• gently fold in the chopped strawberries.
• mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in another bowl.
• stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture until dry ingredients are just moistened.
• fold in the chocolate chips.
• spoon batter into prepared muffin cups to about 2/3 full.
• place a strawberry slice atop each muffin and sprinkle with some of the 1 tablespoon white sugar.
• bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. cool in the pans for 5 minutes before serving warm.