Strange combo… or maybe not so much

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When I think of sweet concoctions, they don´t usually include things like olive oil and rosemary. But after reading a recipe in Baking, I started reconsidering and thinking “just why the heck wouldn´t it work?”.

Well, I´m pleased to say it worked like a charm. So much so that next time I´m increasing the quantity of rosemary a bit (in fact, what you get in the recipe below is the quantity I´m planning on using next time, but if you want to play it safe, use 1/2 a tablespoon or so and then add the rest to the glaze after trying the muffins.) I didn´t make this following the recipe because I didn´t have the book with me at the time and I had to use up more yogurt than the original recipe called for.

The main flavors are lemon and rosemary and there´s a hint of olive oil in the back. As usual, the plain yogurt gives this muffins a very moist crumb (and reduce the guilt-factor, at least for me, since they don´t require as much fat.)

Since I decided that the muffins could use an extra dose of sweetness and rosemary, I did my usual lemon-powdered sugar glaze and simply added a bit of fresh rosemary to the mix.

If you aren´t convinced yet, they are also a cinch to make, and every single one of my guinea pigs loved them (and they were plenty guinea pigs this time around.) Now, if you still refuse to try them, then I sincerely pity you, you are missing out!

Lemon rosemary muffins with olive oil (inspired by Baking from my Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan)

Yields around 15 muffins.

Plain yogurt, strained (or greek yogurt), 1 cup

Sugar, 1 1/2 cups

Lemon zest, 2 tablespoons

Fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon

Olive oil, 1/2 cup

Eggs, 3

Flour, self-rising, 3 cups (or use all-purpose flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder)

1. Put the yogurt in a colander covered with a cheesecloth and place it over a bowl in the fridge overnight or for a few hours. (If you use greek yogurt, you can skip this step, since it´s thick enough.)

2. In a medium-big bowl, mix in the sugar, the rosemary and the lemon zest rubbing the mixture with the palms of your hands to make sure you get the most fragrance out of the lemon and the rosemary.

3. Add the strained yogurt, the eggs and the olive oil with a metal whisk until everything is incorporated. Then add the flour.

4. Pour into a buttered and floured muffin pan (you can also line the pan with disposable cupcake molds or just use cooking spray as I usually do).

5. Bake in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until you run a knife in the middle of the muffin and it comes out clean.

For the glaze:

Powdered sugar

Lemon juice

Fresh rosemary

1. Put the powdered sugar into a little bowl, add the fresh rosemary and start adding lemon juice little by little. If it gets too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar until you get the right consistency. I like my glazes quite transparent and runny, but not so runny that it all falls down the sides. If you want a fancier presentation, you can add a cute piece of fresh rosemary to each muffin when the glaze is still moist so it sticks.

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Filed under food, sweet