These muffins were one of my favorite treats as a kid, and they still rank at the top of my list! The recipe comes from the Pine Tree Barn Restaurant in Wooster, OH, the town I was born in. In addition to a restaurant, they sell furniture and have a large candy counter (my favorite part). They also have a large Christmas tree farm, and it's where we got our tree every year we lived there. These muffins are really more like cupcakes, but they didn't "count" as dessert, so I was allowed to eat them as part of my meal, which made them even better :-). I couldn't think of any way to improve on this recipe, although I think they'd be good with fresh raspberries or strawberries in them. Also, just to warn you, this recipe makes a ton of muffins. Unless you're baking for a big crowd, it's best to halve the recipe.
Pine Tree Barn Lemon Crumb "Muffins"
For cake:
-3 c sugar
-1 1/2 c sour cream
-4 1/2 c flour
-2 Tbs +2 tsp lemon juice
-1/2 tsp salt
-zest of 4 lemons
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-6 eggs
-1 1/2 c cold butter
For crumb topping:
-1 1/2 c cake flour
-1 stick melted butter
-1 1/2 c sugar
For glaze:
- 3/4 c sugar
-1/3 c lemon juice
-Prepare crumb topping by sifting together sugar and cake flour, add enough melted butter to make crumbs.
-For cake, sift together flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and blend with a fork or food processor until is resembles coarse crumbs.
-In another bowl, beat eggs, add sour cream, zest and lemon juice. Add to flour mixture and blend.
-Fill muffin tins 3/4 full, cover with topping.
-Bake at 350 F for 20 min. Remove and allow to cool.
-Prepare glaze by mixing lemon juice and sugar. Poke 6-8 holes in the top of each muffin, spoon glaze over the top.
-Makes 2-3 dozen muffins.
If you're in the area and would like to try these muffins, visit the Pine Tree Barn Granary Restaurant
