Lemon Muffins with Blueberry Jam Filling and Lemon Buttercream

Shake the winter blues with these delicious and easy Lemon muffins. They combine the juicy sweetness of blueberries with tangy notes of fresh lemon. Topped with sugar before baking, the muffins have a hollowed out center filled with sweet blueberry jam that’s  topped with a dollop of lemon buttercream icing.

INGREDIENTS
Muffins
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
¼  teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling (optional)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest plus 1/4 cup lemon juice
¼ cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
sparkling sugar
½ cup blueberry Jam

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups. In a bowl, combine together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate larger bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, zest, juice, and buttermilk. Whisk in the melted butter. Stir the wet ingredients into dry ingredients, until just combined.


Divide the batter evenly between muffin cups, filling about two-thirds full. Sprinkle with sugar and bake until tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Hollow out a small center of each muffin two-thirds deep. Add the blueberry jam to the center of each muffin. Top each center with the buttercream icing.


INGREDIENTS
Lemon Buttercream Icing
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons egg white powder
1 ½ teaspoons lemon extract
½ -1 tablespoon cream

INSTRUCTIONS
In a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and egg white powder. Gradually beat into the butter until totally incorporated. Beat in lemon extract. Add ½ tablespoon of cream and beat for 4 minutes. If too thick, add the rest of the cream.