Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

My family rated these muffins "5+!" (“BETTER than "Excellent")!

Yield: 12 large muffins or 24 standard-size muffins

Ingredients

Muffins

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract*
• 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds**

Topping (optional)

• Sliced almonds

* If you’re especially fond of almond flavor, you may wish to increase amount of extract up to 1 1/2 teaspoons. If you wish, you can also sprinkle the tops with sliced almonds before baking.

** Be sure to give the poppy seeds a sniff before stirring them into the batter. They should not have an off-putting smell. A tablespoon or two of rancid seeds will ruin the whole batch of muffins!

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 12 large or 24 standard-size muffin cups with no-stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, eggs, and almond extract. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the poppy seeds, taking care not to overstir.
4. Fill the prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. If desired, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sliced almonds before baking.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffin tops are rounded and lightly browned.
6. Remove from the oven, lift the muffins from the cups to cool.

Attribution

Copied from a magazine picked up while on a cross-country trip; posted by LuAnn B., a.k.a. "Tofu Queen."