Lemon Lavender Muffins #MuffinMonday #CooktheBooks #LitHappens

I've been waiting a long time to share these marvelous muffins with you. The tender, lemony muffins with a hint of soothing lavender was inspired by the novel Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown.

One of the very last recipes to be shared were these muffins and I knew I was going to combine this book review with our monthly Muffin Monday post.


I read this novel way back in February when it was first released to my area library.  In fact, I was the very first person to borrow this novel.

Then I saw that it was chosen for our August/September selection of Cook the Books Club by Debra of Eliot's Eat.  You can learn more about CTB and how to participate in this event by reading Debra's invitation post.  You still have a full month to join in the fun.

I finished this novel in less than 2 days.  The novel jumps between the lives of modern day Alice and circa 1950's Nellie.  

Alice has been married 2 years and her husband wants to move to the suburbs from Manhattan and start a family.  Alice isn't sure that this is what she wants but she has a lot of secrets from her husband and pretending as if she is on board with this plan, instead of sharing her feelings with him, is just another deception.

They find an old fixer upper that has Alice a little spooked.  You see, the house has secrets of it's own.  The house has been neglected for over a year but the gardens are still lovely.  The house comes complete with furnishings and belongings from the previous owner, Nellie, who had furnished and decorated the house in very fashionable 50's style.

Alice starts off hating everything about the house but the house speaks to her. After Alice finds boxes filled with Nellie's belongings she begins immersing herself in retro furnishings and clothes, much to the surprise of her husband and friends.  

Alice also begins cooking from a cookbook that had been handed down to Nellie from her mother, perusing magazines from the 50's and reading letters that Nellie had written to her mother but had never sent.  You guessed it, Nellie had her secrets as well.

This novel grabbed my attention and held it.  That being said, I'm not sure I liked the book.  Perhaps it was that none of the characters were that 'real' to me.  But that's not it.  They were real, with good traits and bad.  Perhaps it was just Alice that I didn't care for.  She got on my last nerve with her lies, secrets and martyrdom.  She reminded me of a sullen, sulky teenager who always wanted things exactly her own way.

I'm interested in hearing what the other members of Cook the Books thought of this novel and to see what they made.  

I also chose this novel for our selection of Lit Happens.  An online facebook book club that was the brainchild of my friend Cam over at Culinary Adventures with Camilla.   That book club is not necessarily for Foodies Read but I do seem to find food inspiration in any book I read.  

There were several recipes included in the book that the author found in her collection of antique cookbooks.  This recipe that I'm sharing today was inspired by The Five Roses Cookbook published in 1913.

This image was found with a google search.  Evidently Five Roses was a brand of flour and this cookbook was one of several that they had published.

Before I share my recipe for these Lemon Lavender Muffins let's take a look at what other muffins are being shared today..........

• Banana Nut Muffins from Making Miracles
• Cherry Almond Muffins from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Cinnamon Sweet Potato Muffins from Palatable Pastime
• Dark Chocolate Coffee Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Lemon Lavender Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Small Batch Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Spiced 'Tree Pumpkin' (Persimmon) Muffins from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

I made a couple of adaptations to this recipe.  I added a 1/4 cup of brown sugar as the recipe only called for 3 Tablespoons of honey and I didn't think that was enough sweetener.  The muffins were still more savory than sweet.  I used lavender extract instead of lavender buds as that was what I had available.

muffins, lavender, lemon, breads

Breads, Muffins

American

Yield: 9 servings

Author: Wendy Klik

Print

Lemon Lavender Muffins

Tender muffins flavored with lemon zest and lavender. More savory than sweet, these muffins are perfect alongside a salad or slice of quiche.

Prep time: 5 MCook time: 25 MTotal time: 30 M

Ingredients:

• 2 c. flour
• 3 t. baking powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. milk
• 3 T. honey
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 3 T. butter, melted and cooled
• zest of one lemon
• 1/4 t. lavender extract

Instructions:

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center and set aside.
2. Whisk together the eggs, milk, honey, brown sugar and butter.  Pour into the well, and mix just until combined.
3. Stir in the lemon zest and lavender.  Divide between 9 standard size muffin cups that have been treated with baking spray.   Bake in a preheated 375* oven for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center of a muffin removes cleanly.
4. Let rest in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto wire racks.

Notes:

Adapted from the novel Recipe of a Perfect Wife.

Calories

208.27

Fat (grams)

5.72

Sat. Fat (grams)

3.15

Carbs (grams)

34.51

Fiber (grams)

1.03

Net carbs

33.48

Sugar (grams)

10.86

Protein (grams)

5.38

Sodium (milligrams)

365.14

Cholesterol (grams)

53.69

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