These Spanish muffins, known as magdalenas, are very simple to make and require very few ingredients. Extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon zest are responsible for their subtle, light, and slightly sweet citrus flavor. And, since these freshly baked muffins are best when eaten warm from the oven, this small-batch recipe is the perfect way to ensure that you can eat them at their absolute best.
Hello, little muffin. You’re a slightly sweet, citrusy little thing made with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest, and just a few pantry and fridge ingredients. Pretty much, you are absolute muffin perfection. Will you be my new best friend? Please? Straight out of the oven, warm, and ripped from your delicate paper muffin wrapper, you are my idea of everything a muffin should be. No frills, no pretenses, no exotic flavors, just simple muffin uncomplicated deliciousness.
Ingredients:
- 1 Egg
- 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- Pinch of Ground Sea Salt
- 1/3 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/3 Cup Whole Milk
- 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- Coarse Sugar
Directions:
- Whisk the egg and sugar in a large bowl for 2 minutes.
- Add the lemon zest and salt; whisk for 15 seconds.
- Add the olive oil, a little at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- Add the milk, a little at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- In a small bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together. Slowly whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just combined. There will be small lumps, do not overmix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a muffin tin with four muffin wrappers. Fill each wrapper 2/3 of the way full. Add a pinch of coarse sugar to the top of each muffin.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not open the oven until you think that they are ready.
- Test the middle of the muffin with a toothpick to make sure that they are cooked through. Allow the muffins to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Suggestions:
- These muffins taste best when they are warm and fresh out of the oven.
- This is a small-batch recipe and will only make 4 muffins. If you would like to double or triple this recipe, it’s very simple to do. My muffin wrappers were a little bigger than most, so I only filled 3 of them. I suggest using regular-size muffin wrappers. They will bake up better and in less time.
- Make sure to use very good olive oil in this recipe. The more flavorful and rich the olive oil is, the better these muffins will taste.
- It’s very important that you allow the batter to rest in the refrigerator before baking. Please, do not skip this step.
- The muffins are done with they start to turn golden brown and are no longer jiggly in the middle.
Improvements:
- Replace the lemon zest with orange or lime zest.
- Skip the coarse sugar and dust these with a little bit of powdered sugar before serving.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract to the muffin batter.
Ingredients:
- 1 Egg
- 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- Pinch of Ground Sea Salt
- 1/3 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/3 Cup Whole Milk
- 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- Coarse Sugar
Directions:
- Whisk the egg and sugar in a large bowl for 2 minutes.
- Add the lemon zest and salt; whisk for 15 seconds.
- Add the olive oil, a little at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- Add the milk, a little at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- In a small bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together. Slowly whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just combined. There will be small lumps, do not overmix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a muffin tin with four muffin wrappers. Fill each wrapper 2/3 of the way full. Add a pinch of coarse sugar to the top of each muffin.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not open the oven until you think that they are ready.
- Test the middle of the muffin with a toothpick to make sure that they are cooked through. Allow the muffins to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
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Make sure to check out all of the other great Baking Bloggers “Baking of Spain” recipes below. A huge thanks to Palatable Pastime for hosting this event.
- Basque Chicken from Palatable Pastime
- Catalan Coca from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Flan De Leche Condensada from Sneha’s Recipe
- Magdalenas (Spanish Muffins) from Tara’s Multicultural Table
- Patatas Panaderas from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Pescado al Horno con Gambas from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- San Marcos Cake from Pandemonium Noshery
- Spanish Olive Oil Muffins (Magdalenas) from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Spanish Potato Bake from Making Miracles
- Tarta de Santiago rom Caroline’s Cooking
- Tortilla de Patatas from Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking