Lemon Lavender Muffins

Recipe Research

Sweet, moist, and beautifully zingy – these lemon lavender muffins are just dreamy. The muffins have a delicate crumb thanks to the buttermilk and a distinctive apple-like undertone from the dried lavender. They are the perfect little bite when you’re in the mood for something sweet and the make for a great gift for Mother’s Day.

Ingredients

Muffins

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp dried lavender buds
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pulse the sugar, lavender, and lemon zest in a food processor until smooth. The goal is to break down the lavender. Set 1/4 cup aside.
3. Beat the 1/2 cup sugar, butter, and eggs until fluffy. Beat in honey, almond milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients gently until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into a prepared muffin tin (I just greased mine, no liners). Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and the tops spring back when you touch them.
5. Whisk ingredients together for glaze. Pour a spoonful over the top of each muffin and sprinkle with reserved sugar.

Recipe sourced from Pinch of Yum; description sourced from Back to the Roots.

Sample Imagery

Reference Recipe Sites

1. I appreciate how Pinch of Yum, the site I sourced this recipe from, has a "jump to recipe" button at the top, so if you'd like to see her description with photos for each step, you can, but you can also skip right to a clear section with just directions, ingredients, nutrition facts, and more important details.
2. On the Kitchen Stories site, I appreciate the usage of white space, something many recipe sites lack. There are also vivid images for each step of the process, which is useful for the user, limited advertisements, and less unnecessary blog-style text. I also like the rounded corners of each image and box
3. Gimme Some Oven is also successful at leaving white space with limited advertisements. There is a header and introduction section at the top, which is useful for those curious about the writer, but then ample white space is left for readability, so someone cooking can glance away and find their place again easily.

Further Reference Sites

1. I enjoy how Pinterest allows the user to scroll through its content. I imagine how this could be useful for the home page of a recipe site, where imagery could be used to draw in the reader in a way that still doesn't feel too overwhelming. I've mentioned white space a lot, but overcrowded recipe pages have always felt not very user-friendly to me when I am the user.
2. I like how the Archwell Foundation's website uses pastel and neutral colors and rounded shapes in a delicate way to make everything feel soft. With my recipe, which includes lemon and lavender as the main ingredients, I hope to have a softer site that uses pastel shades in moderation.
3. George Nakashima's Woodworkers' website turns your attention to photography, which I personally prefer for a recipe site. The header remains visible but not overpowering, and the site is easily navigable.