Grapefruit Poppyseed Muffins with Grapefruit Cream
Any one else accidentally buy an enormous bag of grapefruit because it was super cheap and then think, “I don’t actually want to eat grapefruits for the next ten consecutive mornings”?
No?
Okay then, just me.
Then, might I recommend you go out and buy an enormous bag of grapefruit for these muffins? This grapefruit muffins recipe will use up one of them. So then you’ll only have nine consecutive mornings to eat plain grapefruit and think, “Whyyyyyy?”
Also, the grapefruit cream will use up another one, so hey! Only eight mornings.
By the way, I’ll just warn you now that the grapefruit cream is. . .kind of a pain. It’s not hard, you just need a thermometer (After I had all the ingredients ready for this latest batch, I discovered my thermometer was BROKEN(!) and doing it without kind of made me insane. I don’t recommend).
But it’s so good, it was worth it. And I promise! Not hard. Just a lot of whisking and also . . . did I mention you need a thermometer?
It’s like lemon curd. Except better – lighter and silkier and something I would eat with a spoon. Ella DID eat it with a spoon. (In all fairness, Bart prefers curd, while I prefer the cream. So I switch back and forth).
grapefruit muffins recipe
Grapefruit Poppyseed Muffins
Grapefruit Poppyseed Muffins -- a super delicious variation on the classic.
Ingredients
Muffins:
- 2 eggs separated
- 1/2 cup butter room temp
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/3 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
- Zest of one grapefruit
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp grapefruit juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Sugar for sprinkling on top granulated is fine, but I like to use coarse sugar if I have it on hand.
Grapefruit Cream:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- Grated zest of 1 grapefruit
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup grapefruit juice
- 7 Tablespoons butter at room temperature cut into tablespoons
- TINY drop of red food coloring optional
Instructions
Muffins:
-
Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tin or line with muffin liners and set aside.
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In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Transfer to a small bowl and put in the fridge.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, until well-combined.
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Pour the flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, zest, and salt on top of the butter/sugar/egg mixture and beat for about 5 seconds. Add the buttermilk and beat again for just a few seconds. Add the grapefruit juice and vanilla. Beat just until smooth.
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With a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter until just blended.
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Spoon into muffin cups and then sprinkle with sugar.
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Bake until golden brown and springy to the touch, 20-25 minutes.
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Let cool slightly before removing and serving with grapefruit cream.
Grapefruit Cream:
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Get a saucepan and a metal bowl that fits inside without touching the bottom of the pan. Put about about an inch or so of water in the saucepan (you don't want it to touch the bottom of the metal bowl) and bring it to a low boil.
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Pull out your blender and put a strainer over the top.
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In the metal bowl (don't put it over the boiling water yet), mix together the sugar and zest until well-combined (I use my fingers) and then whisk in the eggs and grapefruit juice.
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Put the metal bowl over the boiling water and whisk constantly (you don't want your eggs to scramble) until it hits 180 degrees. It'll be a bit thickened, and it'll probably take about 5-10 minutes, depending on how hot your water is and how thick your bowl is, etc.
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As soon as it's 180 degrees, remove the bowl (with an oven mitt so you don't burn yourself) and pour the mixture through the strainer and into the blender. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to cool (give it a stir every few minutes to help it cool down). Then put the lid on, start blending and add the butter, one piece at a time. If you want it to be slightly more orange-y/red, add the smallest drop of red you can manage.
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Let it blend for 3 minutes, then pour it into a jar or bowl, cover and let chill until firm (or. . . just use it warm. No one has to know). Never go back to lemon curd.
Mmmm, these look delicious! I think I probably could handle 10 straight grapefruits, but I would not mind if one was muffin-ified. I can hardly imagine a scenario where I would pass up a baked good for straight fruit 😉
Grilled/broiled grapefruit will make those eight consecutive grapefruits more enjoyable…
Um, yum!!! I saw a recipe for grapefruit, avocado, endive salad with poppyseed dressing a long long time ago, and it looked so deliciously fresh! And now I must hie to Costco and grab a bag of grapefruits! 🙂
xox
You got my attention! I LOVE grapefruit and my kids do too, but I usually just feel so lazy about all the prep it requires. By the time I've cut out each piece and handed a half to one child, the other is done with his/her half, and I could keep going and never get any myself.
I made grapefruit donuts last year and blogged about it. I loved those, too. Pinning!
We buy a huge box of grapefruits every year from the Future Farmers of America kids at the high school (welcome to Small Town, USA), so we DO eat grapefruit for many, many consecutive mornings.
We also got some from a friend while we were in AZ and they weren't as sweet as the purchased ones, so I actually cut out all the little segments and pureed them, added simple syrup (actually the syrup leftover from a jar of home-canned pears), and drank it. SO GOOD. And I'm convinced it has magical healing properties and will help us all recover from our collective cold super-fast.
Even if it doesn't, it still tasted really good.
I have never accidentally bought any size bag of grapefruit. I don't like them. I've tried them on a handful of occasions since being an adult, and I just can't get over how bitter they are. Eric loves them and will tell me that he's got a good one and I should give it a try, but I never like them. Sometimes I think I might like various grapefruit-flavored things, but I never do.
I might just very well get some now–these look fantastic. Brad talked about coming home on BART tonight, and Clara piped up, "I got a donut with Bart!" I guess he made quite the impression on her!
These look yummy! And for your remaining grapefruit, I definitely recommend broiling them. I tried that for the first time with some a few weeks ago, and it's pretty yummy.
How did you know?? I totally DID buy a huge bag of grapefruit, try to eat one for breakfast, and then rethink :). All my grapefruits got turned into pink lemonade. (2 grapefruits, one lemon, 1/3 c sugar in a quart jar. Add I've and water to the top. Very yummy and no thermometer needed.
Add ice, not I've. Oh and the muffins look great! But I am too lazy and we have a cutie with a dairy allergy.