For Spenser

I have a sweet little cousin, who has just entered kindergarten this year. Spenser is a superhero at heart, plays make believe with abandon, reads up a storm, and builds[and tests!] jumps for his bike. At five years old he has a bigger personality [and more confidence] than most adults I know! Spenser and his parents [my very young aunt and uncle] came and visited this summer on their way through to a family reunion. While at my home, Spenser enjoyed my Lemon PoppaSeed 'cupcakes' and loved them so much that I thought I'd re-post the recipe for him. I've tweaked it a bit to make it healthier more delicious, and think it will be a wonderful addition to my sweet cousins school snacks. Enjoy Spenser!

PoppaSeed* 'Cupcakes' created by me!

1 tbsp vanilla soy milk
1 tbsp water
1/4 cup grape seed oil
2/3 cup apple sauce mixed with 1tsp-1tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup honey

1 3/4 cup flour
2 tbsp poppyseed
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp lemon extract
2 1/2tsp baking powder
2 1/2tsp baking soda
1/2 salt
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 1/2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 24 mini muffin tin,
2. beat milk, oil, lemony apple sauce, and honey together. Stir in flour, poppyseeds, lemon zest, lemon extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Spoon into muffin tins, filling roughly 3/4 of the way.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together fresh lemon juice and confectioners sugar. This is your glaze.
3. Bake at 375F for 8 minutes, or until just golden. Drizzle with glaze immediately and let cool on rack.

These are soooo good! Very lemony, so if you like your poppyseed with only a hint of lemon adjust accordingly. I call them 'cupcake' because really they're muffins, but the glaze makes them taste like dessert. Darius and I prefer these without the glaze, so don't be afraid to skip the extra sweetness. The amazing thing is, with honey instead of white sugar, and no dairy or eggs, these muffins are great if you're on a cholesterol lowering or vegan diet, and you won't feel deprived!

*if you're wondering about the alternate spelling for poppyseed, it comes from my sweet Darius, who had a Poppa that LOVES poppyseed muffins.