Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine (works best at room temperature)
• 1 1/2cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tspn vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tspn baking powder
• 1/2 tspn baking soda
• 1/2 tspn salt
• 1/2 tspn finely grated lemon peel
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup sliced strawberries

Method

Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs, one at a time, Blend in vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Stir flour mixture into creamed mixture. Gradually stir in lemon peel and buttermilk until dry ingredients are just moistened – do not over mix. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Evenly spoon sliced strawberries onto the centre of each muffin.

Bake strawberry muffins at 180° Celsius for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Gently turn strawberry muffins onto the rack. Serve strawberry muffins warm.