Too Much Discard? Make Sourdough Lemon Cupcakes

If your starter is in need of feeding (again), and you're tired of the same old/same old breads, try a sweet option: Sourdough Lemon Cupcakes. The tang of the sourdough starter complements the tartness of the lemon, and the cupcakes come out of the oven light and fragrant with citrus. You can certainly frost the cupcakes with a vanilla or lemon frosting, but I don't bother. Just a dusting of powdered sugar is plenty, and you can enjoy the sweetness of the cupcake itself. Unlike many cupcakes, these Lemon Sourdough Cupcakes have plenty of flavor, so you really don't miss the frosting. The cupcakes make a perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea, and they're great for dessert alone or with a scattering of berries and a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream alongside.

Sourdough Lemon Cupcakes -- Makes 12+

1 cup of sourdough starter/discard

1 cup of sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup of canola oil

2/3 cup of buttermilk (or use 1/3 cup of milk and 1/3 cup of plain yogurt)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Grated zest and juice of a lemon (1/4 cup of juice)

3/4 cup of flour

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

Confectioners' sugar (optional, to dust)

Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with baking spray (the kind with flour) or use cupcake papers and spray the bottoms of the papers with a little non-stick spray. In a large bowl combine the starter/discard, sugar, egg, canola oil, buttermilk, vanilla, zest, and lemon juice and mix them until thoroughly blended. Whisk in the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Fill the cupcake wells about 2/3 full. If you have leftover batter (you probably will, depending on the size of your muffin tin), spray a small custard cup, small loaf pan, or something similar with non-stick spray and fill it with the remaining batter (cook's taste-test treat!). Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes until light, golden brown and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pan to cool completely. Frost the muffins or dust them with confectioners' sugar before serving them.