Why This Recipe Works

Freezing a batch of muffin batter and baking off individual portions sounds great, but the extreme cold temperatures and freeze-thaw cycle negatively impact a batter's leavening, browning, and moisture. But this batter is designed to be baked from frozen and supports a range of mix-ins—from fresh or frozen berries to chocolate. To maximize the rise, we loaded up on leavening agents—baking powder did most of the leavening, and baking soda further aerated the batter and encouraged flavorful browning. We leaned on oil (a pure fat) instead of butter and included a generous dose of sugar to boost moisture. Partially freezing the portions in the tin set their shape enough for them to be transferred and stored in a zipper-lock bag. Baking the frozen muffins in the tin at a moderate 350 degrees for the better part of 40 minutes allowed the batter to rise and bake evenly from edge to center. We sprinkled coarse-grained turbinado sugar on the portioned batter before freezing because it wouldn't dissolve or melt when frozen or baked the way granulated sugar would, so the muffins' crust baked up with a sweet, sparkly crunch.

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Before You Begin

This recipe requires paper or foil muffin-tin liners. We prefer frozen raspberries here because they break up easily into smaller pieces for more even distribution; however, fresh raspberries can be used. If using fresh, skip the berry prep in step 1. You can replace the buttermilk with ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt (any fat level) mixed with 1 cup of water, measuring out 1¼ cups of the mixture. Do not use buttermilk powder or a mixture of milk and lemon juice. A toaster oven works well for baking the muffins if you're using a 6-cup muffin tin; they will cook a bit faster, so begin checking for doneness 5 minutes earlier than the lower end of the time range.

Instructions

Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Place frozen raspberries in large zipper-lock bag and seal bag. Use bottom of dry measuring cup to gently break berries apart into individual drupelets (it's OK if some berries remain in larger pieces). Transfer berries to freezer until ready to use.

Whisk eggs and oil in large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add buttermilk, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and almond extract and whisk to combine. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Gently whisk one-third of flour mixture into egg mixture until no lumps remain. Whisk in half of remaining flour mixture until smooth. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining flour mixture until few streaks of flour remain. Stir in raspberries until evenly distributed and no dry streaks of flour remain.

Using portion scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (about ⅓ cup batter per liner). In small bowl, stir turbinado sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon zest together. Evenly sprinkle sugar-zest mixture over batter.

Cover tin and transfer to freezer and freeze batter until solid, at least 3 hours. Transfer frozen batter portions (in liners) to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. (If liners freeze to tin, place muffin tin in rimmed baking sheet filled with ⅛ inch warm water for 1 minute. Twist and lift to release, then transfer to bag for freezing.)

to bake

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange desired number of (frozen) batter portions in muffin tin and bake until muffins have risen and are lightly browned and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 33 to 36 minutes. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin tin and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.