| 1 | Preheat oven to 400°F. |
| 2 | Butter standard size muffin tins. |
| 3 | Finely grate the zest from the lemons, removing only the bright yellow portion of the peel. |
| 4 | Set the lemons aside. |
| 5 | Combine the zest, the water and ?cup of the sugar in a small saucepan. |
| 6 | Stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes, just until the sugar dissolves. |
| 7 | Add the butter and stir until melted, about 1 minute longer. |
| 8 | Set aside. |
| 9 | With a sharp knife remove and discard all the remaining peel from the lemons. |
| 10 | Cut the lemons crosswise into slices about ?inch thick; discard any seeds. |
| 11 | You will need about 12 nicely shaped slices. |
| 12 | Put about 1 teaspoon of the remaining sugar in the bottom of each prepared muffin cup and place a lemon slice on top. |
| 13 | In a medium bowl, stir and toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. |
| 14 | Set aside. |
| 15 | In a larger bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and the reserved lemon mixture until smooth. |
| 16 | Add the combined dry ingredients and stir just until blended. |
| 17 | Spoon into the tins, filling about ?full. |
| 18 | Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 15 - 20 minutes. |
| 19 | Immediately invert the tins; the muffins should fall out. |
| 20 | If they resist, nudge them with a knife. |
| 21 | * makes about 12 standard muffins. |
| 22 | * |
