Lemon, Cream Cheese and Poppy Muffins

Every week I have to change the muffin flavour at work sometimes I make blue berry and bran or apricot or if I'm feeling ambitious I'll make these muffins.

I have a minor obsession with lemon based baked goods, sweet, tart and yellow (no innuendo intended). The cream cheeses balances out the tart of the curd and the poppy seeds adds pop and texture. I like to eat these muffins with a small side bowl of the curd reserve to dip the more cakey area of the muffin into. Afterwards I watch my belly grow.

450g plain flour
200g sugar
100g unsalted butter melted
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
100ml buttermilk
100ml milk
1 unwaxed lemon
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
120g cream cheese

CURD:
3 large eggs
150g sugar
3 unwaxed lemons
75g butter

METHOD:
First make the curd, place a small pot of water on element and bring to simmer, into a medium sized mixing bowl grate the zest of lemon and squeeze the juice then add the sugar, eggs and butter diced. Roughly beat together then place the mixing bowl over simmering water and stir from time to time till the mixture thickens and resembles custard, should take around 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
To make the muffins place flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and stir together till evenly combined then add the juice and zest of lemon. Beat the eggs into the melted butter and pour onto the dry mix then add the buttermilk, milk and vanilla. Using a butter knife cut the wet and dry together till just under combined. Grease a 12 hold muffin pan about 3 inch's in diameter and 1 inch deep and spoon in the muffin batter till just level with the lip on the pan, you might have some mixture left over. Using wet fingers poke a hole into the middle of each muffin then fill the hole with a tablespoon of cream cheese and good tablespoon heap of lemon curd. I like to sprinkle the tops of my muffins with a little extra sugar to make the tops crunchy and biscuty however this is optional. Bake muffins in pre-heated oven at 180oC for around 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan.