Lime muffins with ricotta cheese filling

Lime muffins with ricotta cheese filling are very citrusy, moist, sweet and sticky. Sticky because of lime syrup the muffins are coated with. Muffins were very nice but the lime slices were not edible at all. The recipe comes from 'New Italian cuisine. Muffins'.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 4 limes (in original recipe is 5 but I think it is way to much)
• 125g ricotta cheese
• 130g sugar
• 250g flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 100g brown sugar
• 200g natural yogurt
• 90 ml sunflower oil
• 250g icing sugar (originally 30g but by mistake I added 250g and I think it is much better that way)

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line muffin tin with paper cases. 

Great the lime zest from two limes, squeeze juice from 3 limes and slice the 4th one. Set aside.

In a small bowl with a fork mix ricotta cheese with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Set aside.

Into a big bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk everything together. Set aside.

Put the eggs, sugars, yogurt, oil, lime zest, 6 tablespoons of lime juice into a big bowl and beat them with electric mixer until combined. Then add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.

Spoon the batter into paper cases about 1/2 full. Then put spoon of ricotta cheese mixture, divide evenly among 12 muffin cases. cover with remaining batter.

Bake for 20 minutes until well risen and spongy.

While the muffins are in the oven prepare lime syrup. Pour the remaining lime juice into a saucepan add the icing sugar and heat up on medium. Bring it to boil and add lime slices. Cook for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally. When the syrup thickens remove from the heat.

Pour the syrup over hot muffins decorate with lime slices. 

Any syrup leftovers are great added to the freshly brewed tea.