Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Make sure the baking rack you are going to use is in the centre of the oven.

Using an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.

Add, and mix in the eggs one at a time.

Then add the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix well.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds.

Now add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternating with the buttermilk (with the mixer on low speed, add some flour mix, then pour some buttermilk, then add the rest of the flour mix, then the rest of the buttermilk). Mix until just combined, don’t over mix the batter.

Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Scoop the batter evenly between 12 muffin cups for 12 large muffins, or you if you want smaller muffins, spread the batter between 16 muffin cups.

Sprinkle the top of the muffins with some white sugar (this will create a nice sugary crust).

Bake for 18-20 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before you eat them! Any sooner and the muffin will stick to the paper liner.