- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
- 12 slices fresh strawberry
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- Mix lemon juice with as much milk as needed to measure 1 cup; let the soured milk stand for 5 minutes before using.
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.
- Cream together the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large bowl.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time; add the lemon extract.
- Gradually stir in the lemon zest and soured milk.
- Gently fold in the chopped strawberries.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in another bowl.
- Stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture until dry ingredients are just moistened.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups to about 2/3 full.
- Place a strawberry slice atop each muffin and sprinkle with some of the 1 tablespoon white sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before serving warm.