Ginger Lemon Muffins

(This is a recipe my mother sent me. I'll write all about these amazing muffins soon!)

Lemon Ginger Muffins

Ingredients:
Peel of 1 whole lemon (shaved off with vegetable peeler - yellow part only)
2/3 cup peeled fresh ginger, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 cup sugar
2 2/3 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. poppy seeds
1/3 cup crystallized ginger, chopped (optional)
1 cup buttermilk (or 1cup milk + 1 T. vinegar)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Either use muffin liners or butter muffin tins very well. Combine first 3 ingredients in food processor or blender until it turns to a paste. Whisk together dry ingredients (sugar through ginger) in large bowl. Whisk last 4 ingredients together in medium bowl, then add ginger paste. Stir into flour mixture just until blended. Spoon into muffin cups.
(Optional - sprinkle tops with demerara sugar before baking.) Bake 20 - 25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.