Makes 6 large cupcakes

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup turbinado sugar
3 tablespoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons chopped fine, parsley
1 stick butter ( salted) softened
¾ cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
juice of three lemons

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift or mix together the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder and soda and salt, in a medium size-mixing bowl.  In another medium sized bowl mix together the sugar, parsley and lemon zest until a crumbly mixture is created.  (Set aside 3 tablespoons of the mixture in a small bowl.) Add the butter and ricotta to the sugar mixture in the medium bowl.  Mix well by hand is fine.  Add the egg and continue to mix well until a light fluffy batter is created.  Spoon the mixture into a muffin tray lined with muffin papers or greased well.  Sprinkle the sugar mixture from the small bowl set aside on the top of each muffin.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.