In a mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in crystallized ginger, lemon peel, and pomegranate seeds. Make a well in the center.
In a measuring cup, blend milk, egg, and butter. Pour liquid all at once into well. Stir just until batter is moistened; it will be lumpy. Spoon batter into 12 (2 ½ inch wide) or 23 (1 ¾ inch wide) buttered muffin tins, filling almost to the rim. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoons sugar. Bake in a 425-degree oven until lightly browned, about 16 minutes for large muffins, 13 minutes for small. Remove from pan at once. Serve hot or set on a rack and serve warm or cold.
