Lemon Curd Cupcakes

Here is my favourite cupcake recipe of all time: The sponge is light, with a subtle lemony flavour, and doesn't get really dry for about 3 days, paired with an intensely lemon pastel yellow icing , then sprinkled with pastel coloured balls. A perfect spring treat.

I discovered this recipe, when i wanted to use up the lemon curd, i had made(recipe here), and it was instantly my favourite cupcake recipe ever. The lemon curd gives it a subtle lemon sponge, which is perfect as the one thing i hate about commercial cupcakes, is that they don't taste of much.

To make the lemon icing extra lemony, i add lemon curd to the icing as well as lemon juice(about a tablespoon). I found these pastel coloured balls in tkmaxx, and if you look hard, I'm sure find something similar, but if you are too impatient to wait for a good bargain then i have found some similar here.

To make the sponge extra lemony, you could add lemon extract, and extra lemon rind. If you only want a tad more lemon then spread the top, or inject the cupcake with more lemon curd, before topping with icing.For an alternative decoration; scoop out a circle, then fill with whipped cream, cut the circle in half, place like butterflies wings then put a small dollop of lemon curd, down the centre.

Ingedients

175g butter, softened
1/2 cup of caster sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup lemon curd
2 cups self-rasing flour
1/4 cup milk

1. preheat oven to 190°c 
2. beat butter and sugar together until light and creamy.
3. add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. stir in the lemon curd
5. fold in the flour alternatively with the milk
6. pop into pre-cased 12 cupcake tin
7. bake in preheated oven for 20-25 mins until well risen and golden
8. transfer to rack to cool
9. when cool, ice with lemon butter icing

lemon butter icing

100g butter
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
grated lemon zest of 1 lemon
lemon juice 

1. beat butter until pale and fluffy
2. sift the icing sugar 
3. beat the icing sugar into the butter, add lemon juice until you reached your desired consistency.

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ANZAC Biscuits

So its less than a week till ANZAC day, remembering Australian New Zealand Army Courps, on the 25th of April. So of course, i had to make ANZAC biscuits. They have a slightly crunchy outside, and a soft and chewy middle. Made with oats, and coconut they would feel healthy if they weren't so buttery and yummy.

This recipe is slightly sweet for my liking, so feel free to adjust the sugar if you like. To break up the buttery-ness, i like add raisins but, you could also add dried fruit such as cranberries or dates.

To transform these into a health biscuit, try using half sugars. If you like coconut a lot, try using coconut flour, which has added health benefits.

All of the biscuits, in a tower!(before they all toppled over.)

Ingredients 

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup dessicated coconut
125 g butter
1 T golden syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1 T boiling water

1.preheat oven 170°c 
2.mix flour,sugar,oats and coconut together
3.melt butter and syrup together
4.dissolve the baking soda in boiling water, add to the butter and syrup mix. stir well
5.place spoonfuls on trays and bake for 15 mins or until golden
6.cool, enjoy and gobble up!

Mini Pavlovas

I honestly don't know how, i have not already blogged about these because, i make them almost every month. The New Zealand classic dessert: Pavlova. These are so much easier than the big thing, in manageable single portions, rather than one big pavlova which involves messy cutting.

As you might be able to tell, this post features two different batches of mini pavlovas. The first down below, was just plain meringue mixture, served with whipped cream (duh!), and mixed berries. The second batch, shown above, i decided to make them a lot smaller, and swirl in red food colouring. I then served them with some tinned mango (that is just what i had handy). To make it your own just change the shape, size, colour and flavour of the meringue.Also feel free to change the fruit you serve with it, depending on what you like and what is in season.

When i make these i often don't know what to do with the leftover egg yolks. You could make an extra rich scrambled egg, but as i don't like scramble eggs; i tend to make something even more delicious........lemon curd. For a fresh, spring take on mini pavlovas try adding it into the whipped cream.For my lemon curd recipe click here . 

Ingredients

2 egg whites 
125 g caster sugar
enough cream and
enough fruit of your choice

1. preheat oven to 140 , gas 1
2. whisk egg whites until it forms a stiff peak (test by holding it over your head)
3. add the sugar in, a spoonful at a time, continuing to whisk.
4. After its all combined, place on grease proof lined tray. (If you want to add colourings or flavourings, then i recommend doing it now.)
5. pop into the oven for two hours( then if possible then turn off the oven and leave in overnight to cool).
6. serve with whipped cream and fruit.