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.

Lemon drizzle cake

The sun is shinning, its quite warm(a rarity in England,) and tomorrows mothers day in the UK: So i cannot think of a better time than to bake this. Perfect accompanied with a full afternoon tea, or simply just a cup of tea and a good book( addicted to the divergent series at the moment!).

The lemon curd in this recipe gives a lovely subtle lemony hint, but it's a lot more lemony than most recipes that just use the lemon rind. I also strongly suggest using granulated sugar, if you like a crunchy topping, and add more granulated sugar if you like the topping extra thick. Also for the perfect top leave it out for a while so all the lemon liquid can soak into the cake leaving the sugar on top. 

To make this into a round cake; i would double the recipe and split it into two round cake tins.I would then have a middle layer of lemon curd, and a layer of lemon butter cream. Then a round of lemon butter cream on top, and finished with crystallised lemon rind.

Ingredients

75g butter
125g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 tbsp lemon curd
2  1/2  tbsp milk

for the drizzle

zest and juice of 1 lemon
2tbsp granulated sugar

1. preheat oven to 180°. butter and line loaf tin.
2.beat butter and sugar in a bowl, until very light and fluffy.
3. add flour, baking powder, eggs, lemon curd and milk. mix until all combined.
4. pop in prepared tin, and bake for 40- 45 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
5. meanwhile, mix the lemon and sugar together.
6. when the cake is cooked, take out and pour lemon and sugar mix on top, while its still hot.
7. leave to cool completely, then slice and enjoy.

Pikelets

 It's nearly time;To give up meat, fish, fats, eggs and milky foods. Joking. Most people I know, try to give up chocolate. I don't, because it never works, but this year I will try. 

These are New Zealand's answer to a pancake. Thicker than the traditional, but thinner and much smaller than the American pancake. Served simply with butter or a dollop of cream and jam. Please no syrup, or lemon juice and sugar: We kiwis like to keep it simple.

Pikelets are meant to be a lot smaller than these,and often served as afternoon tea.A teaspoon of mixture is ideal, but is a faff so i just used a tablespoon. I made about 8 large ones, so you could easily make about 25 normal sized ones. This recipe uses a tablespoon of sugar, but i altered the sugar because i like them not as sweet.

• Ingredients
• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 milk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter, and extra
• butter or jam and cream to serve

1.Sift flour and sugar together into a bowl.

2.Whisk milk and egg together, then add to dry ingredients, whisking until smooth.

3.Heat a non-stick frypan over medium heat and add a little melted butter. Drop level teaspoon of the mixture into the pan and cook until bubbles appear on the surface.

4.turn over and cook until golden

5.serve

Roast pumpkin soup with Soda bread

Long time no see.It's been raining in England for so long, and now seems to have finally stopped: Yay. Thankfully i wasn't flooded, but the weather did seem to pull me towards unhealthy comfort food (slaps self for eating too much chocolate). So here is a comforting recipe that serves about a billion people, but is tremendously delish, but good for you too.

 The soup is a made up recipe, from my mum, and is probably the best I've ever tasted. I roast the pumpkin first, which might seem like a faff, but is worth it. To make this extra special; use homemade stock, chicken is good but to transform it altogether use a ham stock,(my mum it with a Christmas gammon bone). This recipe makes enough for 12 people, or two large saucepans. I normally use just one saucepan for my family, and freeze the other for a later date.

Soda bread is quick and easy, and for those who are impatient i.e. me. There are many recipes out there, either containing yogurt or buttermilk. I never have buttermilk but you can make it by adding lemon juice to milk.This recipe doesn't state using oats on top, but i like using them because it gives a nice rustic look.

Pumpkin Soup
Serves 12

Ingredients

2 good quality pumpkins( i use kabocha squash, a green skinned pumpkin from Waitrose)
2 large onions
olive oil
salt and pepper
enough stock, such as chicken, vegetable or ham, to cover the pumpkin, add more if you prefer a thinner soup.
Cream or yogurt to serve.

Preheat oven to 180°. cut the pumpkins up and remove seeds. Cut into medium sized chunks.coat with oil and salt, and pop into a roasting tray, until soft all the way through. Take out and leave to cool. meanwhile saute the onions until soft. When cool remove the skins from the flesh. Divide the onions between two saucepans, then add half of the pumpkin to each, and enough stock to both. Slowly warm through the pumpkin, blend until there are no lumps:taste, and add seasoning if needed. Serve with a drizzle or a dollop of yogurt.

• Soda Bread
• Ingredients
• 450g self-raising white flour, plus extra for dusting and rolling
• 450g wholemeal flour
• 2 tsp soft brown sugar
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp salt
• 500g full-fat natural yogurt
• 350ml full-fat milk, plus extra for glazing or rolled oats to sprinkle on top.

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. dust baking tray with flour
2. Put the white and wholemeal flour into a large bowl, stir in the sugar, bicarb and salt.Make a well in the centre.
3. Mix the yogurt and milk in a large jug until smooth. Pour roughly a fifth of the milk mixture into the well and mix some of the flour into the liquid with a wooden spoon. Add a little more and continue to draw the flour into the liquid. Keep adding and mixing until all the liquid and flour is combined.
4. Using your hands, knead the dough for a couple of minutes, or until light and spongy. You may need to add a little extra flour if the dough is sticky, but try not to add too much as you want the bread to be light and airy.
5. Roll into a large ball, flatten slightly and make a cross in the centre with the end of a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with oats if desired. This recipe will also make six large rolls.
6. bake for 35-45, or 25-35 for rolls until well risen and golden brown.It should have a nice crust and sound hollow when tapped underneath.Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.