Lemon Curd

That ethereal balance of sweet and tart paired with an equally divine smooth creamy texture... it just gives me the shivers. Haha. Lemon curd is quite versatile. You can put it on almost anything and it'll taste awesome. They are exceptionally good used as fillings for cakes during the summer, since the tartness will whet the appetite during the harsh heat. Hmm... it might also work as a fruit fool, where you whip up some unsweetened double cream and lightly fold in a bit of lemon curd, making a lovely light dessert after a heavy meal. As for me... I usually just eat it as is. Ssh. ;]

Lemon Curd ( Adapted from the Tartine cook book)

You'll need:
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice ( I would stick with the real deal rather than the bottled juice, since lemon is the main part of this recipe)
1 tbls lemon zest
4 tbls unsalted butter (room temp)

Utensils:
heat-resistant bowl (aluminum would be best as it won't react with the acid of the lemon and compromise the flavor of the curd)
either a double-boiler (if using that, you can ignore the aforementioned bowl) or a large pot big enough to fit the bowl
whisk
measuring cups and spoons

*[If using a double-boiler skip to the next step] Fill the pot with water and bring to a light rolling boil. Place the heat-resistant bowl over the water. Using a thick kitchen towel, hold the bowl in place.

*In the bowl or double boiler, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice until well blended.

*Cook, stirring constantly until the egg mixture thickens or until it reaches 160F. This will take about 10 minutes.

*Turn of the heat and pour the mixture through a fine sieve, to remove any bits of curdled egg, into a ceramic bowl (or any other non-reactive bowl) .

*Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the lemon mixture 2~3 pieces at a time.

*Stir in the lemon zest.

*Place a piece of plastic wrap right on top of the curd, touching the surface (this will prevent a "skin" form forming), and chill in the fridge until thickened.

Use it for fillings or toppings for cakes, pies, and other baked goods.

Lemon Lemon Cupakes

The lemon tree in the garden is leaden with fruit~ a sure sign that summer is fast approaching and spring is amongst us. Spring and cupcakes. Yep... somehow they go together. Though it's probably just me. Anyhow, here are ze lemon lemon cupcakes.

 But why the double lemon?

 The first "lemon" goes to the cake itself and the second goes to the lemon curd.

So pucker up~ we're in for one heck of a lemon cupcake.

Lemon [Lemon] Cupcake (adapted from: Joy of Baking)

We'll need:

-for the cake-
1/2 cup (1 stick)  unsalted butter at room temp.
2/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 large lemon
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp  baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
1tbls poppy seed (optional)

-topping-
lemon curd
unsweetened whipped cream (the sweetness of the lemon curd will compensate)
sprinkles (if desired)

Utensils:
Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
measuring spoons/cup
Two mixing bowls
cupcake liners or muffin pan
whisk
the trusty spatula

>>preheat oven to 350F<<

*Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy-- where individual granules of sugar are no longer visible.

*Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition (Please please please do this. It seems unimportant, but it really impacts the outcome of the cake in regards to how it will rise)

*Once the eggs are fully incorporated, beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Set the mixture aside.

*In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

*Alternatively, beat the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, making sure to end with the flour mixture.

*If using poppy seed, now's the time to add it. (Or you can separate the plain batter into two portions and add the poppy seeds to one and leave the other as is for a bit of variation)

*Spoon the cake batter into the liners or a greased muffin tin. Bake at 350F for about 15-20mins, depending on the size of the bake ware and oven temp variations... You can check for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the center of a cupcake. If it comes out clean with a bit of crumbs, then it should be ready.

~Allow the cupcakes to cool for a good half-hour before decorating.

To dress up the cakes, you can simply spoon a teaspoon of lemon curd on top followed by a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream and sprinkles. Or, you can cut out the center of the cup cake (don't cut all the way to the bottom, though) and then add a spoonful of lemon curd and top with the whipped cream for a "filled" cupcake.

[my apologies for the lack of photos to guide you through the process. I've only recently decided to take on the task of a food blog so.. I am not fully prepared at the moment.]