Thursday, May 20, 2010

Purple Pansies and Violets - Lemon Supreme Cupcakes


I started a family cookbook using photos when I first got a digital camera, how many years ago?  At first it was only for family but then my husband wanted to share it with friends.  It started out as the family Top Ten Recipes, but soon grew, especially the dessert category.  My husband kept saying I should do a blog to update recipes.  I finally have spent all I want to spend on copies for cookbook updates for all my dear friends and family and they will have to endure my blog to get the newest recipes.  I will also include ones I already put in the cookbook.  Maybe that will inspire them to pull the book out and try something new.  My sister Joni started a food blog - Red Couch Recipes.  It is so inspiring.  She always said she had no creativity!
Check out her blog.  She got into blogging recipes because her daughter wanted a blog.  Check her blog out too - Polka Dot Pantry Sweets.


I planted violets just so that I could do candied violets.  Have you checked out the price for ready made ones?  Every year I seem to miss them as the violets are on for just a short time.  This year I not only candied them, but did it several times and taught one of the young women in my neighborhood.  She went home and taught her sisters and they made these Lemon Supreme Cupcakes for their mother for Mother's Day.


I am a fan of lemon and when I saw a recipe for homemade lemon cake using lemon yogurt, I thought maybe it would be moist enough.  The recipe came from a recent Woman's Day Magazine.  I modified it.  I am a
frosting lover, and I usually eat just the top half of a cupcake.  Inspired by these beautiful cupcake wrappers made by Wilton which I found at JoAnn Fabrics, I made the cupcakes, removed them from their original
cupcake cups, split them in half and filled them with Lemon Curd, put them back together,
gently placing them in the Wilton Cups then frosted them with my own recipe for Lemon Curd Frosting and
finished it off with the most beautiful sugared spring flowers.



Sugared Flowers

Just Whites (powdered egg whites, found in your baking section)
Granulated sugar
Fresh edible flowers that have no pesticides

Reconstitute egg whites according to package directions.  You will probably want the equivalent of just one  or two egg whites.  The egg whites are really sticky and take a minute to dissolve in the water.  Be patient with it and get all of the lumps out.  Gently wash the flowers.  Dip the clean flowers one at a time into the egg whites.  Blot excess off on a clean paper towel.  Holding the flower by the stem end, gently spoon granulated sugar on the front of the flower and then on the back.  Lay on parchment paper to dry overnight.  If there is too much egg white and the sugar seems too thick, just rinse the sugar off and start over.

Lemon Supreme Cake

1 lemon
3 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 C. milk
1- 6 oz. container lemon yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 C. butter, softened
1 3/4 C. sugar (Baker's sugar is a finer grain and gives you a finer grain in your finished cake, but it is opt.)
3 large eggs

   Heat oven to 350 degrees.
   Zest the lemon, you should have about 1 tablespoon.
   In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt
   In a small bowl whisk the milk, yogurt and vanilla.
   In mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition and beating well after each addition.
   On low, beat flour mixture into butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture.  Beat well and scrape bowl after each addition.  Fold in the zest.
   Spoon into prepared pans - use 2 - 8 inch pans or 18-20 muffins.  I used jumbo muffin cups in regular muffin pans and filled about half full.  This gave me a taller muffin.  I later discarded that muffin cup.
   Bake 25-30 minutes for the 8 inch pans and 20-25 minutes for the cupcakes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan.
   When doing a round cake, cut parchment paper to fit the bottom and don't grease the sides of the pan.  When the cake has cooled for 10 minutes, run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake.  Your cake comes out perfectly this way, and doesn't dome up in the center.

Lemon Curd Frosting

1/2 C. butter, softened
1 -10 oz jar Lemon Curd ( I like Dickinson's which you can find in many grocery stores in the jam section.  If you have a Trader Joe's, theirs is wonderful.  Don't use any that are bright yellow.  They can be bitter)
4 C. powdered sugar
1-3 T. water
Cream all together, adding water as needed until soft and creamy.

Assembly

Remove cupcakes from cups, split and spread with a little lemon curd.  Put halves back together.  Place in Wilton Cupcake Wrappers.  I found these at JoAnn's Fabric or you can find them on line.  Etsy.com has a great selection.  I also tried making my own with a 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 inch piece of paper which I pleated over a narrow glass that I had turned over.
Place frosting in a frosting cone with a large plain tip or in a Ziploc plastic bag with the corner cut off.  Frost in a circular motion from the outside to the center.
   For the cake, fill between layers with lemon curd.  Frost top and sides and finish with crushed Lemonheads if desired.

   I brought these to a shower and then to a charity auction and they were huge hits.

   Well, that's all for my first blog ever.  My friends can't believe I am finally a blogger!
Jacqueline
Jacqueline

Chocolat - French for Chocolate. I adored chocolate from a young age when I had to sneak in the cupboard to find where my mother had hidden the Nestle's Chocolate Chips. Having read about the famous chocolat shoppes in Paris, when I finally got there I was determined to try a chocolate from every Paris shoppe. I invite you to share my adventures in creating, in travel, and in life.

15 comments:

  1. Hoorah! I love the look of the blog and definitely love the premise. Your cookbook is one of my prized possessions which we use 3-4 times a week. These cupcakes are divine. My girls made the cake version for Mother's Day and it was so good. Love you!

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  2. Love the blog. You are officially a techno geek now. I had a hard time finding your blog, but now it will be a cinch. I also love the cookbook. It's my fave.

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  3. Jackie! Congratulations on your first blog entry! Wow, the cupcakes look so good I wish I could have one right now! You are one your way...great job! Joni

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  4. Aunt Jackie, the cupcakes look soooo yummy! Good job on your first blog post. Look forward to more! Tati

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  5. I just found your blog via Joni! Welcome to blogging! I am your newest follower and I look forward to reading your future posts.

    maybe you could pop in to visit me for 5 minutes one day soon?

    Nice to meet you.

    Best wishes,
    Natasha.

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  6. Awesome blog. Easy to find. Hurray up and post NEW yummies!

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  7. LOVE IT Jackie!!!! It's fabulous just like everything you do...seems unfair that so much talent is wrapped up in one beautiful,sweet lady!!! I will love adding to the cookbook...I feel like Julie/Julia working my way through your amazing cookbook!!! Thanks for being such a wonderful friend!!!
    Lots of Love, Debbie

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  8. These are so beautiful! I agree with your husband about you starting a blog and so glad you did!
    I'm so happy to meet another frosting lover! yay! I eat my cupcakes the same way. I am like a kid when it comes to cakes...I always want a corner or the roses for that extra frosting! ;-)

    I love your sisters blog to!

    Thanks for stopping by mine earlier,

    Nancy @ Nancy's Daily Dish

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  9. These are so beautiful! I agree with your husband about you starting a blog and so glad you did!
    I'm so happy to meet another frosting lover! yay! I eat my cupcakes the same way. I am like a kid when it comes to cakes...I always want a corner or the roses for that extra frosting! ;-)

    I love your sisters blog to!

    Thanks for stopping by mine earlier,

    Nancy @ Nancy's Daily Dish

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  10. Hello...

    I absolutely love your blog!!! It is so pretty and I love all your photos!!!
    I'm going to make these adorable cupcakes...
    I was looking to see how to email you because I wanted to say thank you for commenting on my blog!!! But did not see how...
    I will be following you now...

    Katie,XoXo

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  11. I once saw a picture of a cake in a cookbook that uses violets for decoration. Your cupcakes looks delicious and beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

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  12. I found you from your sister/niece's blog which I found your sister's blog from Eighteen25.blogspot.com.

    These sound so good! Thanks for sharing!!!

    Stef

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  13. Wow, these are so gorgeous! I think I'm going to make these in the spring! Your blog is gorgeous!!!

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  14. As usual your blog is gorgeous and your cupcakes look divine I have never used candied violets before what do they taste like and how long do they last? I am amazed by your creativity and your recipes are printed and either stuffing the pages pf my cookbooks or stapled together on my fridge waiting to be made. thanks Jacqueline these look wonderful.Susie

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