Too many lemons

I enjoy lemons, especially in baked goods. When I was young, my mother used to make lemon squares for a lot of get-togethers, and I always got to help squeeze the lemons. It's become one of my go-to recipes as well. For the holidays, I made a large batch of lemon squares and some shortbread for my coworkers:

I bought about two bags of lemons to make those, since each batch of lemon curd uses 4-6 lemons. Almost every other citrus recipe I've come across calls for two lemons at most, so you can imagine how flavorful these treats are.

In January, I came back to San Diego with a bag of lemons from my uncle's tree, only to find that my roommate had also brought some back from her family's tree. Too many lemons! I finally got around to making another batch of lemon curd this weekend, and was fortunate enough to come across a recipe that would work perfectly with it.

Lemon curd-filled almond muffins

Make a batch of easy lemon curd. This method is pretty easy and creates a very smooth, delicious curd. If you like your desserts tart, up the lemon juice a little and reduce the amount of sugar. Refrigerate the curd overnight to let it thicken.

Follow this recipe for almond dulce de leche muffins, omitting the cinnamon and substituting lemon curd for the dulce de leche. I modified the ingredients a bit further by using half whole-wheat flour and regular sugar.

Enjoy! I'll be eating these for breakfast all week!

Valentine's day sweets

Even though Valentine's day is supposed to be a day for lovers, I like to indulge in the cheesiness and spread the cheer around. So this year I had a party and made a LOT of sweets. Here's what I made:

Chocolate Haupia (coconut pudding) Mini Pies

Strawberry Shortcakes

Shortbread Hearts

Oatmeal Lace Cookies with Chocolate

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Vanilla Cupcakes with Guava Buttercream Frosting

Recipes to follow in subsequent entries. If you're dying for a particular one right now, let me know; I'll be happy to post it.

Cupcakes!

Welcome to my blog! I'll be posting recipes and mp3s periodically.
Music links are provided for you to listen to a song/artist. If you find that you enjoy the song, please purchase it from the artist.
Recipes that I post are usually adapted from other sources. If you do try them out, I'd love to hear how it turned out for you! I'll usually have extra commentary on the recipe itself regarding tricky parts or quick tips.
Since I just made cupcakes for the first time this weekend, I figured I'd share the recipe, along with a fun song I've been obsessed with lately. Let me know what you think of both!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting (makes approximately 24)

Cupcake recipe from Gourmet magazine; frosting recipe from Taste of Home magazine)

For the cupcakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs

- Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin tin with liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vanilla.
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until just combined.
- Add the flour mixture and milk alternately into the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix lightly, until just combined.
- Fill the baking cups two-thirds full and bake until the tops are light golden and firm, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
• 1 scant teaspoon vanilla
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk

- In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in the sugar and vanilla. Add the milk and mix well until the desired consistency is reached.

Tips & advice:

– The buttercream will need to be at room temperature in order to spread.
– The cupcakes are best if consumed on the same day.
– In total, this took me about two and a half hours to make from mixing to frosting.

Songs:
–Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground - Hey Momma. A fun and interesting song from two members of Gatsby's American Dream. It reminds me a little bit of the Beatles, but updated.