Lemon cupcakes baked on egg whites

Those lemon cupcakes were delicious. Light, fluffy, tangy and sweet at the same moment. I baked them as I had plenty of egg whites leftover. I wasn't expecting them to be so nice. I truly recommend them :) The recipe comes form this website. 

Ingredients for 9 cupcakes:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 2/3 cup of flour
• 70g melted butter or margarine
• lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 170C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Melt the margarine/butter and set aside to cool down. 

Beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff. Beating continuously pour the melted butter/margarine into the egg whites. When ready gently fold in the flour and freshly grated lemon zest. 

Spoon the batter into paper cases, filling them 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

When baked transfer to the wire rack and cool them down. In a meantime prepare the icing.

Icing:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• lemon juice
• yellow food colouring
• white sprinkles to decorate

 In a bowl mix the icing sugar, lemon juice and food colouring until smooth and thick. Spread the mixture over cupcakes tops and sprinkle with white sprinkles. Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish.

Kitchen sink muffins

There is good few variations about kitchen sink muffins. This time I have tested Anna Olson recipe. They were delicious I truly recommend them.

Ingredients for 12 -14 muffins:

• 150g sugar
• 125 ml oil
• 2 eggs
• 165g grated apple
• 100g grated carrot
• 100g chopped pineapple
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 160g wholemeal flour (I used spelt flour)
• 60g porridge oats + some to sprinkle
• 2 and 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 70g raisins
• 65g sunflower seeds
• 40g dessicated coconut

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

The flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, raisins, sunflower seeds and coconut place in  a bowl, mix well and set aside. 

In a separate bowl mix the sugar, eggs and oil. Stir well. Grate the apple, carrot and add them into the wet ingredients mixture. Then chop the pineapple and stir into the mixture. Then add freshly gated lemon zest (only yellow part) and juice. mix all ingredients. 

Add dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until just combined. Spoon the batter into paper cases about 3/4 full. Sprinkle with porridge oats. 

Bake for  about 30 minutes.

  Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish

Banana coconut muffins

Banana coconut muffins :)

Ingredients for 20 small muffins:

• 185 ml mashed bananas
• 125 ml light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp lime zest (swap with lemon extract)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 125 ml melted butter
• 310 ml flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 125 ml dessicated coconut

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Mix the mashed bananas, sugar, egg, lime zest, vanilla. Then stir in the melted butter. In separate bowl mix the flour, salt and coconut. Add the wet mixture and mix until just combined.

Spoon the batter into paper cases. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

 Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish

Hot cross buns cupcakes

Moist, aromatic, packed with raisins. Almost as good as original hot cross buns. The recipe comes form BBC GoodFood

Ingredients for 12 -14 cupcakes:

• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 100ml milk
• 175g butter
• 175g self-rising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 175g brown sugar
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 100g ground almonds
• 3 eggs
• orange zest
• 100g raisins
• 1 medium apple

 Combine the lemon juice and milk and sit aside for 5 minutes. Peel and then great the apple. Melt the butter and set aside to cool down.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin with paper cases or slightly grease and dust with flour each muffin cup. 

Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, spice, almond and pinch of salt into a large bowl. Mix all ingredients together. 

Zest orange and add the zest to thickened milk. Then add the eggs and melted butter. Mix well and pour into dry ingredients. Combine all ingredients together until even. Fold in the raisins and grated apple. 

Spoon the batter into muffin tin, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes until well risen and golden. When beaked remove form oven leave the muffins for a few minutes in a tin then remove and transfer to the wire rack to cool down.

While the muffins are cooling down prepare the frosting.

Frosting:

• 1 tbsp apricot jam and splash of hot water
• 50 g full fat cream cheese
• 50g icing sugar
• 25g soft butter
• 1/4 tsp mixed spice

 Put the cream cheese, sugar, butter and spice in a bowl and mix with a spoon until smooth. Transfer to the icing syringe.

Put the jam and hot water in a small bowl and whisk them together. Brush each cold muffin with jam mixture. Then with the syringe pipe the frosting into the crosses. 

Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish

 

Lemon muffins with lemon curd

I have recently made lemon curd. Whole jar of this yellow, creamy, sweet and sour mixture. We could have eaten that, I believe it wouldn't last long, but I wanted to bake some muffins with the curd. While looking for some inspiration on line I came across this recipe. It was perfect. Light cake, rich, sweet and sour lemon curd and very sweet icing. Yummmyyy... And because it close to Easter I baked the muffins is Easter style liners and make the icing and curd look like and fried egg :)

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 350g flour
• 105g sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon zest (I didn't have lemon so used lemon extract instead)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 60 ml oil (used canola oil)
• 250 ml milk
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tbsp lemon extract (if not using lemon zest)

 Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Put the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, salt into a bowl and whisk them together.

In a jug mix the oil and milk, add the lemon extract if not using lemon zest.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff.

Pour the wet ingredients into a bowl with dry ones. Mix until just combined. Then gently fold in the egg whites. Spoon the batter into paper cases, about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes until skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

Transfer to the wire rack to cool down. 

Prepare the icing.

Ingredients for icing:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tbsp double cream
• some milk

 Put the sugar into a small bowl add the cream and mix with spoon until turn into thick white paste. If it's too thick add few drops of milk and stir again.

Take the cooled muffin, cut the hole in the top. If you have use the muffin corer if not try with knife. Try to make clean, round shape. 

Fill the hole with lemon curd.

Talking about lemon curd. You can use one form a shop or make you own one. 

I prefer home made. It is not difficult to make one, you can store it in fridge for about a week. Here is a recipe I usually use.

Ingredients for 250 - 300ml of lemon curd:

• 160ml sugar
• 125 ml fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 125 ml unsalted butter

 Whisk the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, egg yolks and egg together in a metal or glass heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and gently whisk the mixture form time to time. Within 15 minutes the mixture should thickened . Remove the curd from the heat and strain into a bowl. Stir in the butter until it melts completely. Pour the mixture into a jar and chill it. The curd will set in the jar. You can use it later in many ways, spread on toast, as crepe filling ... or just eat straight from the jar :) The recipe comes form Anna Olson 'Back to baking' cookbook. 

Coming back to muffins. When they filled with lemon curd then take a spoon and spread the icing around the yellow circle to make it look like the egg. Or if you not happy with it just drizzle the icing over a top. 

 Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish

Lemon meringue cupcakes

Beautiful lemon cupcakes filled with lemon curd topped with fluffy, sweet meringue. They not only look divine but are extremely tasty. Prefect sweet and tart flavors combination. And they are not so difficult to make. All you need is tested lemon cupcake recipe, jar of lemon curd (although I prefer home made) and a little bit patience during meringue making process. That's it ! 

If you prefer to use home made lemon curd this is the recipe I used. 

Ingredients for 250 - 300ml of lemon curd:

• 160ml sugar
• 125 ml fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 125 ml unsalted butter

lemon curd

Whisk the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, egg yolks and egg together in a metal or glass heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and gently whisk the mixture form time to time. Within 15 minutes the mixture should thickened . Remove the curd from the heat and strain into a bowl. Stir in the butter until it melts completely. Pour the mixture into a jar and chill it. The curd will set in the jar. You can use it later in many ways, spread on toast, as crepe filling ... or just eat straight from the jar :) The recipe comes form Anna Olson 'Back to baking' cookbook.

Coming back to cupcake recipe :) This time it is Rachel Allen recipe.

Ingredients for 8 - 12 lemon cupcakes:

• 125g soft butter
• 125g sugar
• freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 eggs
• 150g flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

 

Place all the ingredients in an electric mixer bowl. Mix them with paddle attachment until smooth. Spoon the batter into paper cases. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until cupcakes  rise and be springy in touch. Baked cupcakes transform to the wire rack to cool down.

When the cupcakes are completely cooled spoon a little cake out of the centre of each cupcake. Spoon lemon curd in and set aside while preparing meringue. 

Prepare the meringue. Again Anna Olson recipe. 

Ingredients for meringue:

• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 80 ml sugar

Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy, then slowly add the sugar while whipping. Whip the egg whites until the stiff. Spoon the meringue into  a piping bag and  pipe swirls on top of each cupcake.

Insert the cupcakes into preheated oven and bake in 190C for 10 - 15 minutes until the meringue browns slightly. Cool the cupcakes into a room temperature.

If you have any remaining meringue in a piping bag. Pipe small swirls on parchment paper and bake in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes. Then leave them inside until the oven cools down completely. 

Enjoy !

For recipe in Polish please have a look here. 

Pecan butter tarts

The recipe for this Canadian sweet treat comes from Anna Olson (original recipe here). The tarts were just divine. Those who love flaky crust with sweet caramel filling and crunchy nuts will be delighted. It is one of my favourite puddings recently :)

Ingredients for 12 -14 tarts:

crust:

•  360g flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 150g cold, unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp cold water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar

Place the flour and salt into an eclectic mixer bowl.   Mix them with paddle attachment. Then add cut into a small pieces butter. When all the mixture will turn yellowish bread crumbs pour in water and lemon juice/white vinegar. Mix until the dough comes together. Form the dough into a log. Wrap into a cling film and chill in a fridge for at least two hours (mine was in the fridge overnight).

     

After that time remove from the fridge at least 20 minutes before  rolling.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Slightly grease the muffin tin.

Dust the worktop with a flour and place unwrapped dough in the middle. Slice the log into 12 pieces. Roll each of them 0,5 cm thin. Use an 11 cm round cookie cutter to cut each into a circle. Line each muffin cup with a pastry so it comes about 1 cm above muffin tin edge (mine were lower). Insert the muffin tin into a fridge to chill.

Meantime prepare the filling.

Ingredients for filling:

• 95g butter
• 185g demerara sugar
• 2 eggs
• 125 ml maple syrup 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• about 40 pecan nuts

 Divide the pecans among all pastry shells. You can roast the pecans on dry pan before.

Place the butter and sugar into a sauce pan. Melt them  over medium heat, stirring until the mixture is bubbling. Remove the pot from the heat. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Slowly pour in the  hot sugar mixture while whisking constantly until incorporated. With  a ladle pour the mixture into prepared earlier tart shells.

Insert the muffin tin into preheated oven. Bake them in 200C for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 190C and bake another 10 - 15 minutes. bake until the filling is bubbling and crust edges are brown.

Remove the tin from the oven and set aside to cool down. After 5 minutes twist around in the pan to prevent sticking and keep the in the pan until completely cooled. 

     

Enjoy !

 

Honey and lemon muffins

Very tasty, fluffy cake, packed with fibre. Perfect snack on breakfast to go. And of course easy to make. The recipe comes form 'Easy muffins' cookbook.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 50g sugar
• 25g butter
• 150ml buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 lemon
• 225g flour
• 75g bran or wheat bran (I used wheat bran)
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Melt the butter and set aside to cool down. Put the sugar into a big bowl stir in the cooled butter. The pour in the buttermilk, break in the eggs and add honey and freshly great lemon zest. Mix all the ingredients together. 

In separate bowl whisk together the flour, bran and baking powder. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix until just moist.

Spoon the batter into muffin tin, 3/4 full. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

While the muffins are still in the oven prepare the lemon and honey glaze.

Ingredients for lemon and honey glaze:

•  2 tbsp honey
• freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place the honey and lemon juice in a small bowl and mix them together until combined. 

Drizzle this mixture over each muffin top while they still hot.

Enjoy !

Lemon muffins

Another lemon muffins recipe on my blog. Very tasty and very easy to make. This time instead lemon juice there is lemon curd added to cupcake batter. The muffins are soft, moist very sweet and tart. The recipe comes form 'Easy muffins' .

Ingredients for 12 cupcakes:

• 175g soft butter or margarine
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 175g self rising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 4 tbsp lemon curd

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Put the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs into an electric mixer bowl and beat until smooth. Then add the lemon curd and beat again. 

Spoon the batter into paper cases 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes. 

While the muffins are being baked prepare lemon and sugar mixture. 

Ingredients for lemon and sugar mixture:

• 100g sugar
• freshly grated lemon zest 
• freshly squeezed lemon juice

Put the sugar into a small bowl add the lemon zest and lemon juice stir well and set aside until muffins are baked.

When remove muffin from the oven spread the sugar and lemon mixture over each muffin top. Leave them to cool down....and enjoy !

Lemon mini cheesecakes for St. Patrick's day

Happy St. Patrick's Day !

Ingredients for 6 cheesecakes bases:

• 70g butter cookies
• 20g melted butter or margarine

Prepare muffin tin. Line 6 muffin holes with paper cases.

Put cookies into a blender and blend them until crumbly. Melt the butter, you can use microwave or melt the butter in  a saucepan on the cooker.  Pour the melted butter into a crumbs and bled again so crumbs are coated evenly with butter.

Divide the mixture evenly among all muffin cases. Flatten the crumbs with a back of the spoon. Set aside.

Ingredients for cheese mixture:

• 200g  cream cheese
• 1 small lemon
• 20g soft butter or margarine
• 1 tbsp semolina
• 6 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 egg
• green food colouring
• heart shaped chocolates for decoration

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Great the lemon zest and squeeze lemon juice. Place the into a blender. Add the cream cheese, butter, semolina, sugar, egg and green food colouring and blend until smooth. The mixture is a little bit runny.

Pour the mixture over prepared earlier muffin cases dividing evenly.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. When baked remove for oven and leave in muffin tin to cool down. Transfer to the plate and decorate with chocolate hearts.

 

Enjoy !

Lemon cupcakes with icing

This lemon cupcakes are really delicious. Moist and  lemony cake covered with royal icing. This is an idea for Valentine's Day. I know they don't look perfect but the made with love.  I think they may be a pretty candle light supper table decoration and lovely dessert at the same time. The recipe for cupcakes comes from here.

Ingredients for 6-8 heat shaped cupcakes:

• 175g flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 160g sugar
• 75g butter
• 2 eggs
• 6 tbsp yogurt
• 40 ml lemon juice
• 2 tbsp lemon zest

 Preheat the oven to 180C. Slightly grease the baking moulds.

Put the butter and sugar int an electric mixer bowl and beat until fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time. When evenly incorporated add lemon juice and zest.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add half of the flour into a batter mixture, add 3 tbsp of yogurt and mix well. Add the remaining flour and yogurt and mix again.

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier moulds, 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes. When ready leave them in the baking moulds for a few minutes then transfer to the wire rack to cool down.

Icing:

• 2 egg whites
• 2 cups  icing sugar
• few drops of lemon juice
• red food colouring
• sugar sprinkles

Pour the egg whites into an electric mixer bowl and whisk them until slightly stiff.  Add sugar and whisk on low until all incorporated. Add the lemon juice and food colouring. 

Spread this icing over each heart shaped cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles. Leave on a plate to harden. 

Enjoy !

Banana and lemon muffins

This is 12th banana muffins recipe. This time with lemon. My children like them a lot. The cake was soft, spongy sweet thanks to bananas with lovely lemon fragrance. The recipe comes from 'Let's cook. 52 cakes, bakes and chocolate.'

Ingredients for 7-11 muffins:

• 70g banana chips + 11 whole ones for decoration
• 140g flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 5 tbsp milk
• 1 egg
• 50 ml oil
• 3 ripe bananas

Chop the banana chips and place them in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, sugar and freshly grated lemon zest. Combine them together and set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases. 

In separate jug whisk the egg. Add the oil and milk and combine them together. Set aside.

With a for or potato masher mash the bananas. Stir in one tablespoon of lemon juice. 

Pour the wet ingredients and the bananas into a bowl with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Spoon the batter into paper cases, 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes until well risen and gold. Keep them in muffin for a few minutes then transfer to the wire rack. While they cooling down prepare the icing.

Ingredients for icing:

• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Place the icing sugar in a bowl add one tablespoon of lemon juice and stir well. If the mixture is too thick add additional tablespoon of lemon juice and stir again.

When the muffins are cooled down spoon the icing over each muffin top and decorate them with hole banana chips.

 

 Enjoy !

Cashew nuts and pear muffins

Cashew nuts and pear muffins are very moist, not too sweet they taste a little bit like pancakes. Although they like pancakes they are more adults treat than children one. The recipe comes form 'New Italian cuisine. Muffins'.

Ingredients for 12-18 muffins*:

• 4 pears
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 150g flour
• 100g wholewheat flour
• 2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 100g cashew nuts
• 2 eggs
• 100g sugar
• 90ml oil
• 250ml milk
• icing sugar for dusting

* I baked 6 in standard size muffin cases and 6 in large ones (on the picture)

Peel and core the pears. Then slice them on small chunks. Place the pears into a bowl and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside.

Chop the cashew nuts.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases or grease them.

Place the flours in a bowl stir in the baking powder, salt and nuts.

In separate bowl, using electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil and milk until sugar dissolves. Then add all dry ingredients and using spoon combine them with wet ones. At last, but not at least, fold in the pears with juice. 

Spoon the batter into muffin cases. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then remove from oven, leave in the baking tin for a few minutes and transfer to the wire rack. 

Dust with icing sugar and enjoy.