Grilled Lemon-Pepper Chicken

A couple of months ago I made a lemon pepper chicken dish in the crockpot. It was good, but I figured I could do better with that type of recipe.  I decided that the chicken just wasn’t being done right in this recipe being cooked in the crockpot. I figured that grilling it would give it a wonderful smokey flavor in addition to the lemon and pepper flavors.This turned out incredible! Grilling is definitely the way to go with this recipe. The chicken isn’t soft like in the other recipe and the grill really makes the lemon flavor pop! I used lemon juice from a jar rather than fresh. I simply didn’t have any fresh on hand or I would have used it. I’m actually planning to revisit this recipe yet again with fresh lemon juice. I will of course post that recipe once I figure it out![amd-yrecipe-recipe:218]Source: Adapted from Food Network

Zucchini-Lemon-Blackberry Mini-Bundts

When I made these everyone was in awe of this flavor combination. I believe more than one person said they were “heavenly”, so you’re definitely going to want to try these out. I kind of made these by accident. I was going through my freezer trying to get rid of some of the things that had been there for several months and I came across blackberries and zucchini. I decided they would make the perfect combination along with a little lemon to zest it up.Instead of making cupcakes I wanted to make something a little more special. I love making Mini-Bundts and I thought this would be the perfect recipe for them. I actually have three mini-bundt pans from Nordic Ware that I really love. If you’re looking for one I highly suggest theirs. You will need to double this recipe if you want to make it in a regular sized Bundt pan.You have two options for the icing on these. I tried it both ways and I decided I prefer the way laid out below. You can also not thin the icing and it will be a regular cream cheese frosting. I found it was hard to spread evenly on the mini-bundts though, and it detracted from their shape since it pretty much just hid their cute tops. When you heat the frosting, it thins and turns into a glaze. You maintain the beauty of the mini-bundts without sacrificing any of the flavor.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:214]Source: Adapted from Betcha Can’t Eat Just One

Chocolate, Lemon and Cardamom Cupcakes

When I made plain chocolate cupcakes I really wasn’t sure what type of frosting I wanted to make. I eventually decided to spice the cupcakes up a bit by blending cardamom and lemon in a light buttercream. The resulting flavor combination is sweet, tart and just the perfect amount of spicy.If I had decided exactly what type of cupcakes I was going to make to begin with I would have included some cardamom in the actual cupcakes. I probably would have done a plain lemon buttercream then so as not to muddle the flavor blend too much.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:209]Source: Cake adapted from Kiss my Bundt- Chrysta Wilson

Blackberry Lemon Cupcakes

I found fresh blackberries on a super sale at the grocery store the other week. I just knew I needed to do something special with them. I really wanted to showcase their natural flavor so I paired them with lemon. This caused the blackberry to pop by providing a subtle tart undertone. This may not be the first flavor pairing you would think of, but it is definitely a must try. The cupcakes and icing are chock full of real blackberries. By using fresh berries in the cupcake it gives the berries a chance to shine. I had lemon curd left in my fridge so I used that as a filling. If you don’t have lemon curd on hand you can always leave it out. You could also substitute a lemon marmalade or blackberry jam if you would still like a filling.The icing is the perfect pairing of tart lemon and juicy blackberries. It is the perfect touch to finish them off. I actually had a hard time not eating it by the spoonful. These cupcakes are a must make. If you can pick the blackberries yourself that’s an added bonus! You will love these light flavors in a springy cake. It is the perfect cake for a summer party on a hot evening.

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[amd-yrecipe-recipe:52]

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Source: Cake adapted from: Hummingbird High

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Lavender Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

When I made these I was worried that people wouldn’t be adventurous enough to try them. Alex refused to try them, he said it was weird that they were made with Lavender and he didn’t think they should be eaten. However there were more than enough people who ate these, and even enjoyed them! I got rave reviews from these cupcakes. One person said they reminded him on Lemon Poppyseed cupcakes and he really enjoyed them.The key to these cupcakes is to infuse the milk with the lavender. It creates a sort of lavender tea that you then use to flavor the cupcakes. You also want to coarsely chop some lavender and add it to the batter. This gives even more lavender flavor and also a little bit of texture to the cupcakes. I chose not to color these cupcakes. But if you desired, you could add some red/blue food coloring to give the cupcakes a purple color. I decided that I preferred the natural look for these, but it is entirely up to the baker.

The frosting on this recipe is amazing. I really wanted to make the lemon flavor pop, so when I created this frosting I added both lemon extract and lemon juice to give the frosting a very complex and slightly tart flavor. I also used the 1/3 less fat cream cheese which itself has a slightly tangy flavor. This frosting really compliments this cupcake.

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Lavender Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:2/3 Cup Milk2 Teaspoons Dried Lavender½ Cup Canola Oil¾ Cup Sugar2 Eggs¼ Cup & 2 Teaspoons Buttermilk1 Tablespoon Butter (very soft)1 Tablespoon Vanilla1 Teaspoon Baking Powder1 Teaspoon Baking Soda1 Tablespoon Dried Lavender (finely chopped)1 ¾ Cup FlourFor Frosting:4oz Butter8oz Cream Cheese2 Cups Powdered Sugar½ Teaspoon Lemon Extract½ Teaspoon Lemon JuiceDried Lavender for garnishTo make the cupcakes:

Heat the milk in the microwave until boiling. Put the lavender in a tea ball or bag and steep until the milk cools. If you don’t have a tea ball or bag you can just put the lavender into the milk and then strain the milk when it has cooled. Set aside.Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.In the bowl of a stand mixer combined the oil and sugar until well mixed.

Add the eggs and beat well. Add the lavender infused milk, buttermilk, butter, vanilla, salt, baking powder, baking soda and chopped lavender. Beat until completely combined.Slowly add the flour while keeping your mixer on low. Once all the flour has been added turn the mixer on high and beat until there are no lumps left.

Using a ¼ cup measuring cup fill the muffin tin with batter.Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from the muffin tin and set on a cooling rack. Wait until the cupcakes have cooled completely before frosting.To make the frosting:In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the butter and cream cheese until well combined.

Slowly add in the lemon extract and lemon juice, beat into the mixture.Add the powdered sugar a ½ cup at a time to the mixture. Beat on high once everything has been added until the frosting is a spreadable consistency.

Using a piping bag fitted with a tip frost the cupcakes. Sprinkle with dried lavender to finish.

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:37]

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Source: Cake adapted from Oh Sweet Day

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Honey Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling and Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

I had a request for Lemon cupcakes recently and it got me to thinking: “what flavors would really compliment a lemon cupcake?” I decided that a honey based cupcake would really make the lemon flavor pop. I created what I feel to be the perfect lemon cream cheese frosting. I paired both lemon extract and lemon juice to give it an extra pop. This frosting is incredible and would go perfectly with just about any cupcake you might make.My Mom had given me a jar of lemon curd that she had received as a present. She doesn’t bake much and wanted to make sure it got used. I decided that this would be the absolute perfect filling for these cupcakes! Since I didn’t make this myself I don’t have a recipe, but if you decide to make this there are many recipes you can find on the internet.

Since these cupcakes have honey in them I adapted the recipe so that they cook at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. This will keep the cupcakes from browning unevenly. Baked goods with honey tend to brown faster than baked goods without it. Because of this you will want to remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin as soon as they are cool enough to handle. This will keep them from browning further in the pan after the baking time has finished.

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Honey Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling and Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:For Cupcakes:5 Tablespoons Oil¾ Cup Sugar2 Eggs½ Cup Buttermilk¼ Cup Honey1 Teaspoon Baking Powder½ Teaspoon Salt½ Teaspoon Vanilla½ Teaspoon Lemon Extract½ Tablespoon Lemon Juice1 ½ Cup FlourFor Filling:Lemon CurdFor Frosting:4oz Butter8oz Cream Cheese2 Cups Powdered Sugar½ Teaspoon Lemon Extract½ Teaspoon Lemon JuiceHoney for drizzlingTo make the cupcakes:Preheat the oven to 325 and line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set the muffin tin on an aluminum baking sheet.

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the oil and sugar until combined. Add the eggs and beat until the mixture is full of bubbles.Beat in the buttermilk, honey, baking powder, salt, extracts and lemon juice. Beat until well combined.

Add the flour and beat on high until there are no lumps.Using a ¼ Cup measuring cup spoon the batter into the prepared liners.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven.As soon as the cupcakes are cool enough to handle remove them from the baking pan and set on a wire rack to finish cooling.To fill the cupcakes:Wait until the cupcakes are completely cool before moving on to this step.

Using one of these methods fill the cupcakes with the lemon curd.To make the frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the butter and cream cheese until well combined.Slowly add in the lemon extract and lemon juice, beat into the mixture.Add the powdered sugar a ½ cup at a time to the mixture. Beat on high once everything has been added until the frosting is a spreadable consistency.

Using a piping bag fitted with a tip frost the cupcakes. Drizzle with honey to finish.

 [amd-yrecipe-recipe:35]

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Source: Cake adapted from The Cake Blog

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