Meyer Lemon Almond Cakes with Candied Meyer Lemon Slices

Have I told you lately how much I love Meyer lemons? With Meyer lemons at peak season, now would be a good time to remind you...

 

 

 

I have a generous co-worker who has been spoiling me with home grown Meyer lemons from his tree. His Meyer lemons are huge and juicy! I seriously was able to get 3/4 cups of juice out of 2 lemons...

 

 

 

Now, when someone gives you lemons, wouldn't it be rude not to bake him (or her) a cake? As a thank you, I baked these Meyer Lemon Almond Cakes with Candied Meyer Lemon Slices. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by how well these cakes turned out! The lemon flavor is present without being too overpowering. The almond flour adds nuttiness and beautiful brown flecks to the batter. The texture of the cake is surprisingly light and fluffy.

 

 

 

Now, you know me, I can't give anyone a naked cake, so I decided to top them with a light dusting of powdered sugar and a candied Meyer lemon slice. So pretty, don't you think?

 

If you're more of a glaze person, which I tend to be on most days, you can also drizzle the cakes with a fresh Meyer lemon glaze. I've included the ingredients and recipes for both options below.

 

No matter how you top them, I hope you enjoy a delicious slice of sunshine!

Meyer Lemon Almond Cakes w/Candied Meyer Lemon Slices
Makes 5 small 5" cakes or 1 8-9" cake
Serves 5-6

Cake Ingredients:
1 cup cake flour
1/3 cup almond flour (I use Trader Joe's almond meal)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
zest from 2 meyer lemons
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream (do not use low fat or fat free)

Candied Meyer Lemon Ingredients:
1 meyer lemon, washed and thinly sliced
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water

Meyer Lemon Glaze (alternative topping option):
zest of 1 meyer lemon
approx. 2 tablespoons fresh meyer lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350f

Butter and flour 5 mini 5" springform pans (or 1 8-9" springform pan).

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and set aside.

Place the sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer) and squeeze/crush the zest into the sugar using your finger tips. The sugar will become infused with the oils from the zest making it really fragrant.

Add the butter to the sugar/lemon zest mixture and cream at medium speed until light and fluffy, approx. 2 minutes. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing just until combined and scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.

Mix in vanilla extract on low speed just until combined.

With mixer on low speed, gradually mix in the flour mixture just until combined. Do not overmix.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the sour cream just until incorporated. Do not overmix.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared springform pan(s). Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet and bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched and/or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (approx. 35-45 minutes for an 8-9" springform pan or approx. 20-25 minutes for mini pans). Note: to prevent overbaking, check for doneness at the beginning of the bake time and continue baking as needed just until done).

Remove and place on a wire cooling rack to cool. Remove from the springform pans. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and decorate with candied meyer lemon slices (if desired). You can also drizzle lightly with a meyer lemon glaze. Both recipes are below.

To make the candied meyer lemon slices - bring sugar and water to a boil in a wide, shallow pan (like a skillet) stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon slices making sure they're in a single layer and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer until the rind becomes translucent (approx. 20-30 minutes). Remove from heat and allow the lemon slices to cool in the sugar/water mixture. Remove from the pan and place on a wire cooling rack placed over parchment paper (to catch the drippings). Allow to stand at room temperature for a few hours.

To make the fresh meyer lemon glaze - place 1 cup of powdered sugar in a medium size bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of softened butter, the lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of fresh meyer lemon juice. Mix well with a spoon. Gradually add additional lemon juice, a little at a time, stirring well after each addition until you reach desired consistency. The glaze should be thick but pourable.

LEMON SUGAR COOKIES

In honor of National Sugar Cookie Day, I am sharing the recipe for some of my favorite sugar cookies, LEMON SUGAR COOKIES!

 

To me, anything that has sugar, butter and lemon is a hit so I took a basic sugar cookie recipe and made them extra yummy by adding lemon juice, lemon zest and increasing the baking powder.   

 

The reason I love these cookies so much is that even though they are a "sugar" cookie, they do not taste overly sweet. They have a nice buttery, lemon favor and are perfect for any occasion, with or with out frosting.

 

In honor of National Sugar Cookie Day, you  must give these YUMMY cookies a try!  

Happy Cooking Everyone!

 

 

Lemon Sugar Cookies

MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN MEDIUM SIZE COOKIES

Cookie Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 cup softened butter (sweet cream)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Icing Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
6-8 tablespoons milk
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract



Directions:

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the lemon zest to the bowl and press/squeeze the zest between your fingers to release the oils from the zest into the flour.


























In the bowl of your stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add egg, vanilla and lemon juice and mix at low speed until combined, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. 

Gradually add the flour mixture at low speed until combined, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. 

Remove the dough from the bowl, shape into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least one hour. 

Place dough on a well floured surface and roll out into 1/4" thickness.  Do not be skimpy with the flour, you will need plenty in order to be able to remove the cookies once they are cut.

Cut into shapes using your favorite cookie cutters.

Place approx. 3" apart on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes.

 



Remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. While cookies are cooling, make the icing.

Mix all of the icing ingredients together in a bowl adding milk one teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. The icing should be thick, but spreadable.

Frost and decorate cookies as desired. Allow frosting to harden before serving/storing.

Store at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

Marriage Proposal worthy "Lemon Coconut Bars"

Oh yeesssss.... these bars so amazing, they're worthy of a marriage proposal. 

At one my boyfriend's recent VW Car Shows,  I sent him with a few batches of these sweet treats to share. Let's just say I received several thank you emails and a good, old fashioned proposal! Nope, not from the boyfriend, but from a happily married man!  That is one of the sweetest compliments a baker can receive, someone loving your desserts as much as you do and wanting to marry you for it...

So I'll keep the desserts coming to these guys and girls.  They really know how to make a baker feel special. Now back to these Lemon Coconut Bars... they are the perfect combination of sweet and tart. One flavor doesn't over power the other. The coconut shortbread crust is the perfect compliment to the citrus filling.

 I hope you give these "Lemon Coconut Bars" a try for your next event. You just might wind up engaged!

Happy Cooking Everyone!

Lemon Coconut Shortbread Bars

Ingredients:
2 cups All purpose Flour
1 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup of sweetened shredded coconut
4 large eggs, lightly whisked
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar


Directions:

Prepwork-
Preheat oven 350 degree
Juice the lemon then zest set aside

Line a 9"x13" baking pan with foil and then parchment paper (makes for much easier clean up).
 
1. Mix together Flour, Butter, Sugar and Coconut until well combined. Form into a ball.

2. Put the dough ball into the prepared baking dish.  Gently press down till the dough evenly covers the bottom of the prepared pan.

3. Bake approx 18-20 minutes


While the crust is baking, start on the filling.

1.Mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar, salt, 1/4 cup flour and baking powder.  
2. Mix together whisked eggs, lemon juice with zest and vanilla.
3. Add the sugar mixture to the egg-lemon mixture until it is blended to a smooth batter.

Remove crust from oven

1. Pour egg mixture over the hot crust making sure you have covered all the surface.

2. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes
3. Cool completely.
4. Cut into 20 squares.
5. Sprinkle with powder sugar
ENJOY!

The Perfect Shower Salad: Mixed Greens with Orange and Pomegranate Seeds

Lately Faye and I have had the opportunity to cater a few Showers which is fun for us because we get to test out new recipes on people we know and also celebrate the special occasions in our friend's lives.  

 

For this particular shower our menu featured fresh ingredients which is perfect for Spring! The featured salad, Mixed Greens with Orange sections and Pomegranate Seeds. Also on the menu, Corn and Asparagus Salad with sweet Cherry Tomatoes, Turkey & Brie Panini with Apple & Cranberry Chutney and Fresh Grilled Veggie & Hummus wraps. 

 

We ended our healthy meal with dessert of course! After all, all that healthy eating makes a girl hungry (ha!). Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes with fresh strawberry filling and whipped cream topping, Chocolate Merlot Cupcakes with a white chocolate filling.. let's just say it was another successful event catered by LiveBakeLove.

 

 It's funny.... even though Faye and I cook (A LOT), we still manage to learn new things all the time. For me, my salad recipe required segmented oranges and I wasn't sure how to segment an orange correctly. Thank God for the internet! This nice lady Trish has a great instructional video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k2ths-wsxI ) which I followed and voila! I segmented all of the oranges perfectly! Thanks Trish!!

 

Now back to the featured salad....this is salad is delicious! The recipe was given to me by a coworker.  It's simple, healthy and has amazing flavor. You will love the lemon dressing and the pomegranates and oranges give it just the right amount of sweetness for a savory salad. 

 

I hope you give this salad a try for your next event or just for yourself ! And to Paola and Jeremy, congratuations on the little guy... LIVEBAKELOVE cannot wait to meet him!

Happy Cooking Everyone.

Dressing:

1/3 c. olive oil

¼ c. fresh lemon juice

½ t. fresh lemon zest

1 tablespoon of minced shallot

½ t. Dijon mustard

Salt & pepper to taste

Salad ingredients:

8 oz. mixed greens

¼ c. candied walnuts

¼ c. pomegranate seeds

1-2 oranges , sectioned  

3 T. freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Dressing: Mix all ingredients together and put in refrigerator until ready to use.

Salad: Combine all ingredients except for the nuts. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add nuts and dress. Serve. 

Springtime Lemon Cupcakes with Blackberry Lemon Buttercream Frosting

                                                          (Baby Shower cupcakes)

                                               (Easter cupcakes)
   

Spring time is the perfect time for lemon desserts.  I admit I'm pretty lucky since I have a beautiful lemon tree next door which provides the best, juiciest lemons ever! 

A few weeks ago I started working on this recipe for a Baby Shower we were catering for a friend.  I needed a Lemon Cupcake recipe with a fruit topping.  I found a recipe online with the combination of ingredients I wanted to use for this cupcake.  I tried it once as the recipe directed, but was not happy with the consistency of the cake (not enough lemon flavor and not moist enough for me, and the frosting was a bit too sweet).

Faye and I discussed how to modify the recipe a few times and I did a few more trial runs and in the end these lemon cupcakes turned out absolutely delicious! They're moist with the wonderful fragrance and flavor of lemon, and once you top them off with the Blackberry Frosting they're just perfect!

   I have now made these cupcakes for an Easter brunch and also for the Baby Shower and each time they were delicious.   I hope you give my Springtime Lemon Cupcake with Blackberry Lemon Buttercream recipe a try for Easter. Your family & guests will love it!

Happy Cooking.

(Shower :Springtime Lemon Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream, Chocolate cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Filling and Peanut Butter Buttercream frosting)

Spring Time Lemon Cupcake with Blackberry Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from All Recipes
Makes 16 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcake:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

 2 teaspoons vanilla

1 ½ cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
dash of salt

½ cup half and half 

Zest of 1 large lemon (I use the a fine grater)

Juice of 1 large lemon

Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

4 cups powder sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ cup seedless blackberry jam

16 blackberries for decorating

Prep Work:

Set oven at 350 degrees.  

Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners
Place 1 cup of granulated sugar and the lemon zest in a small bowl. Using your finger tips, squeeze the zest and sugar together to release the oils from the zest into the sugar. The sugar will become very fragrant. Set aside.

Directions

-In a large bowl, mix flour with baking powder and salt with whisk. Set aside.
-Beat ½ cup of butter with the 1 cup of lemon sugar for about 3 minutes, till light and fluffy. Add Vegetable oil and mix until combined.
-Add eggs, egg yolk and vanilla. Beat till well incorporated.
-Mix in the flour mixture just until incorporated.
-Combine the half and half with the lemon juice in a small bowl. Gradually add this to your batter just until combined. Do not overbeat.
-Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.
-Bake for 16-18 minutes, remove from oven and place the pans on cooling racks. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Frosting

Beat softened butter and vanilla.  Gradually add powdered sugar till creamy.   Finally add the blackberry jam and lemon juice and mix until well combined and fluffy.

Frost each cupcake and add a blackberry on top.

                         (Easter baskets filled will Springtime Lemon cupcakes)

MAPLE WALNUT OATMEAL COOKIES, WITH LEMON ICING

If you're ever in the Oceanside California, area there is an amazing bakery called Petite Madeline Bakery and Bistro (http://www.petitemadelinebakery.com/)

 

 

They make absolutely delicious desserts, cakes and amazing chocolate croissants . Yummy!!! Well, one of my favorite things (there are many favorites there, trust me) is the Oatmeal cookies he makes.  But this is not your ordinary oatmeal cookie, he covers them with a lemon icing which is absolute delicious. 

 

Well, a few weeks ago I was craving these cookies and the bakery was closed so I thought I would try to make something similar to it. I took a different spin and made a Maple Walnut Oatmeal Cookie with lemon icing.   Let’s just say they were a HIT!.  These cookies have amazing lemon flavor and the combination with the maple and walnuts is so delicious that honestly it is hard to describe. 

I have added this cookie to my favorites list!  

 

Also a tip, if you’re ever in a specialty food store and they have Maple Sugar makes sure you pick it up!  I didn’t even know it existed!  But now it is a must in my pantry.   I hope you give these cookies a try.  Absolutely delicious! 

Ingredients:

4 cups of old fashioned oats

1 cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ cup of sweet cream butter (the one with salt), softened

1 cup light brown sugar packed

1/3 white sugar

3 tablespoon Maple sugar  (if you cannot find maple sugar, add 3 tablespoon white sugar)

¼ cup pure maple syrup

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons of water

½ cup walnuts finely chopped

½ cup walnuts chopped

Icing:

1 cup powder sugar

Zest of one lemon

Juice of ½ lemons

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.





 In a large mixing bowl, mix together oats, flour, salt and baking soda till all combined

     In a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, cream butter till nice and   creamy.   Add brown sugar, white sugar and maple sugar. Mix in till combinded.



     Add maple sugar and egg and vanilla and 3 tablespoon of water, and mix till all combined.

     Now gradually add in the Oat/Flour mixture and ½ cup finally chopped walnuts. Beat till all mixed together.  Using a wooden spoon , stir in ½ chopped walnuts

 

      Using a medium size ice cream scoop, drop dough rounds on to a cookie sheet. Set dough balls  at least 2 each apart .

     Bake for 11-13 minutes.

     Remove from oven, wait 1 minute before transferring on to cooling rack.

 
     While cookies are cooling, make icing. Combing powder sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Stir with fork.  If its too thick, add a little more juice from the other half.  But the icing needs to be on thick side.  

 

     Ice each cookie by adding about 1-2 teaspoons to the middle of  each cookie, spread using a   butter knife.  Let the icicle set overnight if possible

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        Enjoy with a large glass of milk or nice cup of coffee or tea J