"Pucker Up" Lemon Curd Cupcakes
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract or lemon oil (oops! I used lemon juice!)
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 cup milk
• lemon curd, for filling, one 10-ounce jar, or about 1 cup homemade (use 2 jars if you want lots of filling)
Preparation:
Heat oven to 350°. Line 18 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners.
Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, cream butter with the sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extract. Beat in about a third of the flour mixture and half of the milk. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and the remaining milk. Slowly beat in the remaining flour mixture until blended. Fold in the lemon zest. Fill paper liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Set pan on a rack to cool.
Scoop out a small amount of the center of the cupcake and spoon about 1 to 2 teaspoons of lemon curd in each center. You can pipe it in, but I used a small spoon. Keep them level until you know you have plenty of lemon curd to fill all of the cupcakes. If you make your own or use 2 jars, you can use more.
**Hannah's Hints**
* I decided that lemon extract is actually lemon juice...I mean, what do you extract from a lemon?? JUICE. Duh. Except...not. Lemon extract at the store is like lemon oil and other crazy stuff...whatever, lemon juice worked perfectly.
* Again, I really need a zester. However, the thinly chopped slices of peel that I put in worked beautifully and it's fun to get a piece in your cupcake...yum!
* Instead of scooping out the tops of the cupcakes, I cut a cone out to put about 2 tsp of lemon curd in...and I thought "What to do with 23 awkward cupcake cones?" Upon searching the web and facebook, I found a friend who made faux petit fours and I think that's a GRAND idea...so I'm freezing the cake cones and will be making icing after Spring Break!
Things I love right now...
Our trip to the Humane Society...Carly's new kitty (we hope!) Dragon
Taking a break while organizing dance storage
Adventures with this boy...first masago experience! Yummy Saffron!
And this amazing early birthday present from my very wonderful boy, with help from Annie Lauries!
Friday I'm off to Boston to audition at NETC...crossing my fingers for ice cream in Harvard Square! Then to Cape Cod until Wednesday...candy and beach, here I come!
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