• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 2/3 cups sugar, plus more for decorating
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel, plus thin strips of peel for garnish
• 2 large eggs plus 2 egg whites, at room temperature

• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon grated rind of one lemon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 cup water

1. Combine yolk, sugar, corn starch, 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, lemon peel and cook in double boiler for 15 minutes.
2. Add butter.
3. Spread lemon cream filling on cooled cupcakes.

Meringue Topping

In a heatproof bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup sugar and 2 egg whites. Pipe over cupcakes. Return cupcakes to oven and bake at 110 degrees until meringue is firm.

Ooey Gooey Carrot Cupcakes



Here's an Ooey Gooey Carrot Cupcake Recipe I adapted from the Read It and Eat It Blog. I love the texture and how pineapple further enhances the over-all flavour. However, I found the original recipe too oily so I reduced the vegetable oil proportion to 1/2 cup. This cupcake is tasty enough even without frosting!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tb ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 Tb vanilla
• 3 cups shredded carrots
• 8 oz. crushed pineapple, juice drained but reserved
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
  

Preheat oven to 350. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine eggs, both sugars, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add in spices and other dry ingredients. Stir in carrots, pineapple and nuts by hand. Batter will be quite runny, but do your best to scoop it into muffin pans lined with cupcake papers. Fill the cups almost to the top because batter does not rise much. Bake for 20 minutes, until browned on top.

Dreamy Coconut Cake

Truly my favourite cake. It reminds me of angel wings. Delicious layers of yellow cake covered with fluffy, white frosting. So dreamy, so airy, so heavenly!


Mix flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Cream sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture then half of the milk. Add vanilla. Mix until blended; add remaining flour and milk and beat until smooth. The batter will be thick. Spread batter in two greased and floured 8-inch layer cake pans or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched near center.

White Mountain Frosting

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in a 1-quart saucepan. Cover and heat to a rolling boil over medium heat. Uncover and cook, without stirring, to 242*F (115*C) on a candy thermometer or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a ball that flattens when removed from water. Cooking time can take between 4 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile using an electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites in a medium bowl just until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to medium and while beating constantly, very slowly pour hot syrup in a steady, thin stream into the egg whites. Add the vanilla and continue beating at high speed for about 10 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Cover yellow cake with white mountain frosting. Sprinkle and cover with sweetened coconut.

Forget pancakes! Flip over some delicious Welsh cakes for breakfast or brunch.

Welsh Cakes

Ingredients:

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter

1/3 cup (50 grams) currants or raisins

1/4 cup (40 grams) chopped mixed peel

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 - 4 tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and mace. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Stir in the currants and mixed peel. Add the beaten egg and enough milk to form a light dough.

Knead the dough gently on a lightly floured surface and roll to a thickness of 1/4 inch (5 mm). Cut into rounds using a 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) cookie cutter.

Lightly butter a griddle, heavy frying pan, or electric frying pan and heat to medium hot. Cook the welsh cakes for about 5 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown, but still soft in the middle. Immediately after baking, sprinkle with granulated white sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Welsh cakes can also be eaten buttered or split in half and spread with jam.

Makes about 20 - 2 1/2 inch cakes.

From: Joy of Baking website

PERFECT MOIST BROWNIES

2 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sifted flour
1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and beat well. Blend in melted chocolate, vanilla, and flour. Mix in nuts if desired and pour batter into a greased, 8 x 8 inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Do not overbake!

Caramel Frosting

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, and mix in 3 tablespoons milk and brown sugar. Boil vigorously for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, and beat in 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Cool slightly, and beat in the vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Add more milk if the mixture is too thick.

It's been years since I've baked an apple pie. Thanks to this fantastic apple pie website, I finally brought out my rolling pin (gathering cobwebs in a cupboard somewhere!) and spent a sun drenched afternoon making the tastiest, flakiest, crumbliest and juiciest apple pie ever!