How Not to Waste a Dozen Eggs.

This entry was posted in Cupcakes and tagged Citrus, Lemon, Lemon Curd, Meringue, Recipe on March 14, 2010.

I danced in my kitchen today. Have you ever done that? I highly recommend it. It's quite liberating.

I've actually done a great many things in the kitchen.

I've cried. I've screamed. I've drawn blood. I've broken stuff. I've burned myself. I've threatened food.

Seriously, I wish I were kidding. You know, the usual.

But today, today was different. Today was the day I mastered a Martha Stewart recipe for the very first time, turned up the volume on Metric and danced my heart out. I also may or may not have screamed “I'm Martha Stewart!” Ok yeah, I did. You'll understand when you scroll down. Trust me. If you have five lemons and a dozen eggs you need to make this. Now. Lemon Curd

Source: Martha Stewart's Lemon Curd.

8 egg yolks Zest of 2 lemons 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp lemon juice (2 large lemons) 1 cup granulated sugar 1/8 tsp salt 10 tbsp unsalted butter You should make the lemon curd first since it needs time to set in the refrigerator.

In a small sauce pan combine the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar with a whisk. Cook it over medium high heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for about 8 – 10 minutes until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and registers 160 degrees on a thermometer. I used a meat thermometer, hey it works.

Remove the sauce pan from the heat and add the salt and butter, one tbsp at a time and stirring until it's smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a medium sized bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap touches the surface of the Lemon Curd so as to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate it for at least an hour before using it to allow it to set.

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.

Source: Martha Stewart's Lemon Meringue Cupcakes.

3 cup flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 cup granulated sugar 4 eggs, room temperature Zest of 3 lemons (3 tbsp) 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk Printer-Friendly Version

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and position a rack in the middle. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners then set them aside.

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate larger bowl with an electric mixer on medium high speed cream the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing until it's smooth after each one and scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the zest and vanilla then add the flour mixture in three batches alternating between the buttermilk and lemon juice.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins until about 3/4 filled then bake them for about 25 minutes until the tops are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Transfer to a cooling rack and allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes before you cut a circle out of the top of each cupcake with a sharp knife. Shear off the inner cake from the cylinder you just cut out to make room for the Lemon Curd filling. Spoon or pipe the Lemon Curd into each void and return the little cake hat back on top.

Meringue

Source: Adapted from Anna Olson's Lemon Meringue Pie.

5 egg whites 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 tbsp corn starch Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer whip the egg whites with cream of tartar until it's foamy. While you're whipping gradually add the sugar and beat on one speed lower than maximum until the whites hold a stiff peak. Whisk in corn starch and spoon or pipe into the filled cupcakes.

Bake for 4 – 6 minutes until the meringue turns golden brown. Serve right away. Like you needed a reason right?

These are the fanciest, yummiest prettiest cupcakes I have ever made. Enjoy!