Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie.   These three little words make me sit on the edge of my seat in anticipation.  In my book, it is one of the most perfect desserts.  The fact that it is ridiculously easy gives it major bonus points. 
Growing up, I don't think I'd even heard of key lime pie.  We had apple, peach, strawberry-rhubarb, blueberry, pecan, pumpkin, lemon meringue, chocolate cream, but never key lime. 

Perhaps that is why I have developed a serious love for this barely green, barely sweet little tart.
We weren't introduced until I was able to have a proper appreciation for something so perfect in its simplicity.
My insatiable sweet tooth has been discussed on several occasions right here on this very blog and although I won't deny that I love dessert, what I do not love is desserts that are cloying.

That makes this pie the perfect sweet for me.  It is creamy and smooth,  just barely sweet with a nice tart bite that gets you right on the sides of your tongue making you immediately go back for more (or maybe that's only me).
The graham cracker crust harkens back to pre-school with it's sweet smell that makes one long for mandatory nap time.


Key Lime Tart
recipe barely adapted from America's Test Kitchen

I wouldn't dare suggest that you only make this pie with actual key limes, as most of you probably don't have access to them.  I made this filling with regular (Persian) limes and their zest.  I also tried bottled key lime juice, but preferred the juice of fresh limes for their bright, citrusy flavor.

Normally, the filling for this pie is not cooked and it sets up in the refrigerator.  I'm sure those of you that have ordered (or even made) key lime pie have found yourselves a bit disappointed on occasion.  Although the filling is set enough to slice, it can be a bit too loose.  After reading dozens of recipes, I found a solution: 
a short stint in the oven to set the filling resulted in a creamy, custard-like filling that set beautifully and sliced perfectly clean. 

-This recipe will make a 9" pie or 4 tarts (4 1/2" size)


For the filling:
4 large egg yolks
1 heaping tbsp. grated lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 5 - 6 limes)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
tiny pinch salt

Whisk egg yolks and lime zest together in a medium bowl.

After 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, your mixture should look like this.  Bright yellow - green from the lime zest.  No need for green food coloring!

Whisk in condensed milk until mixture is smooth, then whisk in lime juice.  Cover and set aside.

Now make the crust...


For the Crust
8 graham crackers, broken into pieces
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tbsp. sugar
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 325.   Put graham crackers in food processor and run for about 45 seconds until you have fine crumbs.   Pour melted butter over crumbs, add sugar & salt and pulse (5 -7 times should do) until you have what resembles wet sand.

Pour crumbs into pie plate, (or if using tart molds: 1/4 - 1/3 cup in each) pressing crumbs into an even layer on bottom and sides. 
Using the bottom of measuring cup makes this task much easier!
Bake crust for 13 - 16 minutes (tarts: approx. 12 minutes); remove from oven and set on wire rack. 
Do not turn off oven.

Pour filling into warm pie crust and bake 15 - 18 minutes (tarts: 10 - 12 minutes).  Remove from oven and let them cool for about an hour before refrigerating. 
Once cooled, place in refrigerator for 2 - 3 hours until chilled and set.

Top with whipped cream.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Sometimes it's as if people are dropped into your life out of the blue.  This is the story of  one such person.  I was lucky enough to have made a connection with another food blogger and Pastry Chef.  We "met" through Facebook & Twitter.  Like many other food bloggers, we are on each others pages.  We offer support, ask questions and weigh in on life-altering discussions about butter and how best to photograph one's creations. 

During the course of a few months, we discovered how very much alike we are... although she is definitely the nicer one.  She has become my "Sissy" and this happened the day I met her in person.

I was travelling when she & her Beloved husband graciously offered their home to me for a night instead of having to stay in a hotel.  We were sitting in her kitchen and I had asked her if there was a store nearby because I was desperate to get my hands on some White Lily flour... (she remembers this part a bit differently)

As if by magic, she disappeared into a pantry and before I knew where she had gone, she was standing in front of me holding up the sought after bag of flour as if it were nothing.  She said "You mean THIS flour?!".   I couldn't believe it.   I was thrilled and I meant to do it justice with some serious biscuits.

It had sadly been sitting in my cupboard for a little while before I had gotten to it, always clearing it's throat when I opened the cupboard door.  As if it needed to remind me of its presence.  Hardly.   Finally, one day I had it set in my head to get cracking.

So, off to the store I went to grab a few things. Traditionally biscuits are made with shortening. I was against this from the start, but also curious to see how they would compare side to side against those baked with only butter.  I had the Crisco in my hand.  I.  just. couldn't. do. it.

It was as if every single cell in my body was rebelling and screaming "NOOOOOO!  Put it down & back away..."   So I did. 
I guarantee those of us that have had biscuits at a restaurant have eaten them with shortening, or worse.  And I'm certain that I liked them, but I just could NOT buy the tub of Crisco. 
So, there you have it.  Experiment aborted, but I hope I will be forgiven once you taste these biscuits.

"Sissy" Biscuits

2 c. AP flour, preferably White Lily
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 tbsp. chilled butter
3/4 c. buttermilk + extra for brushing on top


These biscuits are delicious as is or split open with a bit of honey or strawberry jam.  You could go all out and make gravy for a nice weekend breakfast or brunch or have breakfast for dinner!  Need a little herbiness?  Chop up some fresh herbs like dill and sprinkle in for extra flavor.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Line sheet pan/baking sheet/cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and baking soda together.  Using a pastry blender (or your fingers) cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add buttermilk and stir in flour just until it comes together.  Dough will be sticky.
Turn out onto a floured surface, pat dough out and fold over on itself a few times to help create layers.

Pat out to desired thickness.  I did mine about 1/4 inch... too tall and they will topple over.
Using a biscuit cutter/cookie cutter/juice glass, cut out biscuits by pushing straight down.

Lay biscuits on parchment lined sheet pan and brush tops with buttermilk.
Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. 

Be sure to keep on eye on them after 6 or 7 minutes.  You may need to adjust baking time based on your oven.

The Devils (Food) Made Me Do It...

My days of tipping back green beers at a packed in like sardines Irish pub are long behind me (thankfully), but being the good Irish lass that I am, I still enjoy a bit of silliness on St. Patrick's Day and bow to the obligatory "green something".

This year, I've decided it should come in the form of a cupcake.  It's as good as any other choice and I'd take a cupcake over a green beer any day of the week.

When my brother and I were younger, we had a next door neighbor that would bring us a box of Andes candy to share.  You would have thought he gave us each a $100 bill we were so excited... as we got older, sometimes we each got our OWN box.  Now that was newsworthy.

Red Shoes & Irish Soda Bread

 

"There are only two types of women that wear red shoes, and YOU my dear are no Spanish dancer". 

That little gem came out of the mouth of my friend's 86 year old mother, delivered in the thickest Irish brogue you could imagine.

We had been out shopping and she had purchased a pair of red shoes.   Upon showing off her new purchase, that was her mother's response.  Did I mention that said friend was in her 50's?!
I was still in my 20's at the time and thought it was one of the funniest things I had ever heard, the fact that it was delivered with perfect comic timing from an 86 year old woman made it even better.

That happened over 15 years ago and it still cracks me up when I think about it.  To this day, I have never met another person (of ANY age) that was as much of a firecracker as that lovely Irish lass.   

This is her recipe, it is a touch sweeter than most soda breads I've had and a little cakier.  It goes brilliantly with a strong cuppa tea. 

There are many variations of soda bread out there.  Most traditionally, it is not sweet and does not have raisins in it.  I like this version, so it's what I make and quite honestly, that is an integral part of cooking and baking as far as I'm concerned.  If you are making something you like, you are more likely to cook and bake and isn't that the point here?

Yes, there are times when you want to make something as close to "the real deal" as possible and sometimes that matters a little less.  If you tend to like less sweet, in theory you should be able to reduce the amount of sugar to 1/2 cup without any major disasters.  I haven't done this, so I can't be held responsible for the results! 
If you don't care for raisins you can omit them or stick with all currants.  I will never admit to this in public, but perhaps you could swap out the raisins for a different dried fruit. 

This bread is great the first day, a little less on the second and by by the third day: make toast.   It makes a rather large loaf, so you could split the dough in half, reduce the baking time and just freeze the other one...  OR if, like me, you tend to make enough to feed half the neighborhood,  make someones day and share your golden, studded beauty with a few friends.


Irish Soda Bread

4 c. AP flour, plus extra for board
4 tsp. baking powder
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. caraway seeds (optional)
1/2 c. golden raisins
1/2 c. brown raisins
1/2 c. currants
1/2 c. butter
2 large eggs, beaten
1 c. whole milk


Preheat oven to 350.



Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. 

If using caraway seeds, add to flour mixture.



In a separate bowl, combine raisins and currants. 

Toss with a few tablespoons of flour mixture to coat. 

Set aside.

 

Using a pastry blender, fork, or food processor cut in butter until pebble sized pieces remain.  Add milk and eggs, mix to combine (I don't recommend food processor here).   Fold in raisins and currants, then turn out onto well-floured board.  Dough will be sticky, using floured hands, mold into a round or oblong loaf.  This is a quick bread and is not meant to be kneaded, take care not to overwork the dough.

 



Place on baking pan lined with parchment paper or in cast iron pan (preferable) in center of oven.

 

Bake for 1 hour, remove from oven and place on cooling rack. 
Brush top with butter while hot.

(because I lack patience, I sliced mine while it was still warm... It is better to wait until it has cooled completely before you cut into it)

 

 



Blushing Valentine

I know it may seem a bit early to start thinking of Valentine's Day, but it's only a few short weeks away.   If you like to make a special treat on Valentine's Day, this is the cake.  
It is a towering 4 layers high and lovingly encased in the most delicate rose-scented buttercream.  It is outrageously good and worth every. single. calorie.  

This is also the type of cake that could easily become adorned with say a few candles for a little celebratory birthday party?   The colors could be swapped out for any, the flavor of the buttercream could be adapted to whatever you'd like it to be.  Using a vanilla base for both cake and buttercream allows you the flexibility to change colors and flavors to suit the occasion or intended recipient.

Typically, when we think of Valentine's Day desserts we usually think of chocolate.  I won't even pretend that I'm not one of them, but sometimes the "molten lava cake" or "ganache-covered devils's food" is well... a bit played out.

This cake is a show-stopper and you might not even miss the chocolate.

For the cake:

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

3 ½ cups sugar

4 cups King Arthur AP flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

12 egg whites-Pete & Gerry’s Heirloom Eggs, room temp

2 cups whole milk, room temp

4 tsp vanilla

Deep pink gel food coloring

Place racks in middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour 4 cake pans.  I used 6", but 8 inch will work as well (the cakes will not be as tall).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together for 5 minutes until light & fluffy.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
Combine egg whites, milk & vanilla together and set aside.

Add roughly 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar, followed by half of the milk mixture.  Scrape down bowl, and then add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the rest of the milk.  Scrape down again and add the last of the flour.

Divide batter into 4 equal portions.

      One portion will remain white.  In the remaining 3, mix in food coloring.  Add 3-4 drops to the first layer, 6-7 drops for the second and 9-10 drops for the last layer.  Mix thoroughly until color is uniform. 

      Pour into cake pans and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, rotating cakes halfway through baking time.  Cake is done when knife inserted comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Wrap in parchment paper and plastic wrap and chill at least 3 hours.  Using a long serrated knife, trim off the domed top of cake to make it even and flat.   Once all cakes have been trimmed, set aside.

For the Rosewater Buttercream

4 egg whites: Pete & Gerry’s Heirloom Eggs

1 cup sugar

3 sticks unsalted butter at room temp, cut into tablespoons

½ -1 tsp rosewater

      Set a bowl inside of a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Combine egg whites and sugar, whisking frequently until sugar has dissolved. 

 You can test this by carefully running your finger through a stream of egg white falling from whisk, then rub your thumb and finger together.  If you feel any grains of sugar, it is not ready.

      Once sugar is completely dissolved, transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

      Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff peaks and mixture is cooled, about 5-6 minutes.
  

      Turn mixer down to medium low speed and begin adding butter, a few tablespoons at a time, let butter incorporate before adding more.

      After all the butter has been added, add rosewater and beat for another 30 seconds.

      Set darkest layer of cake on cake plate and apply a layer of buttercream to top.  Following with remaining layers, ending with white layer on top. 

Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream to entire cake and chill for 30 minutes.

When crumb coat has hardened, apply buttercream and smooth with an off-set spatula.
Cut with a very sharp knife and serve!

 

 

 

 

www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm BANANAS for these muffins...

Now that the temperatures are not hovering near the triple digits, I'm no longer avoiding my oven like the Bubonic plague.   Which is a good thing for me, as I thoroughly enjoy baking. 
I've said it before, it's cheaper than therapy and that is exactly what it is for me...  therapeutic.   It's quiet, calming and serene,  all the things one needs when living in one of the most hectic, crowded, noisiest cities in the world. 

The quiet moments puttering around the kitchen, the sound of the back of a knife scraping across a measuring cup to level off flour, the clinking of the measuring spoons as they delve into baking powder,  these sounds are truly soothing to me.
The warmth and aromas that emanate from the oven... here's where it really starts to get good.

The original recipe called for all-purpose flour and the traditional creaming method.  I opted to follow my friend Jenni's advice and switched out the flour with a lower gluten cake flour and changed the method to include liquid fat, i.e. melted butter instead of chilled.   The oven temp in the original recipe was 350, I cranked it up to 400.   Every professional baker I've ever known has baked muffins at this temp, so I'm not really sure why all the recipes call for 350,  but I digress...

These muffins are so good, I'm not ashamed to say I ate 3 the day they were made.  It was all for research purposes of course!  I couldn't put a recipe here without being completely confident that it passed the test, now tell that to my jeans...


Banana Muffins
-adapted from Cooking Light

• 2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (3 - 4), room temp
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, room temp
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

All ingredients at room temperature

 

Streusel Topping

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup oats
• 4 tbsp almond flour (optional)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

look at those PEAKS!

 

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine cake flour, baking soda, salt & sugar in a large bowl.  Whisk to thoroughly combine and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, butter, banana, yogurt and vanilla together. Pour on top of dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined.  Do not overmix!  Your laziness will be rewarded, I promise.

Top generously with streusel topping and bake for 14 - 15 minutes.   Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove carefully to a rack to cool completely.

No tunnels!

Plum Crazy...

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like every year summer goes by even quicker than it did the year before. 
I wait and wait all winter for stone fruit season to arrive,  daydreaming about all of the amazing things I'll make...  fantasizing about juicy peaches, ripe plums and perfect nectarines. 

Awaiting that first taste of summer, sinking my teeth into the perfect bite, juice dribbling down my chin... 
and then it's August.

When did that happen?!   I realize I barely had a chance to make any of the delectable things I spent so many hours, days, weeks thinking about.  And here we are again, summer more than halfway gone.
So, upon this rather startling revelation I decided I had better get it in gear if I was going to accomplish at least a few of the things I had set out to do.

For those of you who may not know, a crostata is a single-crust, free-form pie.  This is good news for the likes of me as I find rolling out multiple pie crusts in the heat of August a nearly impossible feat. 
If I had central air-conditioning and a marble slab in my kitchen, I'd be much more agreeable.



Plum Crostata

for the dough:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 stick butter (not margarine) cubed into small pieces & chilled
• zest of one lemon
• 3 tbsp ice water

In the bowl of a food processor,  pulse together dry ingredients until well combined.   Add in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  I usually keep my butter in the freezer for this so it stays really cold as it is being incorporated.   Add in ice water, pulsing machine until it almost forms a ball.  Do not over work dough.  Remove from food processor and flatten into a disk.  Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.   You can do this a day ahead.


for the filling:

• 6 ripe plums, sliced 1/4" thick ( I used red & black plums)
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon (or 1 whole, if small)
• 5 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp flour 

Mix all ingredients together and set aside.


for glaze:
1 egg
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sanding sugar



assemble crostata:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove dough from refrigerator and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly floured.  Press out the dough until it is approximately 11 inches in diameter. 

You can roll it out with a pin if you like but I chose to just press it out.  My kitchen was very warm and the dough was getting a little too soft, as the butter in the dough was beginning to melt so I had to go with it.  I had already put it back in the refrigerator once...  It was just too warm of a day (lesson learned). 

Place fruit in center and bring up edges of dough to the center, pleating dough as you go.  If you really want to impress, lay fruit in a circular pattern and then fold dough over.  If dough breaks, don't sweat it...  just pinch it back together.  It's supposed to be "rustic", right? 
Well, mine certainly was! 
(The crust didn't hold in a few spots,  let's just say that gave it "personality")

Brush crust with honey/egg mixture and sprinkle sanding sugar on crust.
Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until crust is golden brown and fruit is bubbling.

A scoop of vanilla ice cream on this would be divine...  just sayin'



.

London Calling...

Cherry season is so short, about 3-4 weeks actually, that when I see them starting to appear in the markets I can hardly contain myself.  I go on cherry overload and I know I'm not alone.  I buy bags and bags of them, but then a few days pass and I realize I haven't touched them.  Like most people, I was brought up not to waste food and in professional kitchens, that is a cardinal sin.

There are a couple of pounds of cherries in my fridge and I've eaten my fair share of them as is, but I'd like to actually make something with them!  Hmmmm...  gears turning, little librarian in my head frantically thumbing through cookbooks, whizzing past shelf after shelf on the rolling ladder...

Cherry pie, cherry cobbler, cherry muffins, cherries jubilee, cherry crisp... Cherry ice cream, cherry slushies, cherry lemonade, cherry jam, cherry tart, black forest cake, peach raspberry galette, cherry crostata... 

The cherry recipes are endless and all sound like a great idea, but then it hits me.  The Olympics are in less than a week and in LONDON!  Cherry scones it is!   

I don't own a scone pan, but if you do feel free to break it out.  I simply don't have room for many single purpose items.  The other option with these is to pat the dough out to roughly an inch thick and cut scones from there. Lightly flour the counter,  shape dough into a rectangle, cut into squares and cut squares on the diagonal to form triangles.

However, if you also have little to no counter space scooping may be the way to go.

Put on a pot of tea and pass the clotted cream & jam please...

Cherry Scones
-yields 15 mini scones

• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 6 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 4 tbsp whole milk
• 1 lg egg
• 1 1/2 c. cherries, pitted and chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut butter into small pieces and place in freezer. 
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together all dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg and sour cream until completely smooth.  Set aside.

Add chilled butter to dry ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add wet ingredients and pulse until just combined.   Do not overmix!

Remove dough from food processor and put in large bowl.  Add cherries and mix just until incorporated.   Try to be as gentle as possible with this as the cherries will bleed a bit when pressed too much and the dough will become tough if overworked.

Using a medium (3oz) cookie scoop,  scoop out dough and place on baking pan lined with parchment paper.  Very lightly press down the top and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar. 

Return tray to refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.   Bake for 13 - 15 minutes.

Redemption Brownies

Recently, I made brownies and did not have chocolate in the house to melt down.  So, I made them with only cocoa powder.  It was an epic fail.
Lesson learned, do not take short cuts with brownies. 

Feeling extremely unsatisfied with that batch of bad brownies, my craving for them was unfulfilled.
Seeking redemption, I decided that this effort had to be proportionately as good as the last batch was bad...  meaning, these brownies had to rock. 

I had about a cup of dulce de leche left over from this and aside from eating it straight from the container with the biggest spoon I could find (a thought which I seriously entertained), I decided that I should be a bit more creative.

Needing to expunge the memory of these humdrum brownies, it was clear that this was what my leftovers were intended for.

Making brownies from scratch takes about 5 minutes longer than making them from a box.   The only extra step is melting chocolate into butter, the rest of the process is the same. 

To say that brownies from scratch are the same as boxed mix is like saying cheese in a can is the same as an aged cheddar.

We have all used boxed mixes or frosting in a can, but sometimes you need to have the real thing and this is most definitely the best brownie I have ever made.



Dulce de Leche Brownies

• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
• 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup dulce de leche

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8-inch square pan with a long piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil that covers the bottom and comes up over the sides.  Place another sheet over, making a large cross with the edges that overhang the sides.  Grease the bottom and sides lightly with butter or non-stick spray.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate is melted.  Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder until smooth.  Let cool slightly, to ensure eggs do not "scramble" when added.  Add eggs, one at a time, then stir in sugar, vanilla, then flour, just to combine.  Do not over mix.

Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan.  Drop one-third of the dulce de leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then drag a knife through to swirl it slightly.  Do not drag the knife through too many times, or you will not have lovely pockets of dulce de leche, you will have incorporated it into the batter.

Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining dulce de leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter, drag a knife through to swirl again.  Try not to drop the dulce de leche exactly where you did underneath, that way you will get an even distribution throughout.

Bake for 35 - 45 minutes.  The brownies are done when the center feels just-slightly firm.  Remove from oven and cool completely.   Lift out of pan with overhang of paper/foil.

These brownies actually become better the second day and will keep well for up to 3 days.


Recipe: David Lebovitz,  The Sweet Life in Paris

Hello Cupcake...

For weeks I've been craving cake... so, enough talk and a little more action.   I decided that since I had been to the farmer's market and had eaten a relatively healthy lunch that cupcakes were definitely in order.

If I'm going to make cupcakes, more often than not I would go all in.  Chocolate.  The darker & richer the better...  however since it is spring and this weekend marks the "un-official" start to summer I wanted to lighten it up a bit and do something a little different.

If you are anything like me, sometimes you forget all the little treasures you have stashed in your kitchen.  I buy things that interest me and then put them away for when the mood strikes, but the unfortunate truth is that occasionally they are forgotten until I stumble upon them (usually when I'm looking for something else).

Well, the latest treasure to be unearthed was candied ginger.  I thought it might make an interesting garnish for the cupcake and that was basically my jumping off point.
(well, that and my persistent sweet tooth...)

If you are attending (or hosting) a BBQ this weekend, these would make a great finale.  They are light and not overly sweet and another plus is that the cake can be made ahead and frozen for a few days, then thawed and frosted the day of. 

For ginger flavor, I would normally add ground ginger, however I've decided to infuse them with a ginger syrup in lieu of the adding the powder to the batter. I wanted a lighter ginger flavor and to avoid a "gingerbread" taste.  If you prefer to use ground ginger, 1/2 - 1 tsp will do the trick.

Ginger Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream
- cake recipe adapted from the kitchn

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup room temperature butter
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 3 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line muffin tins with cupcake papers,  you'll need approximately 22
3. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and beat until thoroughly incorporated then beat in flour, salt and baking powder.
4. Stir in milk and vanilla. Beat on low for 30 seconds, then on high for 3 minutes.
5. Scoop batter into cupcake pan, I always use a cookie scoop to ensure uniformity.
6. Bake for approximately 15 - 18 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool slightly, then using a thin skewer pierce a few holes into the top of the cupcake and lightly brush with the ginger simple syrup.  Try not to be too heavy with the syrup, or you will end up with mushy cupcakes. 
8. When completely cooled, frost with lemon buttercream and top with finely sliced candied ginger.

Ginger Simple Syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger,  sliced into coins

Combine everything in a small pot and bring a boil, stirring occasionally.  When sugar has completely dissolved, remove from heat and cool completely. 
Once the syrup is cooled, strain the ginger & discard.   Leftover syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
(I like to boil it down until it is very thick & syrupy and drizzle over vanilla bean ice cream or use it in cocktails!)

Lemon Buttercream

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup room temperature butter
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat on low speed until combined, then on medium until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes)