Snicket v. Cupcake

I couldn't decide if I felt like Lemony Snicket or lemony goodness... so first I began to read A Series of Unfortunate Events, and it was entertaining.. but a little depressing (hey, I was warned). So I went for lemony goodness instead. I'm much happier with the selection.

Since moving into our home three years ago, we had one lemon per season off a stick of a lemon tree. This year, after taking Dad's advice, I got Andy to wee on the tree most days through Summer. Apparently the acid in the wee makes for good lemons. If truth be told, I was really set out to prove him wrong. However, to my surprise we actually have a harvest?crop?bunch?whatever of nine lemons! Six are featured to the left, and three came after the photo was taken. However, they aren't quite as lovely as these six anyway. With most sweet lemon things, you don't actually need much lemon in each recipe, so I've already made a few. I highly recommend  Justine Schofield's Lemon Shortbread Buttons and Mel's Kitchen Cafe's, The Best No Bake Lemon Cheesecake.

Today, is rainy and cool. Days like this I love. Days like this, Andy and Joey run a muck. At the very second Andy is encouraging Joey to jump on him. However, moments ago, were happily baking. We were creating Lemon and Poppy Seed Cupcakes.

I've adapted a few different recipes (because I didn't have all the ingredients), so much so, that I'm calling this one my own.


Not A Snicket Cupcake

Ingredients 
1/2 cup milk 
1 Tbls white vinegar
(or omit these two ingredients and their subsequent steps and just use 1/2 cup buttermilk) 
 1 cup white sugar 
2 Tbls lemon zest finely grated (about 2 lemons worth) 
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs 
2 cups plain flour 
1 tsp bicarb soda 
1/2 cup of sour cream 
2 Tbls lemon juice *smug- was under half of a lemon* 
2 tsp poppy seeds 

Method 
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Line about 12 muffin tins OR 20 cupcake tins OR 48 mini muffin tins with paper liners. 

1. Mix milk and vinegar together and set aside 
2. Add the sugar and the zest to the mixing bowl. With your fingers, rub the zest and the sugar together, until you cant see any bits of zest. You'll have a beautiful fragrant sugar.
3. Add butter and cream. 
4. Add eggs and beat the hell out of it with an electric mixer until it's doubled in size and it almost white. 
5. Add half the flour, and the bicarb soda and the sour cream. Stir until just combined 
6. Add the other half of the flour, the lemon juice, poppy seeds and milk mixture. Stir until combined. Do not over beat, or you'll have tough cupcakes. 
7. Spoon about 1/4 or a cup of mixture (for cupcakes) into the patty pans. 
8. Bake in the middle of the oven, for about 17mins, or until a tester comes out clean. 
9. Cool for 5 mins in tins before transferring them to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.
Frosting 

Drizzly Icing 

This recipe actually makes enough for the cupcakes and the shortbread. 

Ingredients 
1 cup icing sugar 
1 Tbls lemon juice 
1 tsp milk 

Method 
1. Mix all ingredients together. The consistency should be thick enough to hold it's shape a bit. 
2. Put mixture into a piping bag with a small round nozzle, or put icing into a ziplock bag and snip a tiny hole in one of the bottom corners. You might need to make your mixture a bit runnier for this way, otherwise your bag will split. 
3. Make a pretty pattern with your icing on the top of the cupcake.

Not a Snicket Cupcake

Enjoy!