Citrus Lust Mini Bundt Cakes with Lemon Curd for #BundtaMonth

Citrus Lust Mini Bundt Cakes are topped with homemade lemon curd for a gorgeous and deliciously sweet and tart dessert that will delight fancy guests and family alike.

I’m just wondering if anyone out there still has lemon curd left over.  You did all make some, right?  Because I have one more recipe that calls for lemon curd.

Last year when I was still living in Cairo, I left a comment on someone’s blog about the cute paper cupcake liners she had used.  The author responded that they were Wilton and so, she was sure I could find them in a shop nearby.  It seems she lived in some remote area of Canada and, if THEY had them, my shop surely would.  When I wrote to back to say I was in Cairo, Egypt and there were no Wilton things, much as I wished there were, she was sorry for me.  And I was sorry for me.  And, then, and then!  We moved to Dubai and take a gander at just ONE SIDE of the baking aisle in my neighborhood shop.

Not even a specialty shop, lovely people, this is the grocery store just minutes from my house.  Which is dangerous.  They’ve got Wilton paper liners and gel colors and baking pans and decorating tips and, what’s more, they even have Nordic pans!  Woo hoo!  Which brings me to my recent purchase and the recipe at hand.  This month’s BundtaMonth theme is citrus so I decided to let what was available make the decision for me.  I came home with grapefruit, lemons, limes and large clementines.  And a mini Bundt pan.   And so, I give you Citrus Lust Mini-Bundt Cakes with Lemon Curd.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups or 220g flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup or 85g butter, room temperature
3/4 cup or 170g sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons citrus zest (I used a 1/2 tablespoon each of clementine, grapefruit, lemon and lime.)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed citrus juice
(I used:
1/8 cup freshly squeezed clementine juice
1/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/8 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice)

For topping:
About 1/2 cup or 115ml lemon curd
Powdered or icing sugar for sprinkling, optional

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C.  Grease and flour a 12-cup mini-Bundt pan.  (I just used Pam spray because the Nordic pans release quite easily.  If your mini-Bundt pan sticks a lot, do use flour as well.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Zest your fruit.

Juice your fruit and transfer the needed amounts into measuring jug.

Juicing - the aftermath

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Next add in the citrus zests.

Continue beating, adding in about one-third of the flour mixture and then one-third of the juice.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Continue beating and alternating until all the flour and juice is in the batter.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan.  I find it less messy and easier (aside from having one more thing to wash) to transfer my batter from the wide-mouth mixing bowl to a narrow measure vessel for pouring.  Or you could choose to ladle it in.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in your preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the mini cakes comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool for about five minutes, then turn out to cool completely.  There is an ad for the pan at the bottom of this post.  I am new to this (my first Google Affliates ad!) but I think if you buy one, I make some small change.

If yours have risen up over the top of the pan, as mine did, cut the bottoms off with a serrated knife so that the mini Bundts can stand upright.  Whatever you cut off is yours to eat immediately.  No questions asked.

Use a pastry decorating bag to pipe the lemon curd into the hole on the top of the little cakes.

Sprinkle with a little powdered or icing sugar, if desired.

Enjoy!

Have a look at all of the wonderful Tangy January Bundts we’ve baked this month. You may notice that one of our wonderful hosts is missing this month. Sending love out to Lora from Cake Duchess whose family suffered a huge loss earlier this month. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Lora. XOXO

• Almond Clementine Bundt Cake by Carrie from Poet In The Pantry
• Citrus Bundt Cake with Sparkling Wine and Fiori di Sicilia by Laura from The Spiced Life
• Citrus Cocktail Mini Bundt Cakes by Renee from Magnolia Days
• Dried Tomato Cherry & Yuzu Cake by Ann from Anncoo Journal
• Glazed Lemon Bundt Cake by Alice from Hip Foodie Mom
• Grapefruit Poppyseed Bundt Cake by Deb from Knitstamatic
• Grapefruit Yogurt Bundt Cake by Kate from Food Babbles
• Lemon Bundt with Lemon Curd by Holly from A Baker’s House
• Mini Orange Bundts with a Grand Marnier Glaze by Tara from Noshing With The Nolands
• Orange Chocolate Marble Bundt by Paula from Vintage Kitchen
• Orange Olive Oil Cake by Katerina from Diet Hood
• Orange Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Bundt Cake by Anuradha from Baker Street
• Soaked and Glazed Lemon Cake by Dorothy from Shockingly Delicious
• Zesty Lemon Bundt Cake by Anita from Hungry Couple NYC

Pin these Citrus Lust Mini Bundt Cakes with Lemon Curd! 

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Lemon Blueberry Muffins #MuffinMonday

Happy Monday, lovely people!  After weeks of excess and over the top muffins, it feels good to get back to simple, yet still delicious.  My daughters left Dubai to return to the US and university over the weekend, so you know I need some cheering up.  And there is hardly anything more cheerful than the smell of freshly zested lemons, am I right?

That’s why they put it in cleaning materials too, by the way.  It is part of the brainwashing program designed by marketing types to convince us that cleaning is fun and uplifting and we should buy more lemon-scented soaps and sprays.  But I tell you no lies:  These muffins are the real thing.  Get some in the oven and you will feel better in no time.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Adapted from this BBC recipe.

Ingredients
For the muffins:
2 cups or 250g flour
1/2 cup or 115g sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 large lemon (for zest and 1/4 cup juice)
2 eggs
3/4 cup or 180ml milk
1/3 cup or 75ml vegetable oil
1 small punnet blueberries (about 125g or 4.4 oz) Reserve 12 for popping on the top of the muffins before baking, if desired.

For the topping:
Powdered or icing sugar to sprinkle, optional

Method
Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C.  Butter your 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper liners.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Grate in the lemon zest and mix.   Juice your lemon.

In another smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, juice and oil.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir until just mixed through.

Fold in all the blueberries, except 12, if saving.

Divide the mixture between the muffin cups in pan.

If you saved berries for the top, now is the time to pop one on the top of each cup.  (They might still sink, but I figured it was worth a shot.)

Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Allow them to cool for a few minutes then remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sprinkle with a little powdered or icing sugar, if desired, and serve.

Enjoy!

Hot Lemon Curd Soufflés

Fluffy and light, these hot lemon curd soufflés are simple to make and bake, for a fresh dessert the whole family will love!

Time again for a few confessions.  The first one is that I own and use an old lady pullcart.  I got it for Christmas and I couldn’t have been happier.  (See below for evidence!)  And bless my daughters for giving it to me, despite their mortification when I use it!  You know what I’m talking about, right?

It's the kind with wheels that old ladies use to do their shopping in the city when they are on foot. Trundling around ahead of you, in their scratchy cardigans, even in the summer, and impeding your passage when they stop to talk to other old ladies about the weather? That’s me, except I just have the cart, and mine is flowered, not plaid, and I tend to walk at a reasonable clip.

Happy camper on Christmas Day!

After all, and this is the second confession, I use mine to scoot between charity shops, looking for used cookbooks while I am visiting the Channel Island of Jersey.  (Which happens as often as I can get there!)  And if I get to the shops before you, I am going to buy ALL the good cookbooks. Which are very heavy. Which is where the cart comes in. It's a necessity, folks, as well as a fashion accessory. Among the treasures I found on a trip a number of years ago, was the whole How To Cook series, books One – Three, by Delia Smith for only £1 each.  Score!

Which brings me to confession number three: I have a lot of cookbooks. When I get a new one, I go through it, carefully bookmarking all the recipes I want to try first.  The problem is that I often get several new ones at a time, and I don’t get around to making all the things I want to make before yet another new cookbook arrives and the old bookmarks get sadly curly and mashed as the cookbook is put into the shelf and, while not exactly forgotten, it’s no longer on the front burner, so to speak. Can anybody relate?

This week I am delighted to join Sunday Supper, a fabulous group of bloggers dedicated to getting everyone around the family table once more.  The current theme is all about trying something new, something that’s been on your bucket list but that you have yet to tackle.  These Hot Lemon Curd Soufflés were bookmarked at least five years ago so they totally qualify!  And now I am kicking myself for waiting so long.  Because they were delicious. And so easy.

Ingredients
3 large eggs
1 medium lemon
1/4 cup or 50g golden caster sugar
Plus 2 1/2 teaspoons golden caster sugar (White sugar can be substituted for both.)
2/3 cup or 155ml room temperature lemon curd (Store-bought or half of this recipe here http://www.foodlustpeoplelove.com/2013/01/quick-lemon-curd.html – eat the other half with a spoon!)
Butter for greasing your four ramekins

Optional for serving: a sprinkle of powdered or icing sugar

Method
Lightly butter your four ramekins and preheat your oven to 325°F or 170°C.
Separate your eggs and put the whites in a large clean, dry, grease-free bowl.  Put your yolks in a medium-size bowl.

Grate your lemon zest and juice your lemon.  Set aside.  You will need two tablespoons of the juice.  I used a zester for my lemon and the pieces were too big.  You definitely want to use a small grater or Microplane, if you have one.

Using either an electric mixer or a balloon whisk, beat the whites until stiff peaks form.  You’ll get much stiffer peaks with an electric mixer but mine is out of commission right now.  I was surprised by how quickly I was able to get stiff peaks with just a balloon whisk so if that’s all you have, don’t be discouraged.

Now add the 2 1/2 teaspoons of sugar to the whites and beat again.

To the yolk bowl, add the grated lemon zest and two tablespoons of juice, along with the remaining sugar and mix them together thoroughly.

See that zest?  Way too big. Another reminder to use a grater. 

Fold a good spoonful of the fluffy whites into the yolk mixture to loosen it.

Add the yolk mixture to the whites and gently, very gently, fold it in so that as much air and fluffiness as possible remains.

Divide your lemon curd between the buttered ramekins.

Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet or baking pan.  Spoon the mixture on top of the lemon curd and run your finger around the inside edge of each to clean it a little, if necessary.

Bake in your preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until the tops are golden.  Allow the hot curd to cool for a few minutes, then sprinkle with a little powdered sugar, if desired.  Place the whole hot ramekin on a small saucer to serve.

These will sink a little bit as time goes on but will still taste delicious and light, if not served immediately.

Enjoy!


Sunday Supper Specialty Breads:

• Alton Brown’s Soft Pretzels by Hezzi-D’s Book and Cooks
• Belgian Waffles by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Braided Challah by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Brioche by Gotta Get Baked
• Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites by In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene
• Gluten-free Bread by Happy Baking Days
• Homemade Bagels with Mimosa Spread by Daily Dish Recipes
• Homemade Tortillas by Supper for a Steal
• Monkey Bread by Vintage Kitchen Notes
  
  

Sunday Supper Main Dishes:

• Bagna Cauda and Potatoes by Shockingly Delicious
• Beef Wellington by Family Foodie
• Braised Short Ribs by The Messy Baker blog
• Butternut Squash Gnocchi by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Chinese Dumplings by My Cute Bride
• Falafel by Small Wallet Big Appetite
• French Onion Soup by The Weekend Gourmet
• Fresh Ravioli with Ricotta by Comfy Cuisine
• Fried Polenta with Spicy Tomato Relish by Mama Mommy Mom
• Gluten Free Ravioli by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
• Japanese-Style Prosperity Pockets & Goat Cheese En Croute by Ninja Baking
• Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon by Hip Foodie Mom
• Leaping Frog Chicken by The Urban Mrs.
• Lightened Up Slow Cooker Butter Chicken by The Meltaways
• Mushroom Ragout over Creamy Polenta by Noshing with the Nolands
• Ropa Vieja by Magnolia Days
• San Antonio Puffy Tacos by Sustainable Dad
• Savory Spinach-Filled Crepe Cake with Cheddar Sauce by Webicurean
• Stuffed Artichokes by The Roxx Box
• Tah-Dig (Persian Rice) by The Little Ferraro Kitchen

Sunday Supper Desserts and Snacks:

• Chocolate Meringue Cake (gluten free) by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Creamy Lemon Fudge by Chocolate Moosey
• Divinity by Juanita’s Cocina
• Faux Ice Cream with Bananas by Country Girl in the Village
• French Macarons by I Run for Wine
• Gluten-Free Golden Fudge Cake by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Granola Bars with Dried Fruit by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Homemade Seafoam Candy by All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
• Jamaican Blue Drawers by Lovely Pantry
• Mini Classic Key Lime Pies  by In the Kitchen with KP
• Nut and Seed Nougat by What Smells So Good?
• Peanut Sesame Honey Brittle by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Popcorn with truffle oil and Asiago cheese by Ruffles & Truffles
• Pumpkin Mocha Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting and Dulce de Leche Drizzle by Damn Delicious
• Zebra Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Grouper with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic Lemon Crème Fraîche

Hello from Dubai!

You know that song that goes, walking on sunshine, whoa oh?  That’s me.  Despite working on a sleep deficit, yesterday went like a dream.  We arrived in Dubai and fell into the hotel bed with time enough for just two hours of sleep before waking up to meet the real estate agent at the house for the Great Key Handover.  Lordy, mercy, there are a lot of keys for our new house!  Then the airfreight arrived and I was reunited with my Kenwood mixer.  And then the rental furniture was delivered so as soon as we buy and get a stove and refrigerator installed, we can move in!

But the best part was my trip to what will be MY GROCERY STORE.  It’s right near the house and I walked through like the bumpkin from the country just arriving in the big, bright city for the first time.  It is part of the Géant chain, which has ties to the hypermarket Casino in France and is gorgeously laid out with most everything a person could hope to want.  The first thing I spied were some baby tomatoes on the vine and my brain said, “Roast them and set them on top of something like fish or chicken.”  So I went off in search of fresh fish and found some lovely grouper filets.  At which point my brain said, “You need crème fraîche and lemons and garlic.”  And low and behold, all those things could be mine.  I rounded off the menu with some rocket or arugula tossed in a simple lemon vinaigrette.   I am cooking in the small kitchen in my hotel apartment so the photos aren’t the best, but this was one delicious and easy meal.

Ingredients
Small piece of fresh lemon
1 clove garlic
Olive oil
2 heaping tablespoons crème fraîche or mild sour cream
1 branch on-the-vine tomatoes per every two fish filets
1 Grouper or other white fish filet per person
Flakey sea salt  (I use Maldon’s.)
Crushed red pepper
Black pepper (I didn’t have any but you should definitely use some.)

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Finely mince your garlic and put it in a small bowl with the crème fraîche and a healthy pinch of salt.

Cut the end off of the lemon and squeeze the juice into the garlic/crème fraîche bowl.

Add just a little olive oil, perhaps a half a teaspoon, and give it a good stir.  Refrigerate until needed.

Cut your leftover lemon peel into thin slices.

Put the tomatoes in a heatproof dish that will be big enough for your fish filets later.  Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and crushed red pepper.  Top with the slices of lemon peel.

Roast the tomatoes in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, season both sides of your fish filets with salt and black pepper (if you are fortunate enough to have remembered to buy some) and drizzle them with olive oil.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven and carefully transfer them to another dish.

Place the fish filets in the baking dish and top with the tomatoes.

Put it back in the oven and bake until the fish is opaque and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your filets.

Serve each filet with half of the tomatoes and a generous dollop of the garlic lemon crème fraîche.  If you’d like, a side green salad rounds out the meal.

Enjoy!