Strawberry-Lemonade Cupcakes Recipe

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These Strawberry-Lemonade Cupcakes are just the right combination of tart and sweet. And even though the standard-sized cupcakes look prettier, I think these cupcakes in mini-size are the way to go... just the right icing to cupcake ratio in each bite... plus, then you get to eat more of them with less guilt.

What You Need:
To Make 20-24 Standard Cupcakes (6-8 dozen minis):
For the Lemon Curd:
1-2 Tbsp. Lemon Zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2-4 lemons)
6 egg yolks (reserve the whites for icing and cake)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter (cut into chunks)

For the Cupcakes:
White Cake Mix
2 egg whites + 1 whole egg (reserve the yolks!)
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup milk (whole milk preferred)
1/4-1/2 cup lemon juice (from 2-4 lemons)
2-3 tsp. lemon zest
Optional: 1/4-1/2 cup pureed strawberries (if you add the strawberries, decrease the milk by the same amount)

For the Strawberry Lemonade Icing:
4 egg whites (yolks used in curd)
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cup) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup lemon curd (see above)
1/2 cup pureed strawberries (about 1 cup frozen)

*Grand total, in case you're not keeping track, is:
- 7 eggs
- 5 sticks of butter
- 4-8 lemons


Make the Lemon Curd

I start with the lemon curd because it needs to set in the refrigerator for a few hours before you can use it as a filling.

Place the yolks from six eggs into the bottom of a small saucepan. Add the sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice.
Whisk to combine, and set over medium-low heat.
Stirring constantly, allow the mixture to thicken. This takes me about 10 minutes. (And you really do have to stir constantly.) You know it's ready when it coats the back of your spatula.

Not ready.

Ready.

Remove from heat and add the butter a few chunks at a time, stirring until the chunks melt each time.

Once all of the butter is added and melted, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (to get the zest out, and any other various not-smooth bits).

Lay plastic wrap directly on the surface of the lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming.
Allow the lemon curd to set up in the refrigerator at least 3 hours to overnight. It keeps for about one week in the refrigerator.

Make the Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees (F) and line cupcake cups with cupcake papers. 

Whip the two egg whites and one whole egg in the bowl of a stand mixer for about a minute. Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on medium for two minutes.
*Please Note: If you choose to add strawberry puree to the mix, you need to reduce your milk by the same amount.  

Scoop the batter into prepared cupcake cups. I like to do 1/4 cup for standard cupcakes, and 1/2 Tbsp. for minis.
Bake standard cupcakes for 15-20 minutes. Minis bake for 12-18 minutes.
Remove from the pans and let cool completely.

Make the Icing

Combine remaining 4 egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, or other heatproof bowl. Set over a pot of simmering water, and whisk until the mixture gets to 160-degrees. (This takes 5-15 minutes depending on how cold the egg whites are to begin with, how simmering your water is, etc.)

When they reach 160-degrees, whip the egg whites (with the whisk attachment) until a stiff peak forms- this takes again 5-10 minutes, depending on the strength and speed of your mixer.

Switch stand mixers to the paddle attachment. Add the butter, cut into chunks, lemon curd and strawberry puree.
*I usually use frozen strawberries that have been defrosted, then use an immersion blender to puree them.

Mix, starting with medium, because this will turn to soup, and if you turn it up too high, will splash out all over you. When it begins to come together again, turn it up to medium-high and mix until it is soft and fluffy. (The time on this varies from 4-10 minutes, again depending on your mixer, the temperature of your butter, the temperature of the egg whites, etc.)

*Important Note!!
Both times I made this recipe, it curdled a little. I finally figured it out. When you add the lemon curd, it may work better to keep the 1/2 cup out of the fridge to add to the icing. I think that taking the curd straight from the fridge makes it too cold.
What I did to fix it when it did curdle (it looks like cottage cheese got caught in the icing):
- Take 1/4-1/3 cup of the icing out of the bowl. 
- In a heatproof measuring cup, microwave the 1/4 cup icing for 20-30 seconds, until it is soupy and warm to the touch.
- Slowly drizzle the warm, melted icing back in while you run the mixer. It may take 2-3 minutes. Eventually, it will get creamy and yummy.  

Decorate the Cupcakes

To fill the cupcakes, load a piping bag with the "bismarck tip" #230 and the chilled lemon curd.
Be aware, that even when it's "set," it's still very thin, even a bit runny sometimes, so be careful not to just load the tip and lay it on the counter, or you'll have a mess on your hands.

Insert the tip about halfway into the cupcake. Squeeze lightly.

Using a piping bag loaded with Tip #1M and the Strawberry-Lemonade Icing, make a swirl on the top of the Cupcake. Start from the outside edge and swirl towards the center.

I added some cut-off straws to a few of them... just to be cute. I don't know if I love them, though.
The cupcakes... those I do love.
Keep them in the refrigerator. The lemon curd must be refrigerated. 

Cooking Tips :

Tested Advice For Cooking Delicious Meals Without Gluten

Are you in love with many kinds of cuisines? Do you have a huge appetite when it comes to sweets? How about exotic dishes from countries across the flavors of ethnic food? Have you ever desired to cook these meals yourself? It is time to find answers to your questions and get it done! Use the tips in this article to find out how to make wonderful meals.

It is extremely important to have sharp knives when cooking. Dull knives are more dangerous and they are less productive as well.

You don't ever want to try new ingredients or recipes you have not already tried when you are cooking for someone that you want to impress. Cooking will become less stressful this way.

Fresh ingredients are often inexpensive, and can turn out to be less expensive over time.

Add chicken broth to your pan when cooking vegetables. Chicken broth adds flavor to vegetables while keeping them from getting stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Beans and tofu are excellent sources of protein that you may not have yet considered adding to your diet. Both are available to buy at most grocery store. Try frying tofu and you will have a tasty alternative to meat. Beans can always be cooked with herbs for a flavorful source of flavor and protein.

If the recipe calls for water, switch it up by using a broth, beef broth, or juice when suitable. Instead of using milk, try sour cream, yogurt or buttermilk. Using liquid substitutions in your cooking can increase nutrition and improve their flavor.

Always get the freshest garlic available when you have a recipe that is fresh and firm. A rule of thumb is that fresh garlic will have a sweet taste to it.Fresh garlic usually has a firm skin and will not be bruised or soft to the touch.

Prepare things the day before to save time and headaches. Cut up veggies and make marinades or sauces before going to bed at night. This will help reduce your stress and lower your cooking time the work.

Never trash the leftovers after cooking a turkey. Cut it up and put it away in an airtight containers. The turkey meat will keep its freshness and can later be used for weeks this way.

You can make stock yourself.You should always have stock on hand for soup and other things. Creating your own stock can reduce preservatives in the concoction that you to avoid preservatives.

Blot ground meats to remove moisture before you start cooking it. It's never a good plan to blot away wetness that is on ground meat. Any moisture on the meat will be released during the cooking process. The heat will start to sizzle and steam away when it hits the heat of the pan. This can cause the meat is being steamed instead of seared as it should be.

Allow the food to sit for a moment before serving it. Many individuals don't know it's important it is to let the meal sit for a bit before dishing it up. Many of us prefer to simply serve food hot off the grill or stovetop. If you do this, you will lose most of the juices in meat when you cut into it. Always let the meal cool and sit for about 5 minutes before eating.

There are two good ways to heat up tortillas properly. One of the easiest methods is to simply place tortillas on an oven at a temperature of 350 degrees and reach desired cripness. You can also cook your tortilla via stove top on the grill of a gas stove. Using these cooking techniques will taste fresher and much tastier tortillas.

Trussing refers to the method of tying a turkey with string for baking. Trussing will cook your bird more evenly when you tie the legs and wings next to the bird closely. If you don't truss the bird, the tips of its legs and wings can burn while the remainder of the bird cooks.

Fresh herbs and different types of seasonings can help spice up even the traditional dish. Dried herbs lose flavor as they cook and spices can be used for complex recipes that are filled with a plethora of flavors. Fresh herbs have a better flavor.

Don't tr out a new recipe on important guests or a special occasion.Whether you are looking to impress a boss, your manager or a date, you want to make a good impression with them by the way you cook. Impress these people with a meal you already know you can prepare well.

There are many ways to cook oysters. You can prepare oysters in other ways than just raw on the half shell with lemon juice. Sprinkle Parmesan and pepper and broil until it bubbles. You could also saute your oysters. You can bake your oysters while in their shells. Put them in a standard casserole dish, season them with breadcrumbs and a little butter over each, then bake four or five minutes at 425 degrees. Serve hot on toast points or a baguette when your oysters once the butter starts bubbling.

Set a watch timer in parallel with you as well.

You can reduce the stress of preparing a large meal for an important family meal. Don't get stressed the day of the event, do some of the preparations in advance. Set out all of your recipes, ingredients, and assemble ingredients.

This way you will prevent you from not having something ready when you need it. It is actually quicker to prepare everything out in advance than to try to locate items while you are in the midst of preparing a dish.

If you do the tips listed above, you will be closer in being able to create the meals you love. Don't be scared to take risks with your cooking, and try experimenting with different spices and flavors. It is likely you will discover several new foods while learning to cook. Find the chef that is hiding within you by following these tips as well as your taste buds.

Banana Pina Colada Cupcakes

Weight Loss Foods

Weight Loss Recipes

50 Amazing Weight Watchers Recipes

All about Weight Watchers Food Points

Finding The Best Weight Watchers Recipes

What You Need (for the cupcakes)
1 ½ cup granulated sugar 
1/4 cup butter (at room temperature)
1/4 cup coconut "cream" (see explanation below)
2 eggs (at room temperature)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 ½ tsp. Baking powder
¾ tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ c. coconut milk
1 c. mashed ripe bananas
1 sm. can crushed pineapple (drained)

What You Need (for the icing)
4 Egg whites
1 cup sugar
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) Unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1-2 Tbsp. Coconut Rum like Malibu
Special equipment:
Candy thermometer
Saucepan with about 1/2 inch water
Lemon juice or vinegar & paper towels  

Optional What You Need (for decoration)
Marachino cherries
Dried or "vaccuum fried" pineapple
Flaked coconut
Drink Umbrellas 

To Make the Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. 
First, you need to separate the "cream" of the coconut. I just read about this in a magazine article recently, and wasn't sure if it would work. It totally did. It was awesome!

So, you DO NOT SHAKE the can of coconut milk as it recommends on the can. Open the can and pour off the top liquid - it should be relatively translucent compared to the white of usual coconut milk. What you then have on the bottom of the can is the "cream" of the coconut.

For this recipe, I combined 1/4 cup of the coconut cream with 1/4 cup softened butter with the 1 1/2 cup of sugar. Mix well.

Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, smash two bananas (about 1 cup), and add one can of drained crushed pineapple.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In yet another small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the remaining coconut milk (re-combine the liquid and the solids). Reserve 1/2 cup of this milk for the recipe. To that 1/2 cup, add 1 tsp. vanilla.

Add one-half of the flour mixture to the egg/butter mixture. Mix well.

Add banana/pineapple mixture. Mix well.
Add remaining flour. Mix well.
Add milk. Mix well.

Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter into cupcake liners. (I use a scoop, but you can also use a 1/4 cup measure.)

Bake at 350 for 13-17 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean.
Remove to cooling rack to cool.

For the mini cupcakes, I use a smaller scoop that equals about 1-2 tsp.
They bake for about 10-13 minutes at 350.

To Make the Icing:
While the cupcakes cool, make the icing. I will give you a short version of the icing recipe. Please click the link to see the whole swiss meringue buttercream tutorial.

Begin by wiping down all of your equipment with a paper towel dampened with vinegar or lemon juice. (To remove any grease. Grease is the enemy of meringue.)

Heat the egg whites and sugar over a pot of simmering water, whisking constantly until they reach 160-degrees on a candy thermometer. (This usually takes 5-15 minutes depending on how hot the water is, how cold the egg whites are when you start, etc.)

When the mixture reaches 160-degrees, remove the bowl from the heat, and whip until stiff peaks form. On my stand mixer, this takes me about 4 minutes.

Switch to the paddle attachment (if using a stand mixer). Add the butter and the Malibu rum, and mix on high until the icing is a smooth consistency. (It will get soupy first, don't freak out. Then it will come back together. It takes about another 4 minutes of mixing.)

To Decorate the Cupcakes:
Load your icing into icing bag bullets and/or fill a piping bag fitted with tip #1M.

Make a swirl on the top of each cupcake by holding the bag straight up from the surface, starting on the outside edge, and piping the swirl about halfway on top of the previous line of icing.

Click the link to see my complete tutorial on making a cupcake swirl.

Drain the marachino cherries, and dry them on a paper towel.
Add the dried pineapple slices and the cherries.

Add flaked coconut, if desired. (I'm weird. I like coconut flavor, but not flaked coconut.)

Then, you can always add the little umbrellas, if you're feeling festive.

For the minis, I was unsure about the cherries. I kind of felt like they were too big on there. But they add so much color.

What other fru-fru drinks do you like? Do you think we could make them in cupcake form?? Let me know, maybe I can give it a shot.

Cooking Tips : 

Simple And Easy Ways To Cook Good Food

There are dozens of different ways that you need to know in order to become a terrific cook. This article will teach you to learn what you need to do to be an outstanding cook. Read on and take note of these tips so that you learn exactly what it takes to get cooking prowess.

If you are working on creating more home-cooked meals, go to the bookstore or library and get a cookbook of simple and basic recipes that appeal to you. Try some recipes until you develop your skills.

This helps to bring out the flavor of your food after you are done cooking.

Try adding cauliflower to your mashed potatoes to cut some calories and fat. The somewhat bland taste of cauliflower will blend seamlessly with the potatoes. Cauliflower is also the same texture and color of potatoes when mashed so it's a great way to add more veggies, so the dish will be transformed into one that has more vegetables and fewer calories.

Do you plan on cooking with the flavors of fresh basil? Take a large bunch of it and place it in a glass. Fill the glass with enough water to cover the stems. You could let it sit on your counter for weeks. The basil can actually grow roots if you keep the water regularly. You should also cut the basil so it grows even more.

Look through your recipes and decide which steps you can be completed beforehand. You can prepare a lot of food the cooking process by doing your prep work well in advance. This takes a lot of the stress out of even easier to cook complicated recipes and dishes.

Add some chicken broth to vegetables when cooking vegetables. Chicken broth adds flavor to your vegetables while keeping them from getting stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Oil or butter both have fat than necessary to your dishes. A god nonstick cooking spray is a wonderful substitute for the oils and is not as unhealthy.

You must read the product labels before purchasing ingredients for any given recipe. Most cooking supplies have hidden ingredients that are unhealthy. You want to ensure that anything you buy is not high in sugar or sodium.

If the recipe has called for water, switch it up by using a broth, juice, or juice when suitable. If your favorite recipes call for milk, try using buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream. Using a variety of liquids can add nutritional content to certain dishes and even make it more nutritious.

Try making your own fresh tomatoes. You can do this by slicing your tomatoes about a half an inch thick, or by cutting Roma tomatoes in half lengthwise. Dried tomatoes may also be stored in a jar with fresh herbs and topped up with olive oil. The jar can be kept in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Use a generous amount of salt in the water when you are cooking pasta. This allows the most effective time to season pasta. Salting pasta after cooking will not be as effective in enhancing the same effect.

Save about one quarter cup of water and put it aside. When you are going to mix your pasta and sauce together, pour in some of the water. The pasta water's starch adds a "creaminess" to the starchy water will bulk up your sauce via amalgamation.

Buy good-quality knives for your kitchen. Dull blades are the cause more accidents than sharp ones.

When food is being sauteed, try to avoid filling the pan with oil. Make sure you saute foods on a low temperature as well.

Trussing is when you tie your turkey up with string. Trussing helps to keep the legs and wings next to the bird closely. If you don't tie down the limbs, the tips of its legs and wings can burn while the remainder of the bird cooks.

Don't tr out a new recipes when you are cooking for someone you want to impress. Whether you are cooking for your boss, family or employer, you still want to give off a good impression with your cooking. Impress these people with a meal that you already know you can prepare well.

You could also simply add bouillon cubes in the suggested amount of water. This gives the food while adding another level to the taste profile.

You can use leftover vegetables and meats to create a stir-fry or adding them to fried rice. Fry the meats and veggies in a bit of oil, then add the rice and season with soy sauce, soy sauce, soy sauce and other spices.

This will prevent you from having to go to the store in a mad search for an ingredient while your preparation. It is actually quicker to prepare everything in advance than it does to stop in the midst of cooking to search for that necessary ingredient.

While dark, dark greens are quite nutritious, it can be inconvenient to prepare them. Removing these stems can be tedious. Make it easier by folding the leaf lengthwise in half and then break out the stem. You will otherwise need to cut out the stem from the folded leaf using a knife.

Those who enjoy cooking fish dishes should try taking DIY to the next level and do some fishing to get their raw ingredients.

Learn how to use color in your cooking. Colorful foods are normally more healthy and tend to be very healthy. Be innovative in using color, and people will eat the food in no time.

When preparing mashed potatoes, your milk should be hot, non-boiling water prior to mashing them. This will give your potatoes that light and fluffier. Nobody really wants lumps in their mashed potatoes full of lumps.

It does take some learning to become a great chef, but it's well worth the effort. For some people it comes quite naturally, for other people, however, it takes a lot of studying and hard work. This article should provide you with the information necessary to become a better cook.