Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

It is a cold and rainy day here in NYC but I am busy day-dreaming about the warm summer months and refreshing sweets to eat. As I stumbled across this Lemon Meringue Cupcake recipe, I thought to myself, 'What could be better?'. And I decided it was only fair to share...

This recipe is from my girl Rachael Ray.
Fun Fact: My dad likes to call me Rachael because I am so fond of her meals. :)


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder


1/4 teaspoon salt


1/2 cup buttermilk


1 tablespoon lemon juice


2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened


1 2/3 cups sugar, plus more for decorating


2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel, plus thin strips of peel for garnish


2 large eggs plus 4 egg whites, at room temperature


One 10- to 12-ounce jar lemon curd

Directions:
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line mini-muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup sugar and the lemon peel and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the 2 eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, scraping down the sides between additions. On low speed, beat in a third of the dry ingredients, then a third of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat, alternating ingredients, until the batter is smooth.

3.
Spoon the batter into each liner, about three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

4.
In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and the egg whites. Place over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl, and heat just until the sugar dissolves, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.

5.
Spread a thin layer of lemon curd over each cupcake and dollop the meringue on top. Toss the lemon peel strips in sugar to coat, and place one on each cupcake.

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