Tuscan Lemon Muffins

Why am I posting a recipe for Tuscan Lemon Muffins when it is snowing outside??  Why, because the snow was unexpected.  We do not normally get snow in October.  In fact, we haven't gotten a snow storm this big since the Civil War.  That is over 100 years ago. Well, I was not in the mood for snow or snow-friendly recipes. So, I made Tuscan Lemon Muffins. I am still stuck in summer.  These muffins are tasty.  

Tuscan Lemon Muffins

YIELD: 12 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)

Ingredients:

7-9/10 ounces all-purpose flour (1 3/4 cups)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons Turbinado sugar

Preparation:

1.       Preheat oven to 375°.

2.       Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt); make a well in center. Combine ricotta and next 5 ingredients (through egg). Add ricotta mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

3.       Place 12 muffin-cup liners in muffin cups; coat with cooking spray. Divide batter among muffin cups. Sprinkle Turbinado sugar over batter. Bake at 375° for 16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

4.       Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

Cooking Light, May 2011

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Orange, Lemon and Meyer Lemon

Meyer Lemons, Meyer Lemons, Meyer Lemons....  I have been hearing about them on blogs for a long time.  I never really knew what they were.  I never saw them in any grocery store or market in Maryland.  I have lived in New York City and never saw them when I lived there.  I figured they must be some special type of lemon only available on the west coast.  I turned out to be wrong about that.  I went into my favorite grocery store of all time, Wegman's, the other day.  What do you think I found but a bag of lovely Meyer lemons.  I found out that they are a hybrid of oranges and lemons.  They seem to be "in season" around December or January.  That didn't stop me.  I still grabbed up a bag as quickly as I could. These Meyer lemons really look more like an orange to me but no one asked me!  I thought it would be really fun to make a Meyer Lemon Cake.  When I found this recipe it looked perfect.  I have never used Meyer lemons nor have I ever baked an olive oil cake.  It was an interesting experiment.  It made a very tasty moist cake.  I found the recipe on a blog called "Healthy Green Kitchen."  I won't tell you that I used all organic ingredients, because I didn't.  I used what I had in the house.  I'm sure using organic ingredients is a much better idea but ...  anyway try this cake!  You will absolutely love it.

Recipe for Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Adapted from the recipe for French Style Yogurt Cake in A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg.
Serves 8.

ingredients:

For the cake:
*1 1/2 cups white spelt flour (or use all purpose unbleached flour or almond flour if you need it to be gluten-free)
*2 teaspoons baking powder
*pinch of sea salt
*2 teaspoons candied Meyer lemon peel (or use Meyer lemon zest or regular lemon zest)
*1/2 cup plain organic yogurt
*1 cup organic sugar
*3 large eggs, preferably organic and free-range
*1/2 cup fruity olive oil (melted butter would work, too)

For the syrup:
*1/4 cup organic powdered sugar
*1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice (or regular lemon juice)

For the icing:
*1 cup organic powdered sugar
*3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (or regular lemon juice)

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan with olive oil, and flour the bottom of the pan.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the candied lemon peel or lemon zest and mix well.

3. In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, eggs and olive oil. Whisk well to combine. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk again to combine

4. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I suggest you start checking after 25 minutes: you do not want to overbake it.

5. Cool the cake for 15 minutes and then remove the sides of the pan. Prick the cake all over with a fork, whisk the syrup ingredients together, and then drizzle the syrup all over the cake. The syrup will seep into all those fork holes you just made, and this is a very good thing.

6. Allow the cake to cool for another 30 minutes or so and then whisk the icing ingredients together. Using a offset spatula (or a spoon), cover the top of the cake with the icing. You can serve the cake immediately, or wait 45 minutes to 1 hour and the icing will harden.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook