9 Bright and Beautiful Recipes To Make Us Happy

This.  Girl.  Is.  Ready.  For.  SPRING.

This year, even though it seems we’ve had less snow, I’ve been extra desperate for some spring sunshine and weather.  I’m usually pretty okay with lots of snow and cozying up inside, but for some reason, I’ve hit my cold limit already and I want the freezing temperatures to go away.  Like yesterday.  It might have something to do with the amount of times I’ve had to shovel lately, only for the street plow driver to go whizzing by and fill it all back in.  Doesn’t he feel guilty about that?!

After the last storm, I threw my shovel down, trudged inside the house and put an all call out to my fellow bloggers for some bright and beautiful recipes to cheer me up.   I’ve decided that since I still have to wait for spring to arrive, I’m going to bake myself happy.  And magically, as I sat down to compile this inspiring list, the sun came out again.

 

1   Don’t these gorgeous, melt in your mouth, Raspberry Macarons via Nutmeg Disrupted cheer you up instantly?   Sweet and cheerful.

Get the recipe here.

2   These elegant looking Mini Wild Blueberry and Cream Cheese Trifles via SweetRevelations, are a family favourite and a breeze to make with store-bought pound cake.

Get the recipe here.

3    This Grapefruit & Thyme Mascarpone Tart via The Cinnamon Scrolls would be a stunning addition to any meal, and it’s gluten-free.  The presentation, with that ruby red grapefruit is simply beautiful.

Get the recipe here.

4   These Mango Lemon Bars with Coconut Crust via Swirls and Spice, are definitely a mood enhancer!  They just look sun-kissed and tropical.  I’m feeling warmer already.

Get the recipe here.

5   Not only did the photo of these Raspberry Coconut Linzer Bars via The Brunette Baker make me want to reach through my computer screen, but the post itself is hilarious and had me laughing my frost-bitten toes off.

Get the recipe here.

6   This Springing Out Candy Bark via My Wife’s Muffin, just screams spring and happiness.  My inner child is delighted with the colours, textures and flavours here.  Happy, happy, happy.

Get the recipe here.

7   These Chocolate Quinoa Cupcakes via Flavour and Savour, are on my list to bake this week.  They’re gluten and dairy free and full of chocolate love.  Those bright yellow polka dot liners make me so happy, I might even give the plow driver one.

Get the recipe here.

8   As Samantha from My Kitchen Love says, these Grapefruit Poppyseed Mini Bundt Cakes would cut through any grey day.  I’d have to agree.  I’m already dreaming about that grapefruit glaze.

Get the recipe here.

9   How fun are these Cotton Candy Cupcakes via My Dish Is Bomb?! Get the kids in the kitchen and have fun creating with these.  I’m smiling ear to ear!

Get the recipe here.

And there you have it!  Nine bright and beautiful recipes to make us happy and remind us that spring is indeed coming.  Watch out for part two of my recipe round-up, I can’t wait to share them all with you!

Renee

xo

Hot Milk Cupcakes

I’m almost embarrassed to be telling you what kind of cupcakes I made.  I looked back on my previous posts and realized the last few have all been lemon flavoured.

Must be spring.  Must be related to my hopes for some warm sunny weather and spring blossoms.  I’m ready for it.

It seems to be taking its sweet time.

It really doesn’t matter what the flavour of icing is for these cupcakes, the cake is the real star here.   This is a recipe for old-fashioned Hot Milk Cake.    The texture is similar to a sponge cake, but not quite as dense and much more moist.  Just as it sounds, it’s the addition of a hot milk mixture right at the end of the recipe that makes these  so wonderful.  I added a vanilla bean to the milk as it was heating.  It gives it a little extra sweetness.

Can you see my cake looking on in the distance?  It has a creamy lemon curd filling and just a swirl of lemon buttercream on top.  I had enough batter for 20 cupcakes and a 6 inch cake.

I couldn’t resist the sugar dogwood for decoration.  This cupcake here, is the one I have received the most emails and comments about.  Ever.  It’s just gorgeous.  These are a smaller version of the dogwood that I purchased on-line.   The simple addition of a blossom can take a little cake to a whole new level.

Wouldn’t these be gorgeous in a big beautiful bakery box for mom on Mother’s Day?

*adapted from Taste of Home

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• one vanilla bean split and scraped
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1-1/4 cups whole milk
• 10 tablespoons butter, room temperature, cubed

1.  In a large bowl, beat eggs on high-speed for 5 minutes (don’t skimp on this step!) until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy and increased in volume. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking powder; gradually add to batter just until combined.

2. In a small saucepan, heat milk, vanilla bean, seeds and butter just until butter is melted and mixture begins to bubble slightly at the side of the pan. Remove vanilla bean.  Gradually add milk to batter, a few tablespoons at a time; beat just until combined

3.  Pour into greased and floured 6 inch pan and 20 lined muffin cups.  You can also use a 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees until cake springs back when touched.   For the 6 inch pan approx 30 minutes, cupcakes approx 17 minutes and 9 x 13 pan approx 40 minutes.

4.  Top with icing, berries and cream or dust lightly with powdered sugar.  Enjoy.

Lemon Lime Breakfast Rolls

I have to apologize right up front for the lack of photo’s here.  These fresh and warm Lemon Lime Breakfast Rolls were eaten up pretty fast!

Remember here, when I made my Glazed Apple Cinnamon Buns?  Serious ooey goey business and so yummy on a lazy week-end morning.  These are the same idea, I used the same dough recipe but I added a tangy lemon/lime mix just before rolling them up.

These were a huge hit on a cold and dreary spring morning.  There is nothing better than taking warm bread out of the oven on a cold day.  It fills the whole house with the most amazing smell.  The beauty of these kind of breakfast treats is that they can be made well ahead of time and frozen before the second rise.  Just pop these in the oven when you wake up!

I topped these with a simple Cream Cheese Glaze while they were still warm.  When the whole week is spent waking with the dreaded sound of an alarm clock, I relish the days when I can wake up on my own time with a pot of strong coffee and some breakfast pastries.  Right off the bat I know this is going to be a good day.

On another quick note, I just wanted to share with you that this week-end my family participated in the annual Multiple Sclerosis Supercities Walk.  It’s a charity near and dear to my heart.  My daughter and I baked up some goodies for their cake table this year.  What an honour for us!

Enjoy!

Make the same dough recipe that I used here and follow the same directions for the rolls.

Lemon Lime Filling

Note: this is enough filling for one batch of lemon lime rolls.  The dough yields enough for two batches.

• 6 lemons zested
• 2 limes zested
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1.  Put the lemon and lime zest in a bowl with the white sugar and mix with your fingers coating the zest with the sugar.  This will release an amazing citrus smell!

2.  The dough recipe will give you enough for two batches of rolls. One for now and one to freeze! Roll out one half, on a lightly floured surface. Make a rectangle, about 10 x 8 inches, with the long end facing you. Spread rectangle with butter and top with the zest mixture.

3.  Start at the long end farthest from you, and begin to roll the dough into one long tube. Cut the tube into 12 even portions and place side by side in a greased 13 x 9 pan.

4.  Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. Remove from oven, invert on a plate if you wish, and drizzle glaze on top.

Cream Cheese Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 0z cream cheese at room temperature
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

1.  Whisk all ingredients together and continue to add lemon juice until you reach the glaze consistency you desire.  Spread on warm rolls.

Spring Cupcakes and a Symbol of Hope

I always eagerly await the first signs of spring.  Bright and cheerful bursts of tulips and daffodils are a welcome sight after a cold, bland winter.   They invigorate us and announce to us that spring has sprung!

Thank you for arriving spring I am so ready for you!  I’m ready for open windows, bed sheets on the clothesline, sitting in the sun and drinks on the patio!

I thought these cupcakes would be the perfect fit for our Easter table.  Beautiful sunny yellows amid pops of white, blue and pink colours.

It’s doesn’t hurt when your pops of colour are candy coated and full of milk chocolate either.  Another wonderful sign of spring. Easter chocolate.

Remember here when I made lime cupcakes with Tequila frosting?  These are identical, just substitute the lime for lemon.  Omit the step of brushing on the Tequila.   Swirl on a generous amount of Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream (below).  These  are keeper lemon cupcakes.  Really moist with a good hit of lemon followed by, you guessed it, the creamiest lemony Swiss Meringue icing.

Did you know April is also Daffodil Month for the Canadian and American Cancer Society? Daffodils are a symbol of hope for those living with cancer.  Unfortunately everyone has a cancer story.  All of the monies raised from the Daffodil Campaign go to life saving cancer research.

I hope this spring leaves you feeling rejuvenated.  I hope spring has sprung where you live!  Happy Easter everyone.

Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 3/4 cups of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup lemon curd or lemon pie filling (or more to taste)

1. Fill a saucepan (large enough to fit your mixing bowl just a few inches) with two inches of water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low so water continues to simmer.

2. In your stand mixer bowl, hand whisk the egg whites and the sugar just until combined. Place over simmering pot and whisk for approx 4 mins until the egg whites are hot (about 150 degrees). The sugar should be dissolved by this time as well. Place bowl on stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until whites have increased in volume, are thick and glossy and the outside of the bowl is just slightly warm to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes!).

3. Remove whisk attachment and replace with paddle attachment. Beat on low-speed until mixture is completely cooled. Increase speed to medium and add butter pieces one at a time. Scrape the bowl and continue to beat until buttercream is glossy, smooth and thick. It may separate at first, but continue beating and it will emulsify. Add vanilla flavouring, a pinch of salt and lemon curd and beat until combined. Use immediately.

Tangy Mini Lemon Pies and Your Mama Was A Snowblower

Look at how adorable these things are!  They look like tiny white kisses.  And a burst of yellow is just what this cool, grey day needs.

I can’t believe I’m not turning these into cupcakes, but today is a special post for a special person.  My step-dads birthday is today and this is one of his favourites!  I wanted to make something just for him because he’s really a super nice guy.  And here’s the best part…..I cheated on the pastry and the lemon curd so assembly was super quick and easy.   Not that he doesn’t deserve tarts made from scratch, but I only had an hour after work and this was so simple and tasty.

He has a nickname for literally everyone I know (even my friends 25 years later…) and he’s moved me countless times (that was the last time I promise…).   He has quirky, weird sayings for everything (I can’t tell you how many times I heard “your mama was a snowblower” growing up!) and the grandkids all think he’s a hoot.  He has a big heart and he’s good to his family.

Thanks for helping me out so many times.  And for being the guy that I call when I’m lost.  Hope you have a great birthday today!

Mini Meringue Lemon Pies

1.  First, use your best recipe for pie pastry, double crust.  Store bought pastry works just as well!  Roll out pastry and cut circles out with a 2″ biscuit cutter.  Press pastry into a mini muffin pan and generously prick each mini pie with a fork.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes or until golden.  Remove pies from the oven and allow to cool for approximately 10 minutes.

2.  Fill each mini pie with lemon curd.  Lemon pie filling works just as well too.

3.  In your stand mixer, whip 3 egg whites, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar and 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp of sugar.  Whip until stiff peaks form.  Pipe onto lemon filling.  Broil for a few minutes until meringue is golden.  Serve immediately.

Garden Party Cupcakes

Today I met up with some girls from work for lunch.  In just a few weeks summer will be over and we’ll be back to our jobs at school!  I offered to bring dessert (of course) and as if my co workers haven’t had enough of my cupcakes, I brought some!

Pretty ones this time (well, I think they’re all pretty…).  Perfect for a garden party!  Treats for a nice bunch of ladies who deserve a bouquet of summer flowers every now and then.

I think these would be welcome at any gathering.  How about a rose or two?

Do you have a picture of cupcakes fit for a garden party?  I would love to see it!

I must say that as good as they looked, they tasted even better.  Blueberry Cakes with Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting.    A very moist cake, bursting with fresh local blueberries and a tangy, creamy frosting.  I am a die-hard fan of Swiss Meringue Buttercream.   I rarely make any other kind of frosting.  Nothing compares to the creamy, light texture and sweet taste.  It’s what takes cake to a gourmet level!

Blueberry Cupcakes

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups vanilla sugar, regular white sugar is fine too

4 eggs, room temperature

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 350° and line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

1.   In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and well combined (2-3 minutes).  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each egg until well incorporated.  Beat in lemon juice.  Add the dry ingredients 1 cup at a time and alternate with the milk and vanilla.   Mix the last addition of flour until the ingredients are well incorporated but do not over mix!  Gently fold in blueberries.

3.  Fill cupcake liners until 3/4 full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

from Martha Stewart

5  large egg whites

pinch of kosher salt

1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar

4 sticks unsalted butter, very soft

1 1/2 tsp lemon extract

1.  Fill a saucepan (large enough to fit your mixing bowl just a few inches) with a few inches of water.  Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low so water continues to simmer.

2.  In your stand mixer bowl, hand whisk the egg whites, sugar and salt just until combined.  Place over simmering pot and whisk for approx 4 mins until the egg whites are hot (about 140 degrees).  The sugar should be dissolved by this time as well.  Place bowl on stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment.  Whisk on medium until whites have increased in volume and the outside of the bowl is just slightly warm to the touch.

3.  Remove whisk attachment and replace with paddle attachment.  Beat on low-speed until mixture is completely cooled.  Increase speed to medium and add butter pieces one at a time.  Scrape the bowl and continue to beat until buttercream is glossy, smooth and thick.  It may separate at first, but continue beating and it will emulsify.  Add lemon extract and beat until combined.  Use immediately.

I use a 1M Wilton tip for icing swirls.

Gluten-Free Lemon, Lime and Quinoa Pudding Cakes

I am so grateful for all of the e-mails and feedback that I receive.  It lets me know that people are interested!  I have received quite a few requests for gluten-free and dairy free recipes.  This one is very simple and perfect for dinner on the patio.  The texture is very light, much like a mousse.  It’s a bit tart and very refreshing.  Serve warm or cold.

Enjoy,

Lemon, Lime and Quinoa Pudding Cakes

*from Canelle et Vanille

Preheat oven to 325° and grease 5 5oz ramekins

2 egg yolks
6 oz whole milk
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp lime zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup quinoa flour
pinch kosher salt
2 egg whites

In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks, milk, lemon zest, lime zest, lemon juice and
lime juice.

In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, salt and quinoa flour.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk.

Whip the egg whites until medium peaks form.   Fold a third of the egg whites into the batter. Add the rest
and fold gently.

Pour the batter into the greased ramekins.  Place the ramekins in a deep baking pan and pour hot water into the baking dish- enough to cover the ramekins half way. Bake for about 30 minutes until set.