Lemon & Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Lemon Drizzle

I love lemons.


Oh & limes...but not oranges...how strange?!

They have such a beautiful vibrant colour to them. They make me smile...the same way a sunflower makes me smile whenever I see them...my favourite flower.


I love the tang lemons have (I think that's why I like sour sweets so much too), their freshness, the way they clean your palette & these cupcakes have a lovely tang to them. I use low fat natural yoghurt so I don't feel too guilty when I eat 2 or 3, oh who am I kidding, ok 4!!!


Cupcakes:
220g plain flour.
125g caster sugar.
1 tsp baking powder.
3/4 tsp bicarb.
1/4 tsp salt.
1 tbsp lemon zest.
2tbsps poppy seeds.
85g unsalted butter, melted.
250g low fat natural yoghurt.
1 tbsp lemon juice (although I like to use more).


Lemon Drizzle:
80ml lemon juice (again I used more as I like it extra tangy).
4 tbsps sugar.
2 tsps lemon zest.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6 or 400f.


Line a cupcake/ muffin pan with cases...like sooooo...

In a bowl mix all your dry ingredients...like sooooo...

Melt the butter & in another bowl mix all you wet ingredients...like sooooo...I'll stop now I promise ;0)

Mix both bowls together until just moist, then spoon batter into the cases....

Pop in the oven & bake for 20/25 minutes.


Lemon drizzle:


In a small pan mix together & heat the lemon drizzle ingredients...

Bring to the boil & then simmer gently until the sugar dissolves...

Once the muffins are ready prick the tops 5 or 6 times...mmm...I think they look good just as they are but they're about to get even better.... :0D

Spoon the drizzle over the warm cupcakes.....

...and, if you're as impatient as I am, enjoy whilst still warm.


Don't they look delish....

Credit: http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/8303/lemon-drizzle-muffins.aspx - I changed it slightly by adding poppy seeds.

Lavender Shortbread (1st attempt)

A friend of mine sent me a recipe for lavender cupcakes. They sounded so nice I went out & bought a lavender plant. After seeing a recipe for lavender shortbread I decided to make these instead.

I rarely make biscuits, cookies or shortbread for fear of getting it wrong.

Aaaaaaand because the only time I made choc chip cookies, they weren't very good :0/

I got this recipe from You Tube. I did already have a recipe in one of my books but wanted to see someone actually make the biscuits.

So here goes:

2 cups of plain flour.
8 oz unsalted butter.
4 tsps lavender.
1/2 cup granulated sugar.

I ground the lavender in my mini food processor, added the sugar & ground it up some more.

I would've used my husbands coffee grinder but after 3yrs of it being used solely for coffee beans & not being cleaned once this recipe would've ended up as lavender & coffee shortbread....doesn't sound too appealing to me.

I softened the butter with my favourite spatula....sad I know...I have a favourite utensil.....I actually think I'm in love with this spatula....weird I know but you know when something feels so comfortable & right in your hand? No? Ah well, it makes sense to me :0)

I actually bought this for my son to use when he helps me bake but I've found I use it more than any of my others.

Cream the butter & sugar together (this is my least favourite bit of baking, I usually try & get a recipe that doesn't involve this as, I have to admit, I am a bit lazy).

Mix in the flour until it forms a dough.

Roll out to whatever thickness you like, just remember you'll have to adjust the baking time the thicker they are. I like the shortbread stick look. Easy to dunk in a lovely cup of tea.

Bake for 22-25 minutes on gas mark 2.

And there we have it.....

Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AO6_IFJDqw