{Goodbye Summer} Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes with a Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Happy Autumn, everyone!

I love summer, so I felt it necessary to give summer a proper goodbye before welcoming fall with open arms.  A few weeks ago I made these fabulous cupcakes and brought them in to the clinic I was working at for the week.  They were a huge success. If i was asked to describe the taste of summer, this would be it.   The blueberry-lemon combination was the perfect mix of sweet and tart. I was hesitant at first to do a lemon buttercream frosting because I didn’t want the lemon to be too overpowering, but I think it was quite the opposite.  The icing really brought out the flavor of the cupcake without being overpowering.   I cannot wait to make these again!

Enjoy 🙂

Ingredients for cupcake: 

  • 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons  flour, divided
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2  cup blueberries

Ingredients for icing: 

  • 1 cup crisco, butter flavor
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

4. Reduce the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just incorporated, do not over-beat.

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5. In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Using a spatula gently fold the berries into the cake batter.

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6. Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups.
7. Bake 17-19 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool in the muffin pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. For the frosting: Place butter  in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add confectioners sugar, vanilla,  lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix until thick and creamy. Add more powdered sugar if necessary until the frosting is of good piping consistency. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.

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Goodbye summer!

Lemon and Thyme Chicken

Here’s a quick and tasty baked chicken recipe I made one night this week.  Turned out to be so easy and so full of flavor.  We really enjoyed it with a side of roasted potatoes and vegetables.

Enjoy!

 

Ingredients: 

  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup of chicken broth
  • 1 tsp lemon pepper
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 lemon cut into 4 wedges

Instructions: 

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking dish with cooking spray.

2.  Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, until garlic is a golden yellow color.

3. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon pepper, oregano, and thyme to the pan. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.

4. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt, freshly cracked pepper, and lemon pepper to taste. Place the chicken in the baking dish along with the lemon wedges.

5.  Place into the oven and bake, basting occasionally with the garlic lemon sauce, for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.

5.  Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle the garlic lemon sauce on top of the slices of chicken and serve.

 

Modified from the blog For the Love of Cooking