LEMON GLAZE for MADELEINES

Follow the steps for baking MADELEINES.  Following is the lemon glazing.  Very tasty!

INGREDIENTS

3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar (150 g)

1 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 TBSP water

While the Madeleines are baking, make the glaze as follows:

In a small bowl stir together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water until smooth.

Remove Madeleines from oven and tilt onto a cooling rack.  The moment they're cool enough to handle, dip each cake in the glaze, turning them over to make sure both sides are coated and scrape off any excess with a dull knife.  NOTE:  I coat ONLY the tops as I find this sweet enough yet the lemon flavouring is sufficiently strong.  After dipping, rest each one back on the cooling rack, scalloped side up, until the cakes are cool and the glaze has firmed up.

NOTE:  Do not freeze Madeleines after glazing as the glaze will melt. 

Lemon Muffins with Blueberries

I've made these muffins a couple of times with various additions.  I like the zesty lemon flavour.  Please note if you do not use paper liners and only grease your muffin pan, the blueberries stick to the bottom and the muffin can be a bit difficult to remove.

INGREDIENTS

1-3/4  Cup Whole Wheat White Flour (I used 1 Cup whole wheat and 3/4 Cup all purpose flour)
1-1/2  Tsp Baking Powder
1/4     Tsp Baking Soda
1/4      Tsp Salt
3/4      Cup Coconut Sugar (I used granulated sugar ... and could use a bit less than 3/4 Cup)
1/3      Cup Canola Oil
2         Eggs
3/4      Cup Low Fat Buttermilk (made my own but adding about 1 TBSP Lemon juice
                                                      to my milk and letting it sit for about 10 minutes)
Zest    from One Medium Lemon (about 1 TBSP)(I use the whole lemon and zest it)
2         TBSP Fresh Lemon Juice
1          Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1          Cup fresh Blueberries (or chocolate chips ... yummy)

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line muffin pan with 12 paper liners.  Set aside.
2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3.  In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs and oil vigorously until frothy, about one minute.
     Add milk, lemon zest, juice and vanilla and whisk until well blended.
4.  Add the dry ingredients and stir just until almost combined.
5.  Gently fold in blueberries (or you can stir in the blueberries - or chocolate chips or nuts or
     whatever you wanted to add - into the flour mixture and carefully mix the dry ingredients into
      the wet ingredients. )
6.  Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the muffin batter evenly between 12  muffin cups.  (I like to top    mine with sliced almonds or any kind of nut I have handy)
7.  Bake 15 - 18 minutes or until golden brown and the top of the muffins spring back when
     gently pressed.
8.  Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan and cool completely
     on a wire rack.
Note:  Muffins can be frozen and thawed at room temperature or quickly in the microwave in about 12-15 seconds.

LEMON CURD

LEMON CURD

As usual, I made this then forgot to take a photo.  It will appear one day, but you already know what Lemon Curd looks like ... it looks like the yellow filling in Lemon Meringue Pie.  I made it as I had  cake to take the next morning and now it was the night-before.  Not much time so I bought a lemon cake mix (sorry, I cannot remember the last time I purchased a cake mix!!!!) and wanted something besides icing in between the layers.
There are a variety of uses for Lemon Curd. It's also used on scones, cakes, cupcakes, bread, muffins, pancakes, crumpets, waffles, cream puffs, tarts, and cookies, although I have to admit I have never used it on any of those ... but it does sound tasty.  Using it between the layers of the cake was an excellent choice.

Ingredients

1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar (I always use just a wee bit less)
1/3 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tsp Lemon Zest, finely grated
2 Large Eggs, room temperature
1/4 Cup Butter, room temperature

Instructions
1.  In a small saucepan, combine sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and eggs.

2.  Add the butter and cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a whisk until the first bubble appears on the surface of the mixture and the curd is thick enough to hold marks of the whisk, about 6-8 minutes.

3.  Strain the lemon curd through a fine-mesh strainer if you don't want the lemon zest in the curd.  (I like zest in the curd, so left it in and no one complained).  Transfer the hot lemon curd to a bowl or jar and cover the surface with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until cold, then take off the plastic wrap and replace with a lid.

4.  The curd keeps fresh in the fridge for about 1 week.

Notes:
1.  If your lemon curd curdles, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve.