Tag: fresh lemon

Categories
Dessert

You’ll have strong ‘peelings’ for lemon blueberry bars

Lemon blueberry crumb bars are made with fresh fruit and use a cake mix as a base, making them flavorful and sweet while coming together quickly and easily.
Lemon blueberry crumb bars are made with fresh fruit and use a cake mix as a base, making them flavorful and sweet while coming together quickly and easily.

Upon being invited to a barbecue recently, I announced that it would be a good time to try out a recipe for some cheesecake-y blueberry lemon bars.

“No. No lemon,” one of our friends declared. “Lemon is gross.”

(I think he was at least halfway joking.)

The rest of the group immediately objected.

“Yes! Make lemon bars. Don’t listen to him!”

So lemon bars, it was, and while our one friend didn’t dig into the Tupperware, the entire batch disappeared quickly, and I had absolutely zero leftovers.

And that’s with a recipe that features a cake mix as a base, which made it super easy to put together.

This comes from the blog “Lemon Blossoms,” by Kathy McDaniel. You can find the original post at https://www.lemonblossoms.com/blog/lemon-blueberry-crumb-bars/. I added vanilla in my version.

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Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars

Lemon blueberry crumb bars are made with fresh fruit and use a cake mix as a base, making them flavorful and sweet while coming together quickly and easily.
Course Dessert
Keyword bake sale, cake mix, cream cheese, easy bars, fresh blueberries, fresh lemon, lemon glaze, lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar, vanilla, yellow cake mix

Ingredients

Bars Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 yellow cake mix
  • 2 eggs divided
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice divided
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 16 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 pints fresh blueberries

Glaze Ingredients

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking dish by lining it with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the edges so it’s easier to remove the bars from the pan later. Set it aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, cake mix, one egg and two tablespoons lemon juice. Beat the ingredients together until they’re smooth
  • Dump about two-thirds of the mixture into the prepared baking dish and press it down evenly on the bottom of the pan with your hands.
  • In another mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until it is well combine. Beat in one egg, lemon zest, vanilla and two tablespoons lemon juice until the mixture is smooth.
  • Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter layer in the baking dish. Evenly distribute the blueberries on the top of the cream cheese.
  • Crumbling it with your fingers, evenly sprinkle the rest of the batter over the top of the blueberries. You will have gaps, and that’s OK.
  • Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center is set.
  • While the bars bake, whisk the ingredients for the glaze together. It should be just thin enough to be pourable. If your mixture is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add more lemon juice.
  • When the bars are finished, drizzle the glaze over the hot bars, and then let the bars cool completely before placing them in the refrigerator for about one-half hour.
  • Carefully lift the bars out of the dish with the parchment paper and slice.
  • Serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

These were lightly sweet with a nice combination of fruit flavors and just a bit of tartness from the lemon juice and zest. They were a huge hit at the barbecue.

And, being the peacemaker I am, I may have made a second, lemon-free dessert to go on the table, too. You have to give the people what they want, I suppose—even if they’re wrong about lemons.

This piece first appeared in print on Aug. 17, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Beverage

Summer means it’s time for a ‘mango-nificent’ lemonade

Fresh mango lemonade features pureed mangos, fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a homemade simple syrup, making for a refreshing summertime drink. It’s great as is or with a splash of tequila.
Fresh mango lemonade features pureed mangos, fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a homemade simple syrup, making for a refreshing summertime drink. It’s great as is or with a splash of tequila.

You know summer is here when you start seeing area kids trying their hand at entrepreneurship with lemonade stands.

This past weekend, I saw several friends posting photos of their children with toothy grins, sitting behind card tables adorned with homemade signs. As much as some things change, there are so many that seem to stay the same in our small towns.

I wish all of those budding business owners luck with their endeavors, and while I’m sure most will be leaning heavily on Country Time or Kool-Aid for their pitchers full of yellow gold, I would like to offer up a bit more complicated recipe that is delicious and takes plain, old lemonade to the next level with the tropical flavor of mango.

This comes from the blog “Onion Rings & Things.” You can find the original post at https://www.onionringsandthings.com/mango-lemonade/. I didn’t add any ingredients on this one, because it’s so simple.

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Fresh Mango Lemonade

Fresh mango lemonade features pureed mangos, fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a homemade simple syrup, making for a refreshing summertime drink. It’s great as is or with a splash of tequila.
Course Beverage
Keyword cocktail, fresh lemon, lemon juice, lemonade, mango, simple syrup, tropical drink

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 ripe mangoes
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 2 cups cold water
  • ice

Instructions

  • Add the sugar and one cup of water to a sauce pot. Heat it over medium heat until the mixture is at a simmer—just below boiling—stirring occasionally.
  • Once the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid looks clear, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. (This is what you call a simple syrup, but don’t be fooled, it won’t be anywhere near the consistency of the stuff you put on your pancakes.)
  • Scoop out the insides of the mangoes and place them in a blender along with the freshly squeezed lemon juice, cooled simple syrup and cold water. Process until the mixture is completely smooth. (If you don’t have enough room in your blender, just puree the mango with the lemon juice, and then pour all of the ingredients into a pitcher and mix.)
  • Pour the mixture over ice (if you’re not into pulp, you might want to strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve first) and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.

This was absolutely delicious. It was certainly more work than scooping powder and sugar into a pitcher, but it was worth it. Personally, I didn’t mind the little bit of pulp in my glass, but Joey was more in favor of straining his. It’s all about your own preferences.

And, yes, in case you’re wondering, you can take this from being a fun, kid-friendly summer drink to something just for the adults. We tried it with some tequila for a bit of a margarita flair, and it was super tasty. (You probably shouldn’t try that version for your stands, though, kids.)

Drinking lemonade—spiked or not—is one of the many signs of summer and a much better one than sunburns, mosquito bites and sweat.

It’s that little slice of Americana that just never seems to get old.

This piece first appeared in print on May 25, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

‘Poppy’ in the kitchen and try some beautiful scratch-made cupcakes

These lemon poppy seed cupcakes feature a decadent, from-scratch, blackberry buttercream that sends the springtime fruit flavors to the next level.
These lemon poppy seed cupcakes feature a decadent, from-scratch, blackberry buttercream that sends the springtime fruit flavors to the next level.

I have always been a sucker for poppy seeds.

If there is a tray of pastries that includes poppy seed bread or muffins, that is what’s going on my plate. That nutty flavor is just irresistible.

That being said, I rarely bake with poppy seeds, for some reason. I had to change that, and what better way than making a delicious, springtime dessert featuring the little seeds along with fresh lemon and blackberries?

A match made in heaven.

This comes from the blog “Just So Tasty” by Fiona Dowling. You can find the original post at https://www.justsotasty.com/lemon-poppy-seed-cupcakes-with-blackberry-frosting/. I added extra vanilla and poppy seeds in my version.

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Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting

These lemon poppy seed cupcakes feature a decadent, from-scratch, blackberry buttercream that sends the springtime fruit flavors to the next level.
Course Dessert
Keyword baby shower cupcake, buttercream, fresh blackberries, fresh lemon, from-scratch, frozen blackberries, lemon zest, poppy seeds, poppyseed, vanilla, wedding shower cupcake

Ingredients

Cupcake Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Frosting Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups blackberries
  • 1 cup butter room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon milk or cream if needed

Instructions

Cupcake Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line one and one-half regular-sized muffin tins with cupcake liners.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest for a few minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  • Beat in the eggs and vanilla, add in the baking soda and salt, and then alternate beating in a bit of the sour cream, followed by a bit of the flour until everything is well combined.
  • Stir in the lemon juice and poppy seeds.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared liners, filling each to about two-thirds full.
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool in the pan until you can handle the cupcakes, and then let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting Directions

  • Add the blackberries to a blender or food processor and process until they are smooth.
  • Pour the berries into a fine-mesh sieve over a small saucepan, and stir them around, pressing the mixture to get as much out of the berries and into the pan as you can.
  • Heat the saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 20 minutes or until the mixture has thickened to a jam consistency. Remove the pan from the heat and let the berries cool completely.
  • When you’re ready to frost the cooled cupcakes, beat the butter in a large bowl until it is soft and creamy. Beat in two cups of the powdered sugar, along with the salt. Add the blackberry puree and beat again.
  • Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar, one-half cup at a time. If the mixture is too runny to frost the cupcakes, add more powdered sugar, just a bit at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. If it is too stiff, add a tablespoon (or more) of milk or cream until you are happy with it.
  • Frost the cupcakes and store in an airtight container.

These were delicious. The cupcake flavor was delicate but still stood up to the blackberry buttercream, which was fabulous. Plus, they were just really pretty.

I did feel a bit bad about having all the bits and pieces of the blackberries left over in my sieve, so I ended up transferring them along with equal parts water and sugar to a pan and making a blackberry simple syrup. It’s great in everything from cocktails to iced tea.

And I was glad to get my poppy seed fix. These were perfect to fit that bill. Unfortunately, you’ll have to make your own to find out. Mine are—mysteriously—all gone.

This piece first appeared in print on May 11, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

The best ‘tart’ of a fundraiser is the dessert

This French lemon cream tart is the perfect balance between sweet and tart, with a crispy, shortbread-like crust to top off the experience. It takes a bit of effort to make, but the time commitment is worth it.
This French lemon cream tart is the perfect balance between sweet and tart, with a crispy, shortbread-like crust to top off the experience. It takes a bit of effort to make, but the time commitment is worth it.

I have been thinking about this week’s recipe for nearly a month.

I was asked back then if I would be willing to make a dessert for Peace Connections’ annual soup supper and dessert auction.

The event is a fundraiser for the Harvey County Circle of Hope, which does amazing work in helping families, and I was honored to be asked to help.

But then the problem of what to make started to race through my mind. I finally landed on something that looks a little fancy, would be delicious but also would be just enough of a pain in the keester to make that it would be way easier to let someone else do the hard work and bid on it instead.

So I landed on this week’s recipe, which comes from the blog “Confessions of a Baking Queen” by Elizabeth Waterson. You can find the original post at https://confessionsofabakingqueen.com/french-lemon-cream-tart/. I added extra zest in my version.

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French Lemon Cream Tart

This French lemon cream tart is the perfect balance between sweet and tart, with a crispy, shortbread-like crust to top off the experience.It takes a bit of effort to make, but the time commitment is worth it.
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Keyword butter, fancy dessert, fresh berries, fresh lemon, heavy cream, lemon cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar, shortbread, tart, vanilla

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons butter cold

Filling Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 to 6 medium-sized lemons
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup plus 5 tablespoons butter room temperature

For Decoration

  • fresh berries I used blackberries and raspberries
  • powdered sugar

Instructions

  • To prepare the crust, add the cream, yolk and vanilla to a small bowl. Whisk them together and set it aside.
  • In a food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar and salt a few times to combine them. Cut the cold butter into chunks and pulse it in with the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Turn the processor on low and stream in the egg mixture. As soon as the dough starts to come together in the food processor, turn it off and dump the contents onto a clean countertop. Gently press the dough together, trying not to handle it too much so you don’t melt the butter.
  • Form the dough into a six-inch disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Once the dough is chilled, roll it out into a large circle on a well-floured surface until it is about one-eighth-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 10-inch tart pan and press the dough into all the nooks and crannies of the pan. Fold about one inch of the overhanging dough over to create thicker sides and press those in, too. Trim off any excess dough.
  • Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and place the pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
  • To bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and place it, spray side down, in the cold crust, lining it with the foil. Fill the area with dry beans or pie weights. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the foil and weights and bake for another five to 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
  • Let the crust cool completely before filling it.
  • For the filling, combine the sugar and zest from about five lemons (you’ll want to get at least four tablespoons worth of zest) in a bowl. Stir until they are well combined.
  • Juice the lemons into a measuring cup until you have 3/4 cup of juice, and add it to the sugar mixture, along with the eggs. Whisk the mixture until it’s well combined, and add it to a medium-sized saucepan.
  • Turn the heat to low-medium and monitor the temperature with a candy thermometer, whisking constantly, until it reaches 180 degrees. (If the temperature stalls out, carefully turn the burner temperature up a bit at a time. Be careful not to heat it too quickly, or your eggs will clump up.)
  • Once the mixture is up to temp, remove it from the heat and pour it into a sieve over a bowl. This will remove all the zest and any lumps formed in the cooking process.
  • Let the mixture cool for at least 10 minutes.
  • Pour the filling into a food processor and turn it on low speed. Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, letting the mixture process for at least one minute between each addition. Once all the butter is added, process for another three to five minutes.
  • Pour the filling into a clean bowl and gently press a piece of plastic wrap on the top of the cream so it doesn’t form a skin. Place it in the refrigerator for at least four hours.
  • To assemble the tart, stir the cream (it should be thick), and add it to the crust, smoothing it out evenly with a spoon or offset spatula.
  • Place a piece of plastic wrap pressed on top of the cream and refrigerate for at least 30 more minutes.
  • Before serving, top with fresh berries and a sprinkling of powdered sugar, if so desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.

The tart I made this week was a test run for next week’s showstopper, and Joey and I enjoyed getting to taste test it. It’s in the perfect middle ground between sweet and tart, and the fresh fruit takes the flavors up to a whole new level.

Baking this tart ended up taking a few hours in the kitchen, but not only was the taste worth it, but I hope the one I bring to Peace Connections will help them raise some funds for a worthy cause, too. If you want to try this without having to make it yourself, plan on attending the event at the First Church of the Nazarene, 1000 N Main Street, Newton, on Thursday, Feb. 16. The soup supper starts at 5:30 p.m., and the dessert auction will begin at 6:15 p.m.

I hope the event turns out as well as my tart did. If so, it’s going to be great.

This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 9, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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