Lemon Honey Mini Muffins

Was trying to think of something quick and easy to make for work and came up with these.  They go together very quickly and are really tasty.  Next time I will maybe try them with poppy seeds and then again with blueberries and also cranberries.

I made these in my mini rectangle muffin tin, they are so cute.  I sprayed it very well and they just popped right out.

Serves 12 and one regular size muffin..



Honey Lemon Muffins 

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/2 c. honey

1/4 c. lemon juice

1/4 c. light stick butter, melted

1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel

Drizzle:

1/2 c. powdered sugar

lemon juice
drizzle of honey

additional grated lemon peel

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, honey, lemon juice, butter and lemon peel. Stir into dry ingredients until moistened.

Coat muffin cups with cooking spray. Fill half full. Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon peel until drizzling consistency. Drizzle over muffins.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week and Always Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things You L♥ve.
Donna

Lemon Toffee Cookies

• I've been experimenting with cookie recipes trying to make a list of what I will make at Christmas time.  I usually make about 7 or 8 different kinds of cookies, some are favorites, some are requests from the folks I give cookies to at the holidays and some are just new recipes I've tried.    
• I think recipe will be a keeper, you can change it up by adding chocolate, nuts or other type of flavoring.  It's a very simple basic cookie recipe.
• 
  
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ cup toffee pieces
• ¼ cup granulated sugar, for rolling cookies in

Directions:

1. Cream together butter and 1 cup of sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add in the egg, lemon extract, and corn syrup,  and beat until combined.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture, beating a little at a time until fully incorporated and smooth. Stir in the toffee  chips. Cover dough and chill in the fridge for one hour. (may do longer just take out 15 minutes or so before you are ready to bake)
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll chilled dough into balls (about ⅛ cup each) and roll in the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Bake on prepared cookie sheets for 10-12 minutes, until edges are set. Cool on a wire rack before enjoying.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week and Always Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things You L♥ve.

Donna

Lemon Pound Cake w/lemon glaze

It's been really hot here 3 digit's hot!!!!  This sounded really cool so thought I'd make it for my Monday Work Treat.  It was a big hit and several said it would be great with blueberry's or strawberry's on the side with some whip cream.  A food for thought.

Lemon Pound Cake

3 cups all-purpose  flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup of sour cream
4 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons ( about 2 tbsps.)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees
1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest.
2. Mix half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix in the buttermilk and then add in the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until the flour disappears. Pour the cake batter into a bundt pan that has been generously sprayed with baking spray.
3. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn the cake over on a cake platter. Spread half of the lemon glaze over the warm cake so that the glaze can soak into the cake. Let the cake cool completely and drizzle the remaining glaze over the cake.

Lemon Glaze

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoon lemon juice, at room temperature
1. Cream the butter and slowly add powdered sugar and lemon juice. Beat well until the glaze is a creamy smooth
consistency. 

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week and Always Remember to Find the Time to DO ALL the things You L♥ve.
Donna 

Italian Cream Lemon Cake

Not quite sure why they call this Italian Cream Cake because there is not sort of Italian stuff in it.   The gal from the site listed below said heavy cream is the only cream they have in Italy.  HMMM interesting.  Wonder if this would be good with maybe ricotta cheese in it.  May try that and see.
 I made this for my Monday Work Treat.  Another I found on Pinterest that looked really yummy and was a had to try recipe.

adapted from here

Ingredients

2 cups + 1 tablespoon flour (270 grams)
1 3/4 cups icing/powdered sugar (218.75 grams)
4 eggs
2/3 cup whole cream (150 ml) (heavy cream or whipping cream)
7 tablespoons butter melted (100 grams)
zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla (5 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder (10 grams)
1/2 teaspoon salt (2.85 grams)

Here is its before the Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350° (180° celsius). Lightly grease and flour an 9 1/2 inch bundt cake (24 centimeter) (I'm sure a 9 inch round cake pan would work)
In a large bowl beat on medium speed eggs and sugar (powdered/icing sugar) until light and fluffy,
Melt butter and let cool completely.
Grate the peel of one lemon.(zest)
In a medium bowl whisk together flour,baking powder and salt, then alternating with the cream gently fold into egg mixture with a spatula, keep folding until mixture is combined, gently fold in lemon peel, vanilla and melted butter, pour into prepared pan and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes. Let cool, then dust with powdered/icing sugar. Enjoy!

 Thanks for stopping  by, have a wonderful week and Always Remember to Find the Time to DO ALL the things YOU L♥ve.
Donna

another blueberry lemon scone

 

Mondays Treat  ....not much to say other than YUM!

 

  printable

adapted from here

Lemon Blueberry Scones

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp cold butter
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 cup fresh blueberries
milk for brushing tops

Glaze 

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch of lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400°
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut butter into dry ingredients till crumbly. Stir in milk, lemon juice and lemon zest until moistened. Fold in fresh blueberries. Pat into circle about one inch thick on lightly floured counter. Cut into 8 wedges. Place one-two inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Brush tops with milk. Bake for about 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and drizzle with glaze.
For glaze- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. You may need more or less lemon juice to get the consistency you need.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day and Always Remember to Find the Time to DO ALL the thing YOU L♥ve
Donna

lemon poppy seed scones

Another treat for your Monday meeting.  My co workers are getting so spoiled.  After my return from vacation I didn't make anything for Monday because the day before had been Mother's Day and I didn't feel like baking.  They told me, well ok we'll let you slide this time!  HAHAHA.  As you can see I've been on a scone kick.  I find that they are so easy to make and I can put all the ingredients together in the food processor the night before then in the AM before work I just add the butter and wet ingredients.  Pop them in the freezer for 20 minutes while I shower and dress for work and then bake them so when I arrive at work they are usually still warm.  Boy what a treat.
These scones are really good and have a nice tartness to them.  Hope you give them a try.

Ingredients:

For the Scones:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1 large egg

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup 10% cream

For the Glaze:

1/4 cup icing sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the large bowl of a food processor, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt), pulsing a few times until combined.  Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Whisk egg and lemon juice together in a small bowl, then add to the food processor.  Pulse until moist clumps form.  Add the cream, and pulse just until the dough comes together.

Using floured hands, gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a 4x4-inch square on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Cut the square into three even rows and three even columns, forming 9 smaller squares.  Cut each square in half diagonally to form two triangles, making a total of 18 triangles.  (See this post for a similar example of forming mini scones). 

Spread the triangles evenly across the baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven until scones are golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To make the lemon glaze, whisk together the icing sugar and lemon juice until a pourable glaze forms.  Once scones have cooled, use a spoon to drizzle icing over the scones (or transfer the icing to a ziplock bag, snip off the corner, and squeeze out).  Serve immediately.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week and Always Remember to Find the Time to Do all the Things You L ♥ve
Donna

Basil Lemon Roast Chicken

This is a very quick and easy dish to make.  You could stuff the chicken if you wanted but I made this one empty.

Ingredients:
1 large chicken ...think this one was about 3 1/2 lbs.
1 whole lemon
2-3 stems  fresh basil
2 fresh thyme springs
salt and pepper

Preheat oven 375°
Rinse the chicken and pat dry.  Place in a roasting pan, put a little salt inside the
cavity, the loosen the breast skin and place a thin slice of lemon and some basil between the skin and the meat.  Squeeze some juice on top then put the rest of the lemon and basil inside the cavity.  Put in oven uncovered and bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Test with thermometer for internal temp to be 160° - 175° and juices run clear.
With the drippings from the chicken you can make a nice gravy.  Just add some cornstarch or coconut flour *(low carb) to some water then to your drippings.  Add some thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
You can serve this with so many things for a quick meal.
Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day and Remember to Find The Time to Do all the things YOU love.
Donna

Michael Symon's Lemon Chicken with Fried Potatoes

This is a very yummy recipe and doesn't take a lot of prep time.  I saw Micheal Symon make this on the Chew so of course I had to try it.  If you have not seen "The Chew" you should take the time to watch an episode or two.  They have great recipes and tips, the show is filled with lots of helpful information not just cooking.  The potatoes are shown below.


adapted from The Chew - Michael Symon
6-8 chicken thighs
2 cups Lemon Juice
1 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 cloves Garlic (sliced)
1/4 Cup Fresh Oregano (leaves only - chopped)
Salt and Pepper

instructions Preheat oven to 400F.

ingredients:

6-9 chicken thighs
2 cups Lemon Juice
1 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 cloves Garlic (sliced)
1/4 Cup Fresh Oregano (leaves only - chopped)
Salt and Pepper

instructions:

  Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, and season generously with salt and pepper. Pour over chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes up to 4 hours.

Instructions:

 Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken, skin side down. Flip the chicken over, then pour the remaining marinade into the pan and immediately transfer to the hot oven. Roast until chicken finishes cooking through, about 15 minutes.

ingredients:

 4 Potatoes (scrubbed and sliced into 1/2-inch thick disks or chunks)
Vegetable Oil (to fry)
Salt and Pepper

instructions Preheat 1/2-inch of vegetable oil in a cast iron pan. Arrange the potatoes in the pan and fry until crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, and season with salt and pepper while still hot.

You can put pan sauce over the chicken to serve. Garnish to taste with parsley.

Thanks for taking time from your busy day to stop by.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to do ALL the things YOU Love.
Donna

Lemon Basil Cookies

My herbs are doing great this year.  My lemon basil was starting to flower so I thought I'd try making a cookie with it.  They would be great on St. Patty's day because they are light green.  The basil flavor is not overpowering and the icing adds just the right amount of sweetness.  Think next time try these I wills use regular basil and lots of lemon zest and juice to see if they have a different taste.
printable

1 cup fresh basil leaves (or lemon-basil) I used lemon basil
1 cup sugar (divided)
1 stick unsalted  butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 tbs. lemon zest
2 large egg
2 1\4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325
 Pulse basil and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor or blender until blended.

Beat butter at medium speed in mixer fitted with paddle attachment until creamy. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating well. Add lemon zest and egg, beating until blended. Gradually add flour and basil mixture and continue  to beat until mixed.
 Drop by large TBL on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake for about 20-22 minutes until bottoms are brown.  Ice when cool.
             
                                                       OR

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment or silpat. Flatten balls slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
Bake at 325° for  20-22 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire rack  to cool completely.
These are really refreshing and would be great with a nice light summer dinner or large salad.
Thanks for taking time from your busy day to stop by.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the time to Do ALL the things YOU Love.
Donna

Lemon Poppy Muffins

One dreary day I made these, sort of like a comfort food you could say.
These Lemon Muffins are really very simple and go together very quickly.

350 degrees 18-20 minutes makes 12 regular 6 large muffins
Printable
Ingredients:
2 cups of AP flour
2 TBL poppy seeds
1 stick 8 TBL room temp unsalted butter
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
zest of 1 lemon
1 TBL fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup plain yogurt

Glaze
1/2 cup confectionery sugar
1-2 TBL fresh lemon juice

Direction:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin. Combine flour, poppy seeds, salt, baking powder and baking soda, stir til mixed. In another bowl cream sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs one at a time and mix well between. Mix in the lemon zest and vanilla. With mixer on low, mix the dry ingredients in two additions alternating with the yogurt, beating each addition just until incorporated. Fill muffins tins 2/3 full, bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pans for about 5 minutes, while still warm glaze. Then Enjoy! :)
Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to do ALL the things YOU Love.
Donna

Lemon Yogurt Cake with Blueberry sauce

This is a recipe from Ina Garten from food network.   We had a birthday celebration on Sunday for JR's birthday which was actually Monday.  We had an Italian Feast, home made Manicotti (crepes and all), a sausage filled puff pastry with roasted peppers and provolone cheese, two types of Italian Bread, carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and this cake.  Wow I'm full again.  LOL  Oh yeah one healthy thing, we had a salad too.  :)
I will post all the other recipes very soon.

Ingredient
 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
nocoupons

For the glaze:   

1 cup confectioners' sugar  

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

nocoupons

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup  lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan or wax paper. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
For the glaze , combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Blueberry sauce:
Ingredients  
1 1/2 pints fresh blueberries, rinsed   
1 cup sugar  
1 tsp vanilla   
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
nocoupons

Directions

Combine the blueberries and vanilla sugar in a large heavy saucepan. Add 1 cup water and the lemon juice and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken.

Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve if you want.  I left mine so you can get the nice taste of the blueberries and pieces. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate.

When ready to eat slice cake and serve with blueberry sauce.  Now doesn't that look just YUMMY???

 Thanks for taking the time from your busy day to stop by.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the THings You. LOVE.
Donna

Lemon Pull Apart Coffee Cake

I found this recipe here one day last week while I was surfing.  Her picture is a bit different from mine.  I don't think I put the dough in the pan right, but my daughter said that it looked very bakeryish, if that's a word. Boy is this good.

Ingredients:

About 2 3/4 cups (12 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (2 1/2 fluid ounces) whole milk
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Lemon Paste filling:
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (3 lemons)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted (don't add to above..you will spread this on the dough after the rise)

Icing
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup (1 1/4 ounces) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
(can store up to 2 days)

Directions:  Read all below before you start so you understand what you'll be doing with the dough.
Stir together 2 cups (9 ounces) of the flour, the sugar, the yeast, and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer; set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter over low heat just until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat, add the water, and set aside until warm (120 to 130°F [49 to 54°C]), about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract.
Pour the milk mixture over the flour-yeast mixture and, using a rubber spatula, mix until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Attach the bowl to the mixer, and fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stop the mixer, add 1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) of the remaining flour, and resume mixing on low speed until the dough is smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add 2 more tablespoons flour and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly sticky, about 45 seconds.
Sprinkle a work surface with 1 tablespoon flour and center the dough on the flour. Knead gently until smooth and no longer sticky, about 1 minute, adding an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons flour only if necessary to lessen the stickiness. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover the bowl securely with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place (about 70°F [21°C]) until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes. Press the dough gently with a fingertip. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready for the next step. While the dough is rising, make the filling.

Making the filling:
In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and the lemon and orange zests. Set the sandy-wet mixture nearby (the sugar draws out moisture from the zests to create the consistency).

Making the cake:  after the rise twice
I lined my pan with parchment paper, made it much easier to remove.
  
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Or, lightly coat the pan with nonstick spray.
Gently deflate the dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 20-by-12-inch rectangle. Using a pastry brush spread the melted butter generously over the dough. Cut the dough crosswise into 5 strips, each about 12 by 4 inches. (A pizza cutter is helpful here.) Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of the zest-sugar mixture over one of the buttered rectangles. Top with a second rectangle and sprinkle it with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the zest-sugar mixture. Repeat with the remaining dough rectangles and zest-sugar mixture, ending with a stack of 5 rectangles. Work carefully when adding the crumbly zest filling, or it will fall off when you have to lift the stacked pastry later.

Slice the stack crosswise through the 5 layers to create 6 equal strips, each about 4 by 2 inches. Fit these layered strips into the prepared loaf pan, cut edges up and side by side. (While there is plenty of space on either side of the 6 strips widthwise in the pan, fitting the strips lengthwise is tight. But that’s fine because the spaces between the dough and the sides of the pan fill in during baking.) Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place (70 °F [21°C]) until puffy and almost doubled in size, 30 to 50 minutes. Press the dough gently with a fingertip. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready for baking.

Bake the coffee cake until the top is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.

Making the icing:

In a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula, vigorously mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the milk and lemon juice until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
To remove the coffee cake from the pan, tilt and rotate the pan while gently tapping it on a counter to release the cake sides. Invert a wire rack on top of the coffee cake, invert the cake onto the rack, and carefully lift off the pan. Invert another rack on top, invert the cake so it is right side up, and remove the original rack.
lip a sheet of waxed paper under the rack to catch any drips from the icing. Using a pastry brush, coat the top of the warm cake with the icing to glaze it. (Cover and refrigerate the leftover icing for another use. It will keep for up to 2 days.)

Here it is without the icing, still looks yummy.

.
Serve the coffee cake warm or at room temperature. To serve, you can pull apart the layers, or you can cut the cake into 1-inch-thick slices on a slight diagonal with a long, serrated knife. If you decide to cut the cake, don’t attempt to cut it until it is almost completely cool.  Yeah right, I couldn't wait, nor could my grandson or daughter.  Just pull it apart and devour.  LOL 

 Sure hope you try this one, you'll be happy you did.  Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do All the Things YOU Love.
Donna