Key Lime Cupcakes

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Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a great Easter.  I love holidays so I have spent the last week getting decorations ready and trying to plan everything out.  We dyed some Easter eggs, had an egg hunt, and ate a ton of food.  In my opinion, these cupcakes were the best part!  I was a little disappointed I didn't double the recipe.  They were a big hit at both my moms house and at my boyfriends family party.  The cupcakes were very light and refreshing, a perfect summer recipe.  I have a half bag of key limes left and I am seriously considering just making more cupcakes to eat, and not sharing this time.  Please try these! I can guarantee you will love them!

I love all the lime zest!

Key Lime Cupcakes - Adapted from Sprinkles Cupcakes

Yield: 12 Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:
1 1/2 Cups Flour, sifted
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Whole Milk, room temperature - I used 1% Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoon Key Lime Juice - Plus some for brushing on after baking
1 Tablespoon key Lime Zest
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg, room temperature
2 Egg whites, room temperature

toothpick or skewer

For the Frosting:
1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter , firm but not cold
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted - I am lazy and didn't sift...
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons Key Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Key Lime Zest
1-3 Tablespoons Milk - depending on desired consistency


Cooking Directions

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. 
3. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, key lime zest and the lime juice; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. 
5. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
6. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
7. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely.
8. Use a toothpick or skewer to poke the tops of the cupcakes with holes. Use pastry brush to brush remaining lime juice over the top of the cupcake.
9. Let cupcakes dry slightly before topping with key lime frosting.

For the frosting:

1. Beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. 
2. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. 
3. Add vanilla, key lime juice and zest; mix until just blended. Do not over mix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream. - I didnt want mine as thick so I added more milk. 
4. Frosts over one dozen.
5. ENJOY!

Citrus Sugar Cookies

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I love citrus.  I love the smell of citrus, the taste of citrus, when my fingers smell like citrus and more.  These cookies have lemon, lime and orange in them.  They are super refreshing and taste like summer.   I made my cookies a little big, and my helper (aka my boyfriend) smashed them pretty flat with a cup.  But the flavor was great and this is for sure one of my favorite sugar cookies.  The best part is using the extra zesty sugar to dip strawberries.  Delicious!

Adapted from Shugary Sweets
Yield: 2-3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 1/2 Cups Sugar, divided
1 Egg, room temperature
2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Orange, zested
1 Lemon, zested
2 Limes, zested

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, zest all the citrus. Remove about 2 tsp of zest and place in a separate bowl. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar to the 2 tsp of zest. Combine with a fork and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, add butter and remaining 1 cup sugar. Beat for 1-2 minutes. Add egg and beat until combined. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda. Beat until combined. Add in zest.
3. Roll cookies into 3/4-1inch balls. Then roll them in the sugar/zest mixture, coating generously. Place ball on cookie sheet and repeat. 
4. Using a flat bottom of a cup, press the ball slightly to form a disc. Repeat for all balls. I then pressed a little extra sugar on the tops of the cookies at this point (totally optional). 
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack.
6. Enjoy.

Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies

I love Coconut!  I love the smell, the taste, and just everything about it.  When we were in the Caribbean, my boyfriends brother tried to shimmy up a palm tree to get a coconut, but ended up just getting scrapes all over his body.  There is nothing better then a fresh cold coconut cut open for you to drink!  Anyway, enough about coconut and onto these delicious Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies!  They have the same chewy texture as a regular sugar cookie, but its loaded with flavor.  The coconut and lime compliment each other well.  These are a great cookie to make for any tropical themed party or just for fun in the summer.  I loved them, and i think you will to!

A mans quest for a Coconut!

Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies - Adapted from Sweet Peas Kitchen
Yield: 3 Dozen Cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/4 Cups Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Cups Sugar, plus more for rolling
2 Oz Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut
1 Teaspoon Lime Zest
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Milk
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare baking sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, coconut, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl or the bowl of your KitchenAid, combine 1 1/2 cups of sugar, lime zest, and cream cheese in a large bowl. Pour the warm butter over the cream cheese mixture and mix to combine.
4. Mix in the oil, egg, milk and lime juice until smooth. Mix in the dry ingredients into the wet, until a soft dough comes together.
5. Place some sugar for rolling in a shallow bowl. Roll a heaping tablespoons of dough into ball between your palms, roll the ball in the sugar, and then place it on the prepared baking sheet spacing the balls about 2 inches apart.
6. Take a drinking glass and then dip the bottom of the glass in the remaining sugar. Flatten the dough balls with the bottom of the glass until they are about 2 inches in diameter, dipping the glass in sugar as necessary to prevent sticking (after every 2 or 3 cookies). Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with the remaining sugar, using about 2 teaspoons per sheet of cookies.
7. Bake until the cookies until golden brown around the edges and their center are just set and very lightly colored, 11 to 13 minutes. The tops will be puffy and slightly cracked. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
8. Enjoy!!

Margarita Cupcakes

Hello! My name is Kristin and I'm a guest baker on Goddess of Baking today! I was thrilled when Merlot asked me if I could help her in making Margarita Cupcakes for our ever so lovely co-worker, Jenn, since it was her birthday on Wednesday. I must admit that I'm not as good of a baker as Merlot because I do mess up from time to time, but I must say that I'm pretty decent.  Merlot and I brainstormed at work a few days ago and we came up this idea because these cupcakes seemed fun and who doesn't love drinking a nice, frothy margarita on your birthday?! I know I would! Plus, Jen's girlfriends had planned to go to dinner at El Ranchito, one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. The recipe did say that the batter would sort of curdle (which was kind of gross) because of the lime juice and we used Margartiaville Gold Tequila, but it all worked out though. We cooked the cupcakes 5 minutes less and they turned out absolutely perfect. After we took them out of the oven, we brushed them with some more tequila, so no one can blame us for them not being moist! Hahaha. While we waited for them to cool, we whipped up some buttercream frosting with some clear tequila so the frosting wouldn't turn yellow. We decided to split one and they were absolutely heavenly! In the frosting, we could taste the tequila for sure,  but in the actual cupcake part we think the tequila baked off,  but still amazing! I am going to have to make these for my girlfriend whose birthday is in August and is turning 21! I would recommend making these to anyone who is looking for a refreshing treat to cool off during these hot summer months. Happy Mixing and Drink up!

Happy Birthday Jenn!!

Margarita Cupcakes - Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Yield: 15 Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cup Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs, room temperature
Zest and Juice of 2 Limes
2 Tablespoons Tequila
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Cup Buttermilk


Extra tequila for brushing cupcakes with - about 2 tablespoons depending on how buzzed you wanna get...


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
3. In an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy, about 5 mins.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at at time, mixing after each addition.
5. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract and tequila. Mix until combined. The mixture may start to look curdled at this point, but don’t worry, it will all come back together.
6. Reduce the mixer speed low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. Mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand.
7. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until just slightly golden and a skewer shows only moist crumbs attached, rotating the pan at the halfway point.
8. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with the 1 to 2 tablespoons of tequila. Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting them.

Tequila Lime Buttercream:

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

2 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

2 Tablespoons Tequila - preferably clear tequila to keep the frosting white

1. To make the frosting, whip the butter on medium-high speed of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. Give it a mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. 
2. Add the lemon juice, tequila and salt mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy. If the frosting appears a bit too soft, add some additional sugar, one spoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached. Frost cupcakes and garnish, if desired, with lime zest, an additional sprinkling of salt and a lime wedge.

Baking Linky Partys:

• http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com/melt-in-your-mouth-monday-week-20/#comment-26798