Lemon Lime Bars

Hi everyone, please welcome my friend, philologist, bassoon player, fellow baker and latest Cupcake Avenger guest blogger Molly Miller and her lemon lime bars!

I felt the urge to bake something summery for a get-together I was having later that night, to help me on my quest to convince my brain that my summer isn't quite over yet.  I originally intended to make some coconut lime sugar cookies, but I realized at the last minute that I didn't want to spend my entire day in the kitchen.  It was 100 degrees outside on the day I was baking, and my kitchen is far far away from my questionable AC unit, so I began to consider other options.  I wanted to toss some stuff in a pan and bake it instead of having to shape dough into balls, make multiple batches, and hang out by the oven all afternoon.  It may have been September, but the temperature told me I should be doing the minimum amount of work possible to make something delicious, and then relax and have a cold drink.

So, I decided to make these.  I had more limes than I knew what to do with, and I was excited to try a new type of recipe, having never attempted lemon squares before.  I did not follow instructions, so I will go ahead and rewrite them to show my process.  Feel free to follow the original recipe without my commentary to distract you.

Get a 13x9 inch pan and line it with something.  I was told to use foil, but I somehow ended up with 3 boxes of parchment paper in my drawer, so I decided to use some of it up and they came out of the pan just fine.  Sometimes, it seems like people are using foil and parchment paper because they just want to reduce the amount of cleanup or be extra careful, but I think you do need to line the pan here if you want to remove the bars without cracking the crust.  Do it.

Crust ingredients:
2/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour (I used white whole wheat flour, and it was delicious.)
Zest of 1 large lemon (or three small limes, if that's what you have.)

Cream together the butter and the sugar and the zest, and then add the flour.  It will end up crumbly, so you can smash it into your pan for your crust.  I've never tried to do that before, so my crust wasn't as pretty as it could have been, but it held together nicely. 

"Bake 20 minutes at 350, or until center is set."  (I overbaked mine.  20 minutes seems insane.  Remember that the crust will get baked AGAIN, and you don't want your edges to get too dark like mine did.)

At first I was a little annoyed that I would have to make a crust AND a filling, but then I realized that there was absolutely no reason to wash my mixing bowl and beaters between the crust and the filling.  Yay less work! 

My recipe told me to hang out and wait while the crust is baking, but really, you should get started on zesting and juicing those lemons and limes.  I did not have any lemons, so these are going to mainly be lime bars.  Instead of a quarter cup of lemon juice and a quarter cup of lime juice, I juiced between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of lime juice and filled the rest of the 1/2 cup with bottled lemon juice from my fridge and a splash of lemon extract for good measure.  I zested a bunch of limes until it looked like I had at least a teaspoon (there's a picture of how much I used) and ignored the bit about the lemon zest.  My bars taste like lime and are delicious, but if you like lemon too, go ahead and adjust lemon/lime proportions as you like.

Filling ingredients:
6 large eggs
2 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour (I used white whole wheat.)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup lime juice (or some combination thereof)
zest of 1 large lemon (unless you don't have any)
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

My recipe encouraged me to add a drop or two of food coloring to make them pretty, but I just plain forgot.  I'm content with the color I ended up with, but go ahead and throw some extra coloring in if you want them to look a little more cheerful.

(Side note: Cooking with The Spatula of Love will make your food delicious and give you the right to brag that you put so much love into your baking that you had to use a special spatula to control it.)

After 20 minutes, the filling had a crust over the top, but the contents were still sloshing around beneath it.  I realized my oven thermometer was reading 300 instead of 350, so I adjusted things and popped them back in.  After 5 minutes, I didn't exactly know how to tell whether they were done or not.  Is the center set?  Well, my toothpick came out clean and nothing was sloshy, so it might be done, right?  But, I hate cutting into something after it has cooled only to realize that I have undercooked it, so I turned off the oven and stuck it in for a few more minutes.  After letting them cool a bit on the counter, you should cover them and let them chill in the fridge for 2 hours.  Then, sprinkle with powdered sugar (and more zest, if you're not sick of zesting yet.  I was.)

At some point, I scooped a bit of something weird looking (undermixed egg?) off the top of the bars and left a small hole behind, as you can see in the pictures.  The powdered sugar covered it, so no worries.  I've included a picture of the uglier edge pieces as a warning against making the crust climb too high and then baking it for longer than you might need to.

I stored my leftovers in the fridge and they were still delicious a week later, though you might have to refresh the powdered sugar if you want them to look pretty after sitting in the fridge for a few days.

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Billy's Bakery NYC

On my last trip to the Big Apple, I was somewhat overwhelmed as I only had a few hours to check out what the city had to offer in terms of cupcakes.  No simple task in the town that can largely be credited with starting the cupcake craze for the entire East Coast.  After much deliberation I settled on kingpin Magnolia Bakery as well as the quirky Kyotofu and had really hoped to squeeze in one more shop but didn't have time on my short daytrip. 

As soon as I got back to DC, everyone wanted to know if I'd made it to a bakery called Billy's.  Even the next time I went back to Ohio I ran into a former Billy's employee at Columbus' Bakery Gingham.  Clearly this was a sign.

This time around I made a beeline for Billy's Bakery and instantly saw what all the fuss was about.  In addition to some awesome baked goods, this place has atmosphere for days.  An old-timey respite in the middle of the big city, it was nice to walk in and feel like you'd taken a step back in time, where life was a little bit slower, and you could just have a slice of pie and watch the world go by.  I sampled the banana and carrot cupcakes, as well as the key lime cheesecake and they were all delicious.

I think my parents had this same table when I was little

Key Lime Cheesecake

Billy's is definitely a must try next time you're in the city and they also offer ridiculously gorgeous layer cakes as well as bars, cookies and pies. 

If you go

My attempt at an old-timey looking Billy's pic

Billy's Bakery Tibeca
75 Franklin St
Between Broadway and Church

Billy's Nolita
268 Elizabeth St
Between Prince and Houston Streets

Billy's Chelsea
184 9th Avenue
Between 21st and 22nd Streets

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Put the Mango in the Coconut Bread

This time of year I always find myself thinking about zucchini bread (and, subsequently, looking up how to spell "zucchini," seriously, I can't be the only one...right?) but once I'm elbow-deep in shredded squash I always think there must be something more exciting to be making.  Banana bread?  Meh.  This time around I actually did my homework to see what fruits are in season, as I'm usually pretty bad about just following my baking whims and making whatever I'm in the mood for, regardless of availability.  That's when I hit upon mangoes!  I may have missed sour cherry season, but I'm not too late for mangoes.  And coconut, let's throw some coconut in there for good measure.

I've actually just started liking mango recently, I think because whenever I get it in restaurants it's usually under-ripe and, as a result, kind of tastes like eating a pine cone or something.  But slightly soft, deliciously ripe mango is awesome and my new favorite snack when I need a little taste of the tropics here on the East Coast.

If you've ever worked with mangoes before, you've probably looked up one of those helpful online guides that show you how to score the flesh into a grid pattern so the fruit just POPS right off, magically, from the skin.  Well, as you can see, mine wasn't quite so magical, but I did manage to figure it out after some trial and error.

I also added mango nectar and coconut water to this recipe to try to bring out the flavors a little bit more (and also because I've just been really curious to check out the coconut water fad to see what all the fuss is about--it's delicious!) so you could definitely omit those if they're not carried at your local supermarket.  If you do decide to use them, I recommend hanging onto the leftovers for the most delicious cocktail or smoothie you'll ever make.  Seriously. 

Mango Coconut Bread
  makes 2 loaves
2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups white sugar

3/4 cup flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

2 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup mango nectar

1/4 cup coconut water

2 1/2 cups mangoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 if using ceramic, glass, or dark metal pans). Grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans.

2.  Combine all of the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt, coconut, sugar) in a medium bowl. 

3.  In a small bowl, beat eggs lightly with oil, mango nectar and coconut water. Add to flour mixture and stir just until combined. 

4.  Add mangoes and lemon juice.  Stir just until incorporated.

5.  Pour into pans, bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.                                   

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Martha Monday: Blueberry Shortcakes

Summer is here and, with it, the arrival of shortcakes.  Recently I had the urge to bake but didn't really know what to make (pretty standard for me) but luckily Martha was there with her latest issue of Living, profiling summer desserts.  On their own, there's nothing really exciting about shortcakes.  I mean, let's be honest, they're like the biscuit's lazy cousin.  But where shortcakes really shine is with the addition of fruit.  Or specifically for this recipe, fruit compote. 

The word "compote" is somewhat of an inside joke in my family, ever since my father once tried to order pancakes at a Bob Evans restaurant and made the mistake of asking the waitress if they could put any "fruit compote" on top.  I've honestly never seen a more confused look come across a person's face while she stared at my father blankly until he finally said something like, "You know? Fruit sauce??" I guess you had to be there :)

Anyways.

I know these might seem somewhat sacrilegious too if you've only ever had the standard strawberry shortcake.  A cook out standby from my childhood, I have to admit that I was skeptical that blueberry could beat out strawberry in this fruit fight, but honestly I will never go back.  "Compote" may sound complicated, but I promise it's super simple and you'll probably be making this sauce for all kinds of toppings.  Martha's recipe also calls for a side of Sweet Corn Ice Cream...yeah, I know...but I have yet to try out my ice cream maker (a topic for another post) so I'd love to hear how it tastes if anyone else gives it a try. 

So what do you think? Are you on team strawberry or blueberry?

I call it: Shortcakes in the City :)

Sweet Corn Ice Cream Shortcakes with Blueberry Compote
     Ice Cream
4 ears corn, shucked
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Black Spiced Rum
2 teaspoons black sugar (see instructions)
1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
¼ teaspoon pink peppercorns
9 large egg yolks

     Shortcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cups low-fat butter milk
½ cup whole milk
Heavy cream for brushing
Course sugar, for sprinkling

     Blueberry Compote
1 pint fresh blueberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1.  Make the ice cream: Carefully cut kernels from cobs, transfer to a saucepan. Break cobs in half; add to saucepan. Stir in milk, cream, ½ cup granulated sugar, rum, black sugar, pink salt and peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Let cool; discard cobs.

2.  Place corn mixture in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat.

3.  Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath. Whisk together egg yolks and remaining ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl. Whisk 1 cup corn mixture into yolks, then return entire mixture to saucepan, whisking constantly, until custard thickens and can easily coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.
Strain custard through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing down solids; discard solids. Transfer bowl to ice-water bath, and refrigerate for an hour.

4.  Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container, and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours.

5.  Meanwhile, make the shortcakes: Preheat oven to 400°. Sift flours, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, and 1 ¼ teaspoons salt twice into a bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or rub in with your fingers until small clumps form. Make a well in the center, and pour in buttermilk. Mix until a shaggy mixture forms.

6.  Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, spoon in batter until about ¾ way full. Place in the oven and cook for about 16 minutes. Brush tops of the shortcakes with heavy creak and sprinkle with course sugar. Finish baking for two to four minutes, until cakes are golden brown.

7.  Make the blueberry compote: Bring 1 cup of blueberries, the granulated sugar, water, and lemon juice to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until berries burst and liquid thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining blueberries. Let cool.

8.  Split shortcakes in half, top each with a scoop of ice cream and a spoonful of blueberry compote, then sandwich with shortcake tops.

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Fluffernutter Cupcakes

So, I've never actually had the joy of eating a fluffernutter sandwich.  A what? Exactly. Fluffernutter.  Apparently a childhood staple particularly in the Northeastern U.S., a "fluffernutter" is a gooey mashup of peanut butter and marshmallow creme sandwiched between two slices of bread has been around for decades.  The sandwich is even a registered trademark of the Marshmallow Fluff company, complete with a website and theme song sung by The Flufferettes. Obviously.

While I have to admit that this combo doesn't sound particularly appealing to me as a sandwich, I knew it would be a home run cupcake and couldn't wait to try out this recipe from The Novice Chef.  Pairing peanut butter cupcakes with marshmallow frosting and a surprise Nutella center even seemed like a modern twist on the s'mores concept and, let's be honest, I never pass up an opportunity to eat Nutella.

If you tend not to like cupcakes because you find them too sweet (then we can't be friends.  Just kidding. But seriously) then these are definitely not the cakes for you.  I think the marshmallow frosting alone is definitely enough to make your dentist cringe, and the addition of peanut butter will certainly leave you looking for a glass of milk to wash it all down.  So, all in all, I loved them :) Honestly, as over the top as it sounds, I probably would have added more Nutella as well.  This time I decided to try out my bismarck filling tip to try to save time instead of cutting wells in each of the cupcakes like usual, but it just didn't provide enough filling in each cake.  Or maybe I just need to work on my technique.

Either way this is not a cupcake for the faint of heart, but I definitely recommend it for all you fluffernuts out there

I call it: Cupcakes in the City :)

Fluffernutter Cupcakes
     makes 24
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 pinch salt

Marshmallow Frosting
4 large egg whites
1 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1.  Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

2.  Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Stir dry mixture into the batter alternately with the milk. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups.

3.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutella Filling
Using a piping bag and a Wilton 230 tip, slowly insert tip into top of cooled cupcake. Squeeze in Nutella and carefully withdraw.

Frosting
1.  Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes.

2.  Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Frost as desired

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Pattycake, Pattycake

On my last trip home to visit family, I knew visiting one hometown cupcakery just wouldn't enough and, after stopping off at Blue Frost, mom and I immediately made a bee-line for another cupcake stop getting a lot of buzz around town.  As Columbus, OH's first vegan bakery, Pattycake Bakery has somewhat of a cult following, and for good reason.

In addition to their commitment to providing the most delicious vegan sweets imaginable, the folks at Pattycake are true business role models of global responsibility: from 100% biodegradable packaging (they even use vegan glue!), to working with local producers, recycling or composting nearly everything they produce and reducing their carbon footprint through making deliveries by bicycle, Pattycake Bakery is lading the way as a pillar of the community. 

Delivery bike!

But now, on to the sweets :)  Not having a lot of experience with vegan baking or cuisine, mom and I were a little unsure how our trip to Pattycake would go, but all our fears were quickly assuaged by the amazingly friendly staff and, of course, the incredible cupcakes.  Our favorites were the pineapple and raspberry cakes and they were incredibly sweet and moist, and I loved the use of real, fresh fruit.

If you want to indulge your vegan sweet tooth but can't make it to Columbus, never fear--Pattycake has an online shop, too!

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Blue Frost Cupcake

Before my last trip home to Columbus, OH, my dad had given me the heads-up that there was a new cupcakery in town called Blue Frost and I couldn't wait to check it out.  Admittedly, I was extra excited because it is in the adorably historic Old Worthington part of town and conveniently located across from my favorite coffee shop, my favorite wine store and my favorite nail salon.  Shucks. 

Scoping out their website beforehand, I was super impressed by the story of owners Melissa and Briana, who transitioned from careers in nursing to follow their passion for baking.  I'm always in awe of people who have the courage to take the plunge and follow their hearts--especially when cupcakes are involved :)  In this case, that passion translates into artisan cupcakes that use quality ingredients like Madagascar bourbon vanilla and Saigon cinnamon. 

In addition to the standard chocolate, vanilla and red velvet, I was also excited to try out their quirky signature flavor--the Blue Velvet.  I'm pretty sure if a cupcake flavor could be qualified as "hipster," Blue Velvet would be it.  While the BV doesn't taste much different than the red velvet, I'm always on the lookout for new and different cupcakes, and I really appreciated this unique twist.

Blue Frost features a menu of 10 daily cupcakes as well as two weekly specialty flavors such as Key Lime Coconut, Caramel Apple Spice and, of course, Buckeye--and spare me the Ohio State jokes ;)

If you go
Blue Frost Cupcake
657 High Street
Worthington, Ohio 43085

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