I was going through the rack of cookbooks I have downstairs (as opposed to the stacks and racks of cookbooks I have all over the rest of the house), and came across a 1973 recipe book from the editors of Farm Journal.
Looking through the recipes, I came across this one for lemon cupcakes with a crunchy topping baked on the top, so, supposedly, you can skip the frosting (you really can’t).
Since Rich loves him a nice, citrus-y treat, I figured I’d put a batch together.
And… ok, they do need some sort of frosting, but, they are very good, and incredibly light; tho’ I do not know if that’s just the way they are, or mebbe because I screwed up and almost forgot to add the baking powder – finally adding it to the batter almost at the end of mixing. Still and all, it worked.
Note: this recipe will make 24 cupcakes, so I hope you’re not like me and have two, 12 count muffin tins. If, like me, you don’t, no worries, bake one batch, remove from the oven and let cool a bit before transferring the cupcakes to a cooling rack, then relining the now sufficiently cooled pan and adding more batter to the cups.
INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:
•2 cups sifted flour
•1 cup sugar
•2-1/2 tsp baking powder
•1/2 tsp salt
•1 tbsp lemon zest (mebbe 2 lemons)
•2/3 cup butter, softened
•2/3 cup milk
•3 eggs
Crunch Topping:
•1 tbsp lemon zest (mebbe 2 lemons)
•1/4 cup sugar
•1/2 tsp nutmeg
Make the crunch topping by stirring together one tablespoon of lemon zest with 1/4 cup of sugar, and the nutmeg in a small bowl until nicely mixed. Set aside.
Heat your oven to 375º and line two, 2-1/2” muffin tins with paper baking cups.
Sift the flour together with one cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and the salt into a large mixing bowl.
Add the butter and the milk and beat thoroughly for three minutes (I went with medium speed).
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg, then stir in one tablespoon of the lemon zest.
Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 of the way – I found that my two tablespoon melon baller thing-y worked a treat for this.
Sprinkle with the lemon, sugar, and nutmeg mixture and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from the pan and cool on racks.
Really, these are almost like lemon muffins, so I guess you could schmear a bit of cream cheese on them – I would go with the chive and onion, but I like savory with my sweet – or you might could just make some lemon or cream cheese frosting and ice ’em and then mebbe dot each one with a blueberry on top.
Just a suggestion.
You do what you want.