Fabulous Fridays

These past couple of weeks I have been thinking and thinking how to introduce some fun and frothiness into this blog. Since injecting humour into writing does not come naturally to me (it is something I can only seem to do live), I’ve come up with Fabulous Fridays. Every Friday (or every other Friday or whenever I feel like it on  Friday) I will share a recipe, a photo, a blog, a new pair of sandals – anything really. My only rule is that I really liked it and it must be fun.

This week I will be sharing a recipe that I found on Better Homes and Gardens. (And since, in my opinion, no recipe is fun unless it is some type of dessert, you can rest assured that it is going to be an enjoyable treat).

LEMON CUPCAKES

Ingredients

• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 2/3  cup  shortening
• 1  cup  sugar
• 3    eggs
• 2/3  cup  milk
• 1  tablespoon  finely shredded lemon peel
• 2/3  cup  sugar
• 1/3  cup  lemon juice
• Lemon peel curls (optional)
• Fresh lemon balm leaves (optional)

Directions

1. Grease and lightly flour twenty to twenty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beating on low to medium speed after each addition just until combined. Stir in the 1 tablespoon lemon peel. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. (Fill any empty, greased muffin cups with water to avoid damaging pan.)

3. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove from pans. Place cupcakes upside-down on wire racks set over waxed paper.

4. In a small mixing bowl stir together the 2/3 cup sugar and lemon juice. Brush sugar mixture over warm cupcakes until all is absorbed. Cool completely. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Before serving, garnish with lemon peel curls and lemon balm leaves, if desired. Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes.

I did not have time to decorate the cupcakes but they still tasted delicious and I can attest to that because they got eaten before I could get a good photo. This is the only one I managed to get (of the very last cupcake and I will confess that it’s already half eaten on the side you cannot see.