Lemon Trifle with Berries

Hi Desseritas.  I needed to get rid of the berries in my house, so I can start on the fall baking.  I cannot wait to share the awesome treats I plan to make.  What better way to get rid of the summer berries than do a trifle?  I cheated on this one and purchased Sara Lee pound cake in the frozen aisle.  But I did make my own lemon curd and whipped cream :).

The recipe is fairly easily.  Use your favorite lemon curd, purchased from store or homemade and fold in the whip cream.  Layer the cake on the bottom of the dish, brush with Amaretto or Grand Marnier liquor, scoop out a spoonful of the lemon whip cream, and top with berries.  Repeat the layers and then top with more whipped cream without the lemon cream and garnish with more berries.

Blueberry Swirl Cupcakes

             These cupcakes are not your normal blueberry muffins. The blueberries are baked in a vanilla cupcake topped with a cinnamon-brown sugar streusel and then topped off with a cream cheese blueberry frosting.

         I made these for dinner to complete our dinner - baked Creole tilapia with pasta salad. My family enjoyed these. With or without the frosting these are scrumptious.

 

Blueberry Swirl Cupcakes

Ingredients

Topping
1 tsp ground cinnamon
6 tblsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar

Cupcakes
1 2/3 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups blueberries

Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
3 tblsps high-quality blueberry jam

 
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tin with baking cups.  For the topping combine the sugars and cinnamon.  Set aside.

2.  To make the cupcakes, sift the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and the 2/3 cups granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy for 3 minutes.  Add in eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of the bowl after each egg is mixed in.  Add vanilla extract.

3.  Reduce electric mixer speed to low, and beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour.  Do not over mix, just mix until incorporated.  Stop mixer and fold in blueberries.

4. Divide batter in baking cups.  Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar topping and press to adhere to batter.  Bake until golden brown, for 20-21 minutes and a toothpick when inserted comes out with moist crumbs attached.

5.  To make the frosting beat the cream cheese and butter in electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.  Reduce speed to low and add sifted confectioners sugar and vanilla.  Raise speed back to medium-speed and beat for 1 minute.  Stop mixer and spoon jam onto icing without stirring.

6.  Transfer icing to pastry bag with a large round frosting tip and swirl mounds of icing on top of each cupcake. 

 
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living, August 2012

BlueBerry Granita

I had some blueberries in my refrigerator and wanted to create a dish with them before they go bad.  I am surprised they were still inside of my fridge.  If you live in my household no type of fruit last more than a day in my house.  My kids love and fight each other over fruits. 

I decided to create a refreshing dish that did not involve baking, just a blender and a freezer.  This recipe has a sweet essence of the blueberry and lemon, which makes a great combination.   If you never had a granita it’s an Italian semi-frozen dessert, originated in Sicily.  It’s similar to a sorbet or Italian Ice with a coarse and flaky texture made from sugar, and fruit flavorings.   There are also variants with coffee that I have seen.  The trick with granita is during the freezing process, in intervals you have to continually scrape the mixture with a fork, resulting in small ice crystals.

Blueberry Granita

Ingredients

3 cups fresh blueberries, washed and sorted

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
¾ cup sugar
1 cup water

Directions
1. Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely.

2. Combine blueberries and lemon juice in blender pulse until smooth.

3.  Pour the syrup (make sure it's cooled) into the strawberry and lemon mixture and blend to combine.

4.  Pour the mixture through strainer into an 8-inch or 9 x 13 metal pan to remove any solid bits.  Freeze for 3-4 hours, scraping the mixture with a fork every 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Serve immediately with mint. Enjoy!