Lime surprise cupcakes

I made Lemon Surprise cupcakes a few months ago, and thought I would try the same recipe for lime. I love citrus flavors, especially in the summer. There is something so fresh and crisp about citrus cake. These turned out equally delicious to the lemon ones. Yummm!

Ingredients:
One box lime jello
3/4 cup water
4 eggs
1 box gluten-free yellow cake mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2+ cups powdered sugar
juice of two limes
lime zest

Directions:
Dissolve one package of lime jello in 3/4 cup water. Add 4 eggs, beat 2 minutes. Add one package yellow cake mix, beat 2 minutes. Add 3/4 cup oil, beat 2 minutes. Pour into cake pan or muffin tin, bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes for a 9x13 cake pan or about 18 minutes for cupcakes.

For the frosting, mix 2 cups powdered sugar with juice of 2 limes, add more lime juice or powdered sugar until frosting is desired consistency.  When cake is still warm, poke holes in it and pour/spread the lime glaze into the holes. After cake has cooled, add some additional powdered sugar to thicken glaze and frost cake with it. Top with zest.

sandwich cookies

These cookies will literally melt in your mouth.  They are very delicate, and quite frankly, a pain in the rear.  They are incredibly delicious, however.  I get requests to make them every Christmas....I used to also make them for Valentines, Easter, etc.....but I've gotten lazy and don't make them very often anymore.  Because they are very delicate, they are hard to frost and will break apart easily.  You can use any shape cookie cutters, but they should be kept small, as they will be easier to frost. 

Cookies:
2 cups flour
1 cup butter
1/3 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 cup granulated sugar

Mix 2 cups flour, 1 cup butter and 1/3 cup cream until crumbly dough is formed.  Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Take out dough, roll to 1/4 inch thick on a heavily floured board.  Dough is hard to work with, keep cold and use a lot of flour.  Use a small cutter to make shapes.  Sprinkle or coat in granulated sugar.  Bake 7 to 9 minutes. Cool before frosting.

 Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
food coloring
Mix 1/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla until smooth. Add food coloring to achieve desired shade.

Lemon cupcakes with lemon-raspberry frosting

I really felt like making something light, and summery....so I tried these lemon cupcakes. It's a semi-homemade type thing...as I used store-bought cake mix and frosting. However, I bought fresh raspberries and mixed them into Betty Crocker Lemon frosting (which is not gluten-free) and added a little powdered sugar to thicken the frosting - as the moisture from the berries thinned it out a little. If you can't find a GF lemon cake mix, simply mix a box of lemon jello into a yellow cake mix (follow the instructions under the Lemon Surprise! recipe). GF lemon frosting can be made with powdered sugar and lemon juice and butter as well.

These were delightful. I love lemon cake on its own - no frosting - but this lemon-raspberry frosting is a little tart and sweet and really yummy. This is so summery......a perfect treat for February cabin-fever.

Penuche

I'm craving these cupcakes right now. I think I probably have all the ingredients on hand....but don't dare make them when I don't have anywhere to take them. If they all stay at home, they will all be eaten.

I used dark chocolate cake mix for the cupcakes, but french vanilla is also really good with this frosting. For gluten-free, use a GF cake mix.  The Penuche tastes sort of like a maple cream....delicious.


Penuche
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 to 2 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter in saucepan, add brown sugar. Boil for 2 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat, slowly stir in 1/4 cup milk. Return to heat, bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Add 1 cup powdered sugar. Continue to add small amounts of powdered sugar until frosting is desired consistency for spreading.