Lemon Surprise Almond Cookies

My new year resolution for my baking adventure is to reduce wastage as much as possible, so I'm going to use all the lemon curds I have made previously. I was browsing the net for some inspiration and found this interesting recipe on bbcgoodfood. The lemon curd will be a surprise in the seemingly regular cookie. I call it lemon surprise! :)

(Makes twenty 6.5 cm round cookies)

To make the cookies

300g plain flour
140g caster sugar
100g round almond
250g unsalted butter at room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
Zest of 1 lemon

To assemble

3 tbsp Lemon Curd
3 tbsp milk for sealing
3 tbsp flaked almonds

1. Preheat the oven at 170 degrees, fan. Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg, zest, salt and vanilla extract and beat to combine.

3. Sift the flour and ground almond over the egg mixture and fold to combine.

4. Divide the dough into 2, shape into discs, wrap in cling wraps and fridge for about 30 minutes.

5. Roll the dough to about 0.2 cm in between 2 baking papers and cut into 6.5 cm rounds.

6. On 1 round, brush with milk, place a dollop of lemon curd in the middle, place another round over and seal the sides. Sprinkle with caster sugar and flaked almonds and bake in preheated oven of 170 degrees fan for about 20 minutes.

7. Leave to cool completely.

8. I forgot the sugar and almonds for 1 batch and decorated them with leftover chocolate ganache.

There! The final product!

I would put more lemon curd for the next batch. I still have quite a lot of lemon curd left, what do I bake next? Cupcakes with lemon center core, maybe? 

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38 NIV)

Lemon Curd Tarts

After all the festive feastings, I thought I'll just bake an unconventional birthday 'cake', a strawberries tart instead. I hope the girls like it. :) Unfortunately, I was rushing between meetings and completing the cake and the best I could was take the final product. I thought the strawberry lemon curd tart could do with a few more strawberries. A few days later, I did another tart, this time, leaving the lemon curd as the star of the dessert. I like how the sharpness of the lemon curd cut through the mildly sweet crust. I used the Pate Sablee recipe.

(Makes about 10 standard muffins)

1 recipe of Pate Sablee

1 recipe of Lemon Curd

100ml whipping cream

1 tbsp icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees, fan mode. Roll the Pate Sablee into a round.
*(I rolled it in between 2 sheets of baking paper so that I don't have to wash the rolling pin and the table top. Yes, I'm lazy like that, hahaha.)*

2. Cut into rounds, I used 6.5cm cutter.

3. To make sure the tarts don't get stuck to the muffin tins, I lined the base of the tin with a strip of baking paper.

4. Ease the cut out dough into the muffin tins and weigh the dough down with baking beans. You can use any beans if you don't have the baking beans.

5. Bake in the preheated oven of 180 degrees for about 20 minutes. Leave to cool completely before assembling.

6. Pipe or spoon lemon curd into the tart cases.

7. Whip the cream and the icing sugar together till soft peak.

8. Pipe on top of the tarts to decorate.

9. Sprinkle lemon zest on top of the tarts to finish.

There.. Love these tarts and the simple decoration.

Happy 2015!!

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31 NIV)

Lemon Curd

I love lemons! When life gives you lemons, make lemon curd. It's citrusy, sharp and tangy. I love how lemon curd balance the sweetness from most desserts, refreshing and awakening the taste buds.

100g caster sugar

125ml lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

150ml whipping cream

5 large eggs

a pinch of salt

1a. Beat the sugar, lemon juice, eggs and salt together in a metal bowl.

1b. Pour the whipping cream into the mixture and mix well. 

2. Place the metal bowl over a pot of simmering water and beating continuously till the texture of the mixture thickens. Bubbles will appear and then disappear. When the mixture thickens, take the bowl off the heat and continue stirring for a minute more before placing a cling foil over the top and fridge overnight before use.

3. You must stir continuously or the lemon curd will be grainy. You can pour the ready curd through a sift to make the mixture smoother.

There, homemade lemon curd which can be kept in the fridge for a few weeks, but it runs out real fast because it is so tasty and versatile.

Vanilla Buttercream Birthday Cake II

It's a dear friend's birthday and I decided to make the Vanilla Buttercream Birthday Cake again. Improved version, that is. :) The chocolate ganache was too liquid the last time, so I reduced the double cream to 150 ml and the chocolate chips remained at 125 g. Happy Birthday, dear sis. I hope you liked the cake. :)

There was service tonight too and I'm ever grateful for the love, grace and blessings God and showered on my family and I. Counting my blessings and praying to be a blessing to the people around me.

Love the decoration in church. Our Saviour, so mighty and special, but born in a humble manger, there's something about this that touched me. Thank God for sending Your one and only Son to die on the cross that we may have salvation.

Merry Christmas!!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

Christmas Fruit Cake

25 December, a day when our dear Lord is born, worthy of thanksgiving and celebration. This Christmas, let's bless family and friends with lovely Christmas fruit cake. Recipe taken from the pink whisk with slight adaptation.

So I've soaked the fruits for about a week, now, it's time! 

(Makes 8 inches fruit cake) 

To soak the fruit

Christmas Fruit Soak

To make the cake

285g all purpose flour

150g light brown sugar

75g dark brown sugar 

5 large eggs

225g unsalted butter room temperature

2tbsp molasses

2tsp all spice 

1. Preheat the oven at 150 degrees and line the cake tins with baking paper. I was ambitious and wanted to make a few cakes because I had the cherry brandy and the spiced whisky flavours. I divided the square tin using aluminum to get 2 loaves. 

2. Cream the butter and light and dark brown sugar till creamy. 

3. Add the molasses and cream till combined.

4. Add the eggs a bit at a time, beating till combined between each addition. 

5. Sift the flour and all spice over the mixture and fold to combined. 

6. Drain the fruit if needed, mine didn't have much to liquid to drain.

7. Mix the fruits and the butter mixture till combined. 

8. Pour into the prepared cake tins and bake for about 2 hours. Insert a skewer into the cake to test if the cake is ready. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is ready. 

9. Leave the cakes in the tin to cool completely. 

10. Poke holes 3/4 way into the cake and brush with alcohol, then wrap the cake in baking paper and foil and keep away from direct sun light. 

11. Continue to 'feed' the cake with alcohol till ready for consumption. 

I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. (Psalm 119:10 NIV)