Lemon-Yogurt Cheesecake Bundt

Hello, I love anything made with lemon and olive oil.  So it was a good start with this recipe. 

My sister was swinging through town for just a few hours, around dessert time, so I needed a crowd-pleaser that we could linger over.  Not too rich or too sweet, but it couldn't be boring!  I flipped through one of my favorite cookbooks and I couldn't believe this cake had never caught my eye!

The pictures really speak for themselves.  Gorgeous, high-rise lemon bundt with a tender crumb, brushed with lime syrup for extra ZOW-ZING, and drizzled with a thick and creamy lemon-lime cream cheese glaze.  I would say it did the trick.  My sister walked in, whipped out her iPad, and Instagrammed a photo of my cake before saying anything to anyone.  Then we could sit down and chat over lemony slabs with tall glasses of milk.

Lemon-Yogurt Cheesecake Bundt (print recipe)
Makes 12 to 14 servings

Cake:
1 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups white sugar
Zest of 1 lemon, finely minced
4 large eggs
2 cups plain yogurt
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Lime Syrup:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup lime juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp lime oil

Lemon-Lime Cream Cheese Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 to 3 T lemon and lime juice, mixed

Finishing Touches:
Lemon and lime zest
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Generously spray a 9- or 10-inch fluted tube pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place pan on it.

2.  In a mixer bowl, beat oil, butter, sugar, and lemon zest together until well blended, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Add eggs, yogurt, juice, and vanilla; blend well, about 2 minutes.  Fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and blend well, making sure no uncombined ingredients cling to bottom of mixing bowl.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.

3.  Bake until cake is set and tests done with a cake skewer that comes out clean, about 60 to 80 minutes.  Cake will have fine cracks on the surface.  If cake is brown on top but doesn't seem done inside, reduce oven temperature to 325 and let bake at lower temperature until done.  Cool in pan 15 minutes before unmolding onto a serving platter.

4.  Meanwhile, for Lime Syrup, in a small saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil.  Let simmer 5 minutes.  Cool.  Poke holes all over cake with a cake skewer.  Drizzle some of syrup over cake.  Let set.  Repeat several times over a 30-minute period.

5.  For Lemon-Lime Cream Cheese Glaze, blend all ingredients in a medium bowl with a whisk or in a food processor to make a drippy glaze.  Put glaze in a measuring cup with a pouring spout and drizzle over cake.  Garnish with citrus zest and edible fresh flowers or dust with confectioners' sugar.

Recipe from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

Cranberry Lime Scones

ZZZZ-I-N-G!

 I'm on a scone kick.  I went a-hunting on Food Gawker and printed off seven scones I think I can't live without.  For starters.

The first one I tried, Maple Bacon Brown Sugar Scones, was such a resounding success that I just kept on going.  These were my second.  And I loved them SO MUCH that I made them twice in one week - almost unheard of around here in the land of Nearly No Repeats.  I've since made a third from my stack, and it needs some tweaking before I share...watch this space.

But in the meantime, I've been reminded of a few scone basics:

• They are SUPER fast and easy!
• Handle the dough minimally - that means no more stirring than necessary and definitely no kneading or rolling.  
• Grate the butter - it's about equally dangerous as cutting cold butter into small pieces, but it gets the pieces more uniform, and thin enough for easy cutting into the dry ingredients.  Plus it's super fast.  Just grate it at the beginning and place in the freezer until you need it.
• Scones can come in any shape - wedge (my preference), square, diamond, round, or really any cookie cutter shape you want to try.  But they do puff/spread a bit so keep it simple.

 The dough here is sweet enough to handle the zingy cranberry and lime, but I do like the indulgent addition of lime glaze, or at the very least, a sprinkle of coarse sugar.  What.  A.  Treat.  The first time we made them, an afterschool snack.  The second, New Year's breakfast.  I think scones are the new cupcake.  You can quote me on that.

Cranberry Lime Scones (print recipe)

Makes 8 to 10

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (plus 3 T additional to toss with cranberries)
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 T unsalted butter, grated and very cold
2 T freshly grated lime zest (about 2 to 3 limes)
1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream

Lime Glaze:
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 cup powdered sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 400F, and grease a large baking sheet.  Grate the butter and place in the freezer until ready to use.  Zest the limes and set aside.  Coarsely chop the cranberries and place in a small bowl with 3 T sugar. 

2.  In a large bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the lime zest.  Stir the cranberries into the flour mixture.  Combine the egg, yolk and cream, then add to the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. 

3.  On a well-floured surface with floured hands, gently pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round (about 8 inches in diameter).  With a sharp knife or pizza cutter cut the scones into wedges or diamonds as desired.  use your hands to gently shape any leftover scraps into scones.  Do NOT roll out.  Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

4.  For Lime Glaze: In a small bowl combine the lime juice, lime zest and enough powdered sugar to reach your desired consistency.  Drizzle or brush glaze over warm scones and allow to cool.

Recipe from SprinkledwithFlour.com

Coconut Key Lime Pie

I don't feel like I really need to say much about this pie. You can see for yourself its glory, the low-endedness of my camera notwithstanding. Except that it has pushed me over the edge to create a "lime/coconut" tag because it is a beloved and honored combination on this blog that brings delight and refreshing euphoria to at least this author. So instead of writing more unnecessary commentary, I'm going to use my time to go and back-tag all the other lime & coconut treasures VGP has to offer. Then I might go research some more to make in the future... Enjoy!

Coconut-Key Lime Pie (print recipe)
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (13.5 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup fresh or bottled Key lime juice
7 large egg yolks
1 graham pie crust (recipe follows)
2 cups cold heavy cream
2 T confectioners' sugar
3 T sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 325. In a medium bowl, whisk together condensed milk, coconut milk, lime juice, and egg yolks until smooth. Pour into crust and bake until set but still slightly wobbly in center, 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then refrigerate 3 hours (or up to 1 day.)

2. In a large bowl using electric mixer, beat cream and sugar on high until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. To serve, top pie with whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted coconut.Easy Press-in Pie Crust
6 ounces cookies (about 12 graham crackers, 46 vanilla wafers or 30 chocolate wafers)
3 T sugar
1/4 tsp coarse salt
5 T unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a food processor, pulse cookies until finely ground (about 1 1/2 cups). Add sugar, salt and butter and pulse until combined.

2. Firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until crust is dry and set, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely in plate on a wire rack before filling.

Recipe from Everyday Food

Watermelon-Jalapeño Popsicles

It was a real toss-up whether to make these or the Peach-Vanilla Cream Pops for FROZEN night. These were the last frozen treat I was making before I made my final decision. As soon as I tasted the tantalizing heat and summer-drenched sweetness of this concoction, I knew I had my pop.

I made little sample-sizesr for Dessert Club in an ice cube tray. An easy way is to fill the wells, lay plastic wrap on top and stick your toothpicks or popsicle sticks through to hold them up straight. Mostly.The jalapeño's seeds are removed, but even so these are "too spicy" for my kids - depends on their tolerance. One friend at Dessert Club "does not do jalapeños." So these weren't for her. I would say I have a medium heat threshold, and I LOVED these - add the seeds if you're a heat-seeker.

Why pectin? It's a clever little popsicle ingredient - in this case it keeps all the other ingredients incorporated evenly; without it, they would separate. You can get liquid pectin at your grocery store by other canning supplies - at mine it is with the Gladware and plastic wrap. In some, near the baking supplies. It is usually a small box of 2 or 3 mylar pouches.

As far as summer treats go, this is about as healthy, easy and satisfying as it gets. Each 3-ounce pop has only 76 calories and 0.1 grams of fat. And it has that magical property of satisfying both sweet and savory cravings, which for this late-night snacker is like pink gold. Watermelon-Jalapeño Popsicles (print recipe)
3 cups fresh watermelon cubes, chilled
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 T light-colored corn syrup
1 T liquid pectin
1 large jalapeño pepper, halved, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 tsp grated lime rind

In a blender or food processor, combine watermelon, sugar, lime juice, corn syrup, pectin and jalepeño. Process until pureed. Stir in lime rind. Pour into 8 (3-ounce) ice pop molds. Freeze at least 6 hours or until firm.

Recipe from Cooking Light, June 2011

Coconut-Lime Berry Cake

Well, summer is definitely here in Virginia, so you can start expecting ice cream, popsicles, cool drinks, and summer fruits and flavors around here. Although chocolate is always in season.

This cake has everything I like all thrown into one 9x13 pan. Plus, without melty frosting, it is great to take to picnics. Which is exactly what we did.

We have some neighbors that have started the tradition of a dunk tank party every June. Isn't that the coolest darn thing you've ever heard of? These are also the same people that rode a zip line from their wedding to their reception, in full wedding garb. Adventurous, to say the least. I wanted to bring a dessert that wouldn't deteriorate in the heat, so this fruity but sturdy cake was just the ticket. The hostess later emailed me - people were asking for the recipe! - so I am moving this summer lovin' sweetie to the front of the queue!Coconut-Lime Berry Cake (print recipe)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup plus 1 T all-purpose flour, divided
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup packed sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup plus 1 T sugar, divided
3 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp finely grated lime zest, plus 2 T lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)
3 cups mixed berries, such as raspberries, blackberries and blueberries (about 1 pound)
3 T orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour (or spray) a 9x13 baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, salt and coconut. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar on high, scraping down bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, and beat until combined. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions buttermilk, and beat until combined. Stir in lime zest and juice. Pour batter into dish. Smooth top with a small offset or rubber spatula.

2. In a medium bowl, toss together 1 T flour, 1 T sugar, berries and orange juice. Scatter berry mixture over batter. Bake until cake is golden at edges and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or room temperature. Refrigerate leftover cake, wrapped in plastic, up to 5 days.Recipe from Everyday Food, May 2011

Key Lime Bars in Coconut Crust

The weather starts warming up, and I start dreaming of the tropics. Pineapple. Mango. Coconut. Key limes. Yes, please.

Unfortunately these bars are as close as I am getting to a tropical vacation this year, maybe this decade. So I might as well enjoy this crunchy-chewy-smooth-sweet-tart-creamy consolation prize. The toasted coconut in the crust and topping adds that sweet nutty flavor as well as a crunchy texture, to make it perfectly balanced against the sweet-tart citrus filling. Enjoy!

Key Lime Bars in Coconut Crust (print recipe)

Crust:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups shredded sweetened coconut, toasted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Filling:
One 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
3 T unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1/3 to 1/2 cup Key lime juice, or fresh lime juice, to taste

Zest of one lime, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

2. To make the crust: Combine all the crust ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl or in the bowl of a food processor. Mix or process until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside 1 cup of the crumbs, and press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 16 to 18 minutes, until it's golden brown.

3. To make the filling: In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add the sugar and salt and beat until well blended. Stir in the flour, then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the lime juice and zest, mixing until smooth. Pour the filling onto the crust.

4. Bake the bars for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the reserved crumbes adn bake an additional 10 minutes, or until set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the middle. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature for 1 hour. For easiest slicing, refrigerate for several hours.

Recipe from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion

Fresh Citrus Granita with Yogurt

Is your weather warming up yet? We have had a few warm days, and while I dread the looming misery that is summer in Virginia, I am thoroughly enjoying the perfection of spring. Warm enough to play outside, no bugs yet, you can go for a walk without steaming in your own clothes.

The other night we ate dinner al fresco, with this sweet, light treat for dessert. It came from Jamie's 30-Minute Meals, which, as you know, I got in the Best Package Ever. I wasn't sure if the girls would go for it - it's not pudding, not ice cream, not popsicles. Kinda rustic-sophisticated. But they really loved it and, if I remember right, licked their bowls clean.

I thought about saving this for summer, but why hold back? If we're having it, you should have it, too. Though it will be great to whip up on July nights when I just can't bear to turn on the oven.

Fresh Citrus Granita with Yogurt (print recipe)
1 bag or tray of ice cubes
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh mint
1 lemon
1 lime
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, to taste
1 pink grapefruit
2 to 3 cups plain, vanilla or lemon yogurt
Raspberries and/or extra mint sprigs, to garnish

1. Half-fill the food processor with ice cubes. Add the leaves from 3 or 4 mint sprigs. Finely grate in the zest of the lemon and the lime and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, then leave to blitz to a sort of snow. While processing, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated or caster sugar and squeeze in the juice of the lemon and lime. Once the mixture is like snow, spread it over a serving platter or 8x8 pan and put it in the freezer for 20 minutes to an hour.

2. Take the platter or pan out of the freezer. Use a fork to fluff up the ice and squeeze over the juice of the pink grapefruit. Serve with yogurt and raspberries. Delicious!Recipe from Jamie's 30-Minute Meals by Jamie Oliver

Poundcake Cupcakes with Lemon-Lime Glaze (an open-minded post)

I have this cupcake book I bought off the bargain shelf at Barnes and Noble. You know the one. Those $3.98 price tags just suck me in! Plus I know the girls love to look at all the pretty pictures. And if a few recipes turn out to be good, it was worth it.

Last week, during winter break, they wanted to make cupcakes, so I let them each choose a recipe from this book. Most of the recipes make small batches - 6 cupcakes - so it was perfect. Of course little girls choose recipes based solely on the pictures so I was surprised when Ginger chose this somewhat sophisticated treat over, say, the super pretty raspberry cream cupcakes or the ooey-gooey sundae-looking after-dinner mint cupcakes. But she's the boss so we made them.

And here's the thing. I didn't think they were that good. Not bad per se, but just kind of hard, dry, and not very sweet unless you got a good amount of glaze in your bite. They had what I call "British crumb." In the same family with British-style scones - not very sweet, not especially tender, maybe a bit crumbly. Definitely needs a glaze and a glass of milk or cuppa tea. This assessment is further supported by 1) the metric measurements in parentheses, 2) the use of terms such as "icing sugar" and "double cream", and 3) the publisher being based in Australia.

Actually, here's the thing. My mom liked them. I had written them off as not worthy of posting but my mom's praise gave me pause. I know she likes hard, crumbly treats, like scones and biscotti, more than I do but I also know she has good taste. It was like an epiphany. Not everyone has the same palate as me. Amazing.

So here I am posting something that, in full disclosure, is not my total favorite, but for what it is (British teatime treat), it is very good. And Ginger was so cute and proud, I think that made them even better.
Poundcake Cupcakes with Lemon-Lime Glaze
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 T sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tsp each freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice
1 tsp each grated lemon and lime zest

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs together with the sour cream and vanilla. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended. Beat in about a third of the egg mixture, then half of the dry ingredients; then another third of the eggs, then the remaining dry ingredients; and finally the remaining egg mixture until completely blended.

3. Divide the batter equally among 6 standard greased or lined muffin cups.

4. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly tapped, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar and lemon and lime juices and zests (we saved out the zests and sprinkled them on top instead.) Turn out the cupcakes, place the wire rack over a sheet of waxed paper, and return them to the rack. Spoon citrus glaze generously over the warm cupcakes, allowing some to run down the sides. Serve warm or cooled.

Recipe from Perfect Cupcakes: Delicious, Easy and Fun to Make

Click here for printable recipe

Coconut Lime-Curd Bars

I was bringing dinner - and dessert, of course - to a friend who had just had a baby. That means no chocolate (it bothers some babies in the milk.) And it also meant no nuts (the mom is allergic.) Surprisingly, this ruled out most of my recipes in the queue (like Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Brownies...wait for it...) so I had to take a different approach. I sat down and focused on my palate and asked what I was in the mood for (that wasn't chocolate or nuts.) Are you surprised I wanted more coconut-lime combos?

These are great for the contrasting textures of powdery crust and sweet, smooth lime curd. Also of course the great flavor combination. The original recipe did not have me cook the crust long enough, so when I poured on the lime filling, it broke the crust in parts and went through to the bottom. So I've amended the crust cooking time to let it get more set.

Coconut Lime-Curd Bars
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons lime zest

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Combine the coconut, 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and the butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until a crumbly dough is formed. Press firmly into a greased 8-by-8-inch pan. Bake until just golden, at least 20 minutes.

2. Sift together the granulated sugar, the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, and the 2 tablespoons of flour. Toss in lime zest and combine.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, lime juice, and vanilla. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, whisking to avoid lumps. Gently pour the filling over the baked crust. Bake until the lime curd is set in the center, about 22 minutes. Cool completely in the refrigerator, about 2 hours. Cut into 16 bars and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Recipe adapted from Real Simple, May 2005

Cardamom-Lime Sweet Rolls

I realize these might be more of a winter thing. Cardamom is a warming spice. Lime is a winter fruit. These even came from a January magazine issue. But as you know, I do what I want. I've had this recipe in my files for two years and I was finally in just the right mood to make them. In August. So I did.

Oh, you will looove these! Not only are they sweet and cute and bursting with fabulous flavors, but they're easy! Yes, there's the whole long time thing with the yeast. My first rise took more like 1 1/2 to almost 2 hours rather than the promised 1. But it wasn't a big deal - I was home all day (I love staying home all day) so I just kept checking it until it was ready. But there's nothing complicated about these. And the filling is so good. And so is the icing (my girls painted it on with pastry brushes, so fun!) And the dough is super soft and tender!

Now that I know how good these are, and how quality the dough is, they are wide open to improvisation. A reviewer said she made them with lemon and liked them even better. I might try orange and nutmeg, although cardamom is hard to beat.

We gobbled these up for an afternoon snack, a breakfast the next day, and a picnic at the beach. And now that I've got a kindergartener, I'm looking at everything for it's lunchbox-packability. I think these pass, though I might inlclude a wet wipe!

Cardamom-Lime Sweet Rolls (print recipe)
Dough
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces), divided
Cooking spray

Filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated lime rind
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons butter, melted, divided

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes.

2. Combine sour cream and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl, stirring until well blended. Gradually stir yeast mixture into sour cream mixture. Lightly spoon 2 1/3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 cups flour to sour cream mixture, stirring to form a soft dough.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel slightly tacky, but I still had to add more flour than the recipe calls for to make it handle-able).

4. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

5. To prepare filling, combine brown sugar, rind, and cardamom. Divide dough into two equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time, roll dough into a 12 x 10–inch rectangle; brush with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle half of filling over dough. Beginning with a long side, roll up jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll). Repeat procedure with remaining dough, 1 tablespoon butter, and filling. Cut each roll into 12 (1-inch) slices (I use dental floss for this.) Place slices, cut sides up, in a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

6. Preheat oven to 350°. Uncover dough. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack.

7. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm rolls. Makes 24 rolls

Recipe from Cooking Light, January 2008

Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream Frosting

...and we're back to lime and coconut. They just seem to meet up in so many good ways. I made these cupcakes for a friend who just had a baby. The next day she emailed to say she and her husband played a game of guess-the-ingredients. They wanted to know if Sprite was in there. I had to admit no, but I could see where they got that. The cupcakes are sweet, fresh, and slightly coconutty (next time I might add some coconut extract with the vanilla.) And the frosting is OUT OF THIS WORLD. I wished I had doubled it so I had extra for graham cracker sandwiches. Or to eat with a spoon. Or to just lick off my fingers. If you're looking for a simple but elegant and out-of-the-ordinary dessert, you have just found it.

Now. A word about potato starch, which is an ingredient. I'd never cooked with it before, and I'm not totally sure what it does. It's similar to cornstarch. But I had to get some for the recipe so I called my grocery store to find out if they had it, and where it was. Because who's got time to hunt something like that down? It could be anywhere! The recipe suggested it would be in my baking aisle, but I'm glad I called the store because they said it was in the international aisle, near the British and kosher foods. Looks like this:
Interesting stuff. The two recipes on the back are for sponge cake and raisin sauce (that apparently goes on meat.) As it says on the label, it can be subbed for cornstarch. Which makes me ask why I couldn't have just used cornstarch in the recipe and saved myself the trip and $5. But now I'll never know because I have this big can of potato starch so I'll just use it every time I make these cupcakes. Let me know if you want to borrow some.

Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream Frosting
Cupcakes:
Cooking spray
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup, but really do weigh it if you have a kitchen scale)
3 tablespoons potato starch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2/3 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4.75 ounces powdered sugar, sifted (about 1 1/3 cups)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cupcakes, place 2 muffin cup liners in each of 12 muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

4. Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended (mixture will be the consistency of damp sand). Add egg and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to egg mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in coconut and vanilla.

5. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched lightly in the center. Cool in pan 2 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

6. To prepare frosting, combine 3 tablespoons butter and next 3 ingredients (through juice) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating just until smooth. Spread about 2 1/2 teaspoons frosting onto each cupcake.

Recipe from Cooking Light, May 2009

Kiwi Pops

How do you describe the taste of a kiwi? No idea. But you know they're good. And intriguing. I love the taste and texture of a perfectly ripe kiwi, and those teeny crisp black seeds make them oh-so-exotic!

But they are an oft-overlooked fruit. Which is why I was thuh-rilled to find a popsicle all to themselves. OK, so there's lime juice in there. And sugar, of course. But it's just for support and doesn't overwhelm. We served these up at a playdate at our house, and all five kids age 3 to 5 ate them up. Three cheers for fruit in any form! Especially this one.

Kiwi Pops

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 cups sliced kiwis, with or without peel (that's right!)

3/4 cup fresh lime juice

1. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup water and the sugar. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or longer to cool.

2. Combine the kiwis and lime juice in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.

3. Add the sugar water and 1 1/2 cups cold water to the kiwi mixture and process again to combine.

4. Pour the mixture into your pop molds. Insert the sticks. Freeze for at least 6 hours.

5. Remove from the freezer; let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before removing the pops from the molds. Makes six 8-oz or eight 6-oz pops

Variations

Kiwi & Strawberry Pops: Reduce the kiwi to 2 cups. Add 1 cup strawberries in step 2. Add an additional 1/2 cup sliced strawberries to the molds in step 4.

Kiwi & Pineapple Pops: Reduce the kiwi to 2 cups. Replace the water with pineapple juice. Add 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks to the molds in step 4.

Recipe from POPS! Icy Treats for Everyone by Krystina Castella

Icebox Key Lime Pie

Stop it, stop it, stop it. Whatever you are doing, or were about to do, stop it and make this pie.I have moved it to the front of a long queue of worthy recipes so you can have it immediately because it is THE BEST key lime pie you'll ever have (probably) and THE BEST key lime pie you'll ever make (definitely.) I took it to a family BBQ (which explains why the pics are rushed; once this was cut, people wanted their pieces NOW), and it received rave reviews. Even my aunt, who loves key lime pie, said this rivaled her very favorite from California Pizza Kitchen.

The best key lime pie I'd ever had, until now, was from Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies in Brooklyn. What can I say? It was delicious and authentic. I admit mine below was made with Mexican limes from the grocery store. But without doing a side-by-side taste test comparison, I'd say this baby is just as good as Steve's, and certainly more accessible. You will wow and amaze anyone you make it for, especially yourself.

I saw this made on PBS's Cook's Country TV. We all know I love Cook's Country magazine, and on occasion I catch their show. Was I ever lucky to see this one. Not that you have to see it to make it - the directions are straightforward and you just do it all in the food processor - no stovetop cooking; the thickening is done by agents in the pudding and gelatin in the refrigerator, or "icebox" (hence the name.) I had never bought unflavored gelatin before, but it's right where you would expect, next to the Jello and pudding at the store.

This amazing pie has got that rich tart-sweetness and a smooth but substantial silkiness your tongue will love. So so so good. So just stop it and go make you some!

Icebox Key Lime Pie

Crust:8 whole graham crackers , broken into smaller pieces
2 T sugar
5 T unsalted butter , melted

Filling:1/4 cup sugar
1 T grated lime zest
8 oz. cream cheese , softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 cup fresh lime juice from 6 to 8 limes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse crackers and sugar in food processor until finely ground. Add melted butter in steady stream while pulsing until crumbs resemble damp sand. Using bottom of dry measuring cup, press crumbs firmly into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate. Bake until fragrant and browned around edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool completely.

2. For the filling: Process sugar and zest in food processor until sugar turns bright green, about 30 seconds. Add cream cheese and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Add condensed milk and pudding mix and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Stir gelatin and 2 tablespoons lime juice in small bowl. Heat in microwave for 15 seconds; stir until dissolved. With machine running, pour gelatin mixture, remaining lime juice, and vanilla through feed tube and mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

3. Pour filling into cooled crust, cover with plastic, and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, let pie sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing.

Recipe from CooksCountryTV.com

Key Lime Bread with Coconut-Pecan Glaze

Recently a friend asked what I've got for recipes with lime and coconut together. Doesn't that sound so good in the summer? Sadly, all I had was one - Coconut-Lime Shortbread. It's good, but I wanted to be able to offer more. Which was when I remembered this sweetie I'd been holding onto. My friend Rebecca won first place at the Arlington County Fair with this bread, and I'd been hanging onto the recipe, meaning to make it some day. At last that day has come.

I was not disappointed. It is sweet, tender, and very limey. Structured so it won't fall apart, but still soft and melt-in-your-mouth. I can't think of a time of day this wouldn't be good. Plus it's beautiful and would make a great gift. And just so you know, this is just the beginning of coconut-lime recipes this summer. I'm on a mission.Key Lime Bread with Coconut-Pecan Glaze
Bread:

2/3 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

4 T key lime juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk

2 T grated lime peel

Glaze:

2/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1 to 2 T key lime juice

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray two 9x5 loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar for a few minutes. Add eggs and mix well. Add key lime juice and vanilla; mix until combined.

3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Add grated lime peel and mix in.

4. Transfer to prepared pans. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

5. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm bread. Cool completely. Makes 2 loaves.

Recipe from Rebecca Yeates

Lime-Coconut Granita

What is granita? It is a frozen dessert with a coarse/icy texture. Think snow-cone but think sophisticated Italian snow-cone. Think sophisticated Italian dessert that's simple to make, low-fat and totally refreshing in the summer heat.

This one is particularly delicious because it has that heavenly combination of lime and coconut, a theme I promise you will be seeing more of from me this summer. Ice cream machines and popsicle molds are not the only way to make fresh frozen treats. For this one, you just mix the ingredients, heat just enough to dissolve the sugar, then freeze solid in a pan. Anyone, of any culinary skill level, with any size kitchen, can make it. Once frozen, you scrape it with a fork into icy fluff and eat fast before it melts. With something that tastes this good, that shouldn't be a problem.Lime-Coconut Granita
2 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup sugar

1 T grated lime rind

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4-6 limes)

1/2 cup light coconut milk

1. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool completely.

2. Pour mixture into an 11x7-inch baking dish. Cover and freeze for 8 hours or until firm. Remove mixture from freezer and let stand 10 minutes. Scrape entire mixture with a fork until fluffy. Serve immediately. Makes 8 - 1/2 cup servings

Recipe from Cooking Light, May 2008

Coconut-Lime Shortbread

Typically shortbread doesn't really interest me - too boring. But I'm always a sucker for new flavor combinations. So when I saw this recipe I thought, "If there's ever a shortbread I'm going to love, this may be it." So I gave it a shot. Sure enough, I really love it.


As with the Good Mood Cranberry Bread, this recipe smelled fantastic throughout the making process. From toasting the coconut to zesting the lime to processing it all together and finishing with a bright sweet glaze, the wafting aromas impress. And luckily, so does the bite. The coconut adds subtle texture and the lime shines. If you're going to make a shortbread this year, and don't want to be disappointed, this is the one for you! Coconut-Lime Shortbread
Makes about 30 2-1/4 inch squares
1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1/2 cup sugar
2 T finely shredded lime peel (about 3 limes)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
Lime Glaze, optional (recipe below)
Finely shredded lime peel, optional

1. Preheat oven to 325. In a food processor combine coconut, sugar, the 2 T lime peel, an the vanilla. Cover and process until coconut is finely chopped. Add flour; cover and process with one on/off pulse just to combine. Add butter; cover and process until mixture starts to cling. Transfer to a verly large bowl (dough will appear dry.) Knead dough until smooth. Shape dough into a ball; divide in half.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the dough portions to about 1/4-inch thickness. Using desired 1 1/2 to 2 inch cookie cutters, cut out dough. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or just until bottoms start to brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Repeat with the remaining dough portion. If desired, spread tops of cookies with Lime Glaze and sprinkle with additional lime peel.

Lime Glaze: In a small bowl stir together 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp finely shredded lime peel, and 1 T lime juice. Stir in enough water (2 to 3 T) to make a glaze of spreading consistency.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Ultimate Cookies, December 2009

Fresh Lime Chiffon Cake

It's just so nice of everyone to keep having birthdays! I made this a few week's ago for a girls' night birthday party at my house. Lime is such a mouthwatering flavor, but I had no idea it could be this good in a cake.

I'd never made a chiffon cake before, but it was how it sounds - in texture, about halfway between angel food and regular white cake. In flavor, whatever you make it. In this case, DELICIOUS!

It was an occasion to buy 8-inch round pans. I only had 9-inch, and I'm sure they would have been fine, just cut down the cooking time, but I wanted to do it by the book, so I got 8-inch. They cooked up light and golden, and then came my favorite part - assembly! The filling is so simple and so perfect - lime juice, lime zest, sweetened condensed milk. What more could you want? Except maybe an icing of Cool Whip, sugar and more lime juice. Talk about a summery treat!

And since there are three components to this cake - the cake, filling and frosting, each requiring lime juice, I added it all up so I could get all the juicing done at once. This recipe calls for a TOTAL of 11 T of lime juice, or 2/3 cup. It took about 3 1/2 limes for me. You also need a TOTAL of 2 tsp lime rind (about 2 limes.)

Fresh Lime Chiffon Cake

Filling:
1 tsp finely grated lime rind
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Cake:
cooking spray
1 T cake flour
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
7 T canola oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3 T water
1 tsp finely grated lime rind
1 tsp pure lemon extract
3 egg yolks
8 egg whites
1 tsp cream of tartar

Frosting:
3 T sugar
2 T lime juice
2 1/2 cups fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Fresh mint springs, blueberries, lime wedges, etc. (optional), for garnish

1. Prepare filling: Combine lime rind, lime juice and sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl, stirring until blended. Cover and chill 3 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 325. Coat bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 1 T flour.

3. Place egg whites in large mixer bowl; beat with mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 T at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Pour into another bowl to hold until needed.

4. In the same mixer bowl, combine 2 cups cake flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until combined.

5. In a medium bowl, combine oil, lime juice, water, rind, lemon extract, and egg yolks in medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add oil mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.

6. Gently stir in one-fourth of egg white mixture into cake batter; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Divide cake batter evenly among prepared pans, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake 20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans. Remove wax paper. Cool completely on wire racks.

7. To prepare frosting, combine 3 T sugar and 2 T lime juice in a small glass bowl. Microwave on high for 20 seconds at a time until sugar dissolves. Cool completely. Fold into whipped topping.

8. Assemble cake! Place 1 layer on cake plate. Spread with half of filling. Place second layer on top; top with remaining filling. Place third layer on top.Spread frosting over top and sides. Garnish, slice and serve. Can be stored covered in refrigerator up to 3 days.


Recipe from Cooking Light, June 2006

Lime Meltaways

Made these for the good old preschool bake sale, and while I was afraid that making five kinds of cookies and two kinds of bread might have been overboard, in the end I was glad. Mid-afternoon someone came by looking for something sweet that had no eggs, and I was proud to have these goodies to offer. But even if you don't have food restrictions, these tart, powdery gems are a super summer treat.

I'm horrified to admit I didn't take a picture. I made these the night before the bake sale, and they were almost immediately wrapped up and I must have just forgotten. Here's a stock photo from Martha, though:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar

Finely grated zest of 2 limes

2 T fresh lime juice (2 limes'll do it)

1 T pure vanilla extract (that's right, Tablespoon - not teaspoon)

1 3/4 cups plus 2 T all-purpose flour

2 T cornstarch

1/4 tsp coarse salt

1. Put butter and 1/3 cup powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add the lime zest and juice and the vanilla, and mix until fluffy.

2. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Add to butter mixture, and mix on low speed until just combined.

3. Divide dough in half. Place each log on an 8x12 sheet of parchment. Roll in parchment to form a log 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Refrigerate logs (in water glasses on their sides, so no side gets flat) until cold and firm, at least 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350. Remove parchment from logs; cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Space rounds 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 13 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool slightly, 8-10 minutes. While still warm, toss cookies with remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

Recipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Cranberry Citrus Sauce

I'm not always a fan of strong whole wheat flavor, but these pancakes are really half wheat, half white. They also earned 5 out of 5 stars from 29 reviewers on MyRecipes, including me, and caused Ed to exclaim unprovoked, "Wow, these are delicious!" Try them with Cranberry Citrus Sauce, buttermilk syrup, or any topping you like. These may just become your new standard flapjack.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
from Cooking Light, April 2002

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups low fat buttermilk
1 T vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl; stir with whisk. Combine wet ingredients, stirring with whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Heat griddle and coat with cooking spray. Spoon 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle - cook, flip, cook until perfect. Makes about 12 pancakes

Cranberry Citrus Sauce
from Cooking Light, December 2006

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
2 T fresh orange juice
2 tsp grated lime rind
2 T fresh lime juice
2 tsp butter

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over med-high heat; cook 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; stir in cranberries, orange juice, rind, and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes or until mixture foams and cranberries pop. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Makes 1 1/4 cups

(Sorry no picture - we actually gobbled them up before I remembered!)