A Dreamy Pair

8.3.16

I love a good double take.  Baking something that warrants one (while also being tasty) is a great feeling.  Same goes for dress shopping.  Finding something you like is one thing, finding something you just keep coming back to and can’t NOT buy it, is another.  Whether it’s a beautiful dessert, or a killer maxi dress, there’s something about indulging in that pleasure that is so satisfying. There is such a striking quality about using blueberries in frosting, the natural color it brings is so bold it looks artificial. But it’s not! It’s beautiful, and after you bite into that cupcake and get that tart lemon curd, there’s no going back. I bought a maxi dress earlier this summer that I couldn’t stop thinking about. It hid in my closet for weeks.  I finally pulled it out when my husband and I saw Hamilton on Broadway last Wednesday.  As the first year of marriage is themed ‘Paper’ for gift inspiration, I gave Phil tickets to the show back in March, even though we actually wouldn’t be attending the show until July. (Tickets have been impossible to get. I bought them close to a year ago in preparation.) But in my defense I bought them for the day he proposed. The cupcakes and this dress both got me really excited, of course for totally different reasons.

It’s no secret lemon and blueberry go together beautifully, so I felt confident about the idea for these cupcakes. Since I had extra ricotta in my fridge, I replaced the sour cream in my cupcake recipe with the ricotta and it worked great. 

For the Lemon Curd

 

For the Cupcakes

 

The lemon curd recipe I found on Chowhound turned out perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing. It was smooth, tart, and full of flavor. 

That color!!! I can’t get enough of it! When I made these cupcakes for a baby shower a few months ago, guests couldn’t stop talking about the appearance.  And I agree, they are striking to look at!

 

So what did I wear to the most dreamy date I’ve had with my husband?  What dress did I see online, and kept going back to look at it until I clicked ‘add to bag?’ This fabulous maxi.

It was flowy, had a great pattern, and a sexy slit up the front.  Which isn’t as sexy when it’s too windy and just turns slutty.  It didn’t make me love the dress any less.

An orange purse from Karen Millen and the comfy wedges I’m wearing with everything finish the look.  I actually splurged and put some make up on too. I’ve been avoiding it as much as possible as the temperatures have sky rocketed.

There’s something about this dress that just makes me feel good when I walk around it it.  It’s elegant while still being summery.  It keeps you cool and it’s the right amount of skimpy (see leg slit). I can wear this out for the day, but when I’m headed into the most in-demand ticket on Broadway, I’m dressed for it. A great purchase if I do say so myself.

SheIn White Geometric Maxi / Crown Vintage Wedges / Karen Millen Clutch

Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Lemon Curd

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon zest
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature

For the Cupcakes

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 2 Tbsp honey
• zest from 1 lemon

For the Frosting

• 3 Tbsp blueberry juice (from about 1 pint of blueberries)
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

Instructions

For the Curd

• Bring about 2 inches of water in the bottom pot of a double boiler to a simmer, reduce heat to keep at a simmer, never brining to a boil
• Place all ingredients except butter, into the top pot of double boiler and whisk together
• Place top pot over simmering water and whisk while the mixture thickens for about 7 to 10 minutes
• When ready, a ribbon should form when the whisk is lifted and curd falls off it
• To avoid burning, make sure to remove curd off simmering water periodically and whisk off of heat, then return back to water
• Once thickened, add in butter one piece at a time and whisk until melted before adding the next
• Pour curd into a fine mesh strainer and into a container to place in refrigerator
• Place plastic wrap directly on top of curd to prevent skin, and chill until fully cooled

For the Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 and line one muffin tray with cupcake liners
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cornstarch, set aside
• In the bowl of a stand up mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed, beat eggs on medium speed for about 20 seconds
• Pour in sugar, vanilla, and oil one at a time, allowing each to beat in before adding the next, scrape down sides of the bowl
• Pour in honey
• Alternating, add in flour mixture and ricotta, ending with ricotta on low speed
• Add in lemon zest on low and allow to just combine
• Pour batter into each cupcake liner, they should all be filled to about 3/4 of the way
• Bake for 15-18 minutes, until just beginning to brown and tester comes out of the middle cupcake clean
• Allow to cool fully before frosting

For the Frosting

• Place blueberries into a small saucepan with two tbsp of water and over low-medium heat allow to break down, around 10 minutes
• Once blueberries have become more juice than berry, pour through a strainer into bowl, allow to chill
• In a bowl of a stand up mixer with a paddle attachment, add in sugar, butter and juice and allow to combine until desired consistency

To Assemble

• Pour curd into piping bag with long filling tip and fill the center of each cupcake by poking holes through the top
• Either using and offset spatula or piping bag, decorate top of cupcakes with frosting as desired

P.S.

*There will be blueberry juice left over

Lemon Curd adapted from Chowhound