Meyer Lemon Limoncello Cupcakes

I'm sure it must be Spring somewhere, it just doesn't seem to want to be Spring in Seattle.  Oh, we are getting teased, sunny blue skies,bright yellow daffodils and pink blossoms swirling to the ground.  But just when we get our hopes up,here come the huge dark grey clouds and pelting rain,sleet and lately snow.   I would love to fast forward to summer and away from this rain.  I know that Spring in Seattle equals rain,winds,blue skies,grey skies and tumultuous weather, but deep down in my soul I long for warmth,gentle breezes and blue skies.  I'm either going to have to move or accept Seattle and it's crazy weather.  Opening a bottle of Limoncello to use in this recipe didn't help matters either.  That first sweet scent of fresh lemons took me right to a balcony in Positano overlooking the Mediterranean.  At the end of each day we would sit on the edge of the pool with a cold glass of Limoncello and toast our good fortune .

The view from Villa Fiorentino, Positano

A deep blue sky that went on forever , the sun so warm and the breezes just perfect-thank goodness for sweet memories.  They will have to get me through this wet Spring along with the remains of my Limoncello !

Since I went a little crazy at the grocery store earlier this week with my purchase of Meyer Lemons, I've been searching for recipes that I haven't tried before. I was enticed by one of Helene's postings on her blog Tartelette . Her blog is so beautiful and her photography always inspires me. This recipe has a few steps to it, but trust me they are well worth the time.

Meyer Lemon Limoncello Cupcakes:Makes 12
Thanks to Tartelette
For the cupcakes:
2 oz (60gr)unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 oz(60gr) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup (200gr)sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons (30gr) limoncello
1½ cups (190gr) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup(125ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
zest of one Meyer lemon

Preheat oven to 350F and position a rack in the center.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the limoncello and beat an extra minute. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternatively to the butter/eggs mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add the lemon juice and zest. Fill cupcake tins 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Meyer Lemon Curd

I used Diane Morgan's recipe that I found at Leite's Culinaria
Yield: 4 -1/2pint jars

6 large egg yolks, at room temperature

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)

2 tablespoonsgrated Meyer lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

 

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, eggs, and sugar. Whisk in the lemon juice. Transfer to a double boiler and cook the curd over barely simmering water, whisking constantly, until the lemon mixture thickens and reaches 170°F (76°C) on an instant-read thermometer. (The mixture will be very foamy on top.) Remove the pan from the heat. Strain the curd into a bowl. Immediately whisk in the lemon zest and butter until the mixture is smooth and emulsified.

Meyer Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Helene's Recipe

makes approximately 1 1/2 cups
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1-2 lemons, or to taste

In a double boiler, combine the egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar. Use a hand held mixer to beat until the mixture becomes too hot to comfortably touch - approximately 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Continue to beat until you have stiff peaks. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, beating the mixture thoroughly. Lastly, beat in the vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Use at room temperature.

To assemble:Cut a whole into each cupcake with a melon baller or the back end of a large pastry tip. Fill each cavity with the lemon curd. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip with the buttercream frosting and pipe onto each cupcake. Decorate with candied lemon peel or berries if desired.

I have just a few more Meyer lemons remaining,perhaps candied peels ?  But first, maybe a little bite of this sweet little cupcake ? Bon Appetit .

Limoncello and a Trip to Positano

One of the calamities of our past winter weather is that my lemon tree never made it to Spring.  The mildness of the winter lulled me into a false sense of security so I never bundled my little tree with burlap. It was so sad to see something so beautiful turn so brown and dry.  It became garden compost , soon to dress the new tree that took it's place.  This new one seems to like us, I'm getting lots of blossoms on it and the bees are busy pollinating.  I'm anxious for the lemons-just like anything else you grow yourself there is nothing like fresh lemons off of your own tree.  And just the scent from the blossoms takes me immediately to Positano, Italy , where I was first introduced to Limoncello.  Let me tell you what took us to Positano in the first place.  Do you remember the movie with Marissa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr-Only You? 

 When I saw that scenery in the movie  I had to sit thru the credits to see where it was filmed-Positano.  Of course I immediately went to the Internet and did my research.  I said to J that someday we were going to Positano, he smiled , knowing me and knowing that yes I could fall in love with a place and its romance solely based on a movie.  A few  years later we were stepping off a bus from Sorrento and into  Positano.  I was bowled over by the beauty, it was literally breathtaking.  It was exactly what I expected and more.  Beautiful sherbet colored homes on the hillside, the Mediterranean bluer than Paul Newman's eyes, and the smells; the scent of jasmine and lemons along the pathways; fresh marinara sauce from the kitchens and walking by a pizza oven-oh heaven... Down on the beach, walking by the open air cafes and restaurants you could smell so many incredible seafood smells and the salty air.  And our villa,and that's exactly what it was-Villa Fiorentino.  When we planned that trip we decided that we were going to end our trip to Europe in style at a romantic hillside villa overlooking Positano and the Mediterranean. Our first night there we wandered thru the little hillside village and discovered Limoncello.

 It looked so beautiful-surrounded by lemons and beautiful fabrics in blues and yellows.  We weren't sure what it tasted like but it looked delicious.  We headed back to the Villa, took out some chilled glasses , poured a glass and sat by the pool and toasted our good fortune and all the beauty that surrounded us.

We continued to sip on into the night watching the purples and pinks of the sunset and then watching the sky turn to my favorite shade of blue just after dusk when it almost glows blue.  More sipping as the stars came out and all the homes on the hillside twinkled with the lights inside the houses.  It doesn't get any more perfect or romantic-with or without Limoncello!  If Positano was the present we had given ourselves, then the Limoncello was the big bow wrapped around it.   We enjoyed a glass every night, toasting the sunset, our love and good fortune and the beauty of Positano.

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We vowed someday to return and until we do we will toast Positano from our little garden haven in our back yard,remembering those warm romantic Mediterranean nights.  Make some Limoncello before summer ends and remember your favorite getaway while sipping this refreshing liqueur.

Limoncello is a liqueur and is meant to be sipped and enjoyed slowly.  Close your eyes smell the lemons, feel the Amalfi sun on your face.

Even the history of Limoncello spins a web of romantic intrigue with story after story of how it was discovered. I found this little summary of the history of Limoncello while looking for an authentic recipe on the Internet.

The liquor was born at the beginning of 1900, in a small boarding house of the island Azzurra, where the lady Maria Antonia Farace took care of a rigorous garden of lemons and oranges. The nephew, during the post-war period, opened a bar near Alex Munte’s villa. The speciality of that bar was the lemon liquor made with nonna’s old recipe. In 1988, the son Massimo Canale started a small handmade production of limoncello, registering the trademark. But really, Sorrento and Amalfi have some legends and stories on the production of the traditional yellow liquor. On the coast, for example, the story narrates that the big families of Sorrento, at the beginning of 1900, would always ensure that their illustrious guests would get a taste of limoncello, made according to the traditional recipe. In Amalfi, there’s even those who believe that the liquor has older origins, almost linked to the lemon cultivation. However, as it frequently happens in these circumstances, the truth is vague and the hypothesis are many and interesting. Someone believes that limoncello was used in the morning by fishermen and countrymen to fight the cold, since the invasion periods. Others, instead, believe that the recipe was born inside a monastic convent to delight the monks from prayer to prayer. Legends have it that limoncello and other liqueurs of fermented spices, fruits, and herbs were developed in convents. In the early 1600's, the nuns of Santa Rosa convent in Conca dei Marini were using this citrus-based liqueur to give their famous lemon pastry sfogiatella Santa Rosa its authentic taste.

And of course after reading that something so luscious could have been developed in a convent and used for a lemon pastry -well my curiosity was piqued and I had to find out what sfogiatella Santa Rosa is. In my search I came across a marvelous ancient recipe -it includes an updated "modern recipe" . Watch my blog for Sfogiatella Santa Rosa pastries .

Recipe for Limoncello
Adapted from the Foodnetwork Fans Recipe
Makes about 2 1/2 liters, approximately 84oz
1 liter of Everclear alcohol, approximately 34 oz
10 medium to large lemons-preferably organic
1 1/2 liters of water, approximately 50 oz
3 lbs of sugar (1 1/2 kilos)

Instructions:
1.Wash the lemons with a vegetable brush and hot water to remove any residue of pesticides or wax; pat the lemons dry. Using a vegetable or potato peeler, peel the lemon rinds off of the lemons so there is no white pith on the peel. Place the peelings in a large container with the Everclear alcohol. Cover the container and let it sit for at least seven days.  I've been peeking in on my little lemon peels, all swimming beautifully in the Everclear.  Right now it's day 12 and I am ready to wave the magic wand and turn grain alcohol, lemon peels and sugar into the delectably cooling, deliciously tart and sweet Limoncello.  

2.On the eight day or whenever you are ready, strain the the peels from alcohol; discard peels-they will be crispy like crackers !
3.In a large saucepan, make a simple syrup by combining the water and sugar; let it simmer at a fast simmer 15 minutes. Allow the simple syrup cool to room temperature. Add the syrup to the alcohol.

It is now ready! It's best for sipping from a chilled glass out on a terrace in Positano,overlooking the Mediterranean. Alright, just use your imagination while sitting on your patio in your backyard. Really as soon as the taste flows across your palette you will be transported to the Amalfi Coast.

PS You can also make Arancello using the same recipe just substitute 10 large oranges for the lemons.

And now I'm pouring  a little glass of Limoncello,taking that first sweet sip and  and heading back to Positano,if only in my heart..Ciao