Summer Citrus

I LOVE SUMMER! I love the bright sunshine and the warmth that comes through my new pink curtain. I also love the fruits of summer. Oranges, lemons, strawberries and peaches are some of my favorites and for my family's "Happy Belated Birthday, America!" party I made lemonade cupcakes, and they were a hit!

Lemonade Cupcakes:

1 box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Lemon Supreme Cake Mix

1 can Creamy Lemon Frosting

24 lemon drops

24 drink umbrellas

Lemon Curd (recipe to follow)

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line 24 muffin cups with 2 paper liners in each cup. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until cupcakes are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 21 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely.
2. Cut out cone shaped holes from each cake. Fill with 1/2 tablespoon lemon curd. Shave off the cone from the cone shape and place back on cupcake. Repeat for all cupcakes and let sit.
3. Stir frosting. Spread the frosting on top of all of the cupcakes and make smooth, making sure to keep the double paper liners in place.
4. Dip lemon drops into lemon curd and set in center of iced cupcake. Place umbrella accordingly.

Lemon Curd:

3 large eggs

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon zest

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of summering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly, to prevent curdling, until the mixture becomes thick like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce. This will take approximately 10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps.
3. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately, so a skin will not form, and refrigerate for up to a week.

They were really quite great, and even though they took some work, they were totally worth it! So, here's a picture of them, well after they were almost all gone!

Hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend!