Mary Berry Lemon Curd Muffins Food

MARY BERRY'S LEMON MERINGUE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with cases.
• Put the sponge ingredients into a bowl and whisk using an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy. Spoon the mixture evenly between the cases. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden-brown, risen and springy to the touch. Set aside to cool completely.
• Cut a deep circle in the centre of each cake (about the width of a £2 coin) and pull out a walnut size of sponge to leave a hole. Spoon 1 teaspoon lemon curd into each hole, making sure the curd is level with the top.
• To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric hand whisk until stiff. Gradually add the sugar as you continue whisking on full speed, until you have a stiff glossy mixture. Spread or pipe on the top of each cupcake and sit back in their tins.
• Use a chef's blowtorch to brown the meringues or slide the tray under the grill. Watch carefully and remove when golden-brown.
• Sprinkle with the freeze-dried strawberries.

EASY LEMON MUFFINS

Steps:

• Line a muffin tin with large muffin cases. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until smooth using a wooden spoon or an electric whisk. Spoon tablespoons of the batter into the muffin cases until they're three-quarters full (you can make up to 8, depending on the case size). Bake for 30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave on a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually add lemon juice until you have a thick but pourable icing - you may not need all of the juice. Drizzle over the cooled muffins and serve.

LEMON CURD MUFFINS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190oC/375oF/gas 5. Line a 12 whole muffin tin with paper cases.
• Sieve the flour into a bowl mix in the sugar
• mix together the egg, sunflower oil, milk and vanilla extract in a bowl
• Make a well in the flour and sugar mix add some of the liquid mix into the centre of the well in the flour mix then stir in (this helps the dry and wet mixes mix together) continue to stir in the wet mix to the dry mis to make the muffin batter add some juice of a lemon stir it in.
• fill the muffin cases half full withthe batter then place 1 tsp of lemon curd on top then top up the muffin cases with remaining muffin batter.
• place in the pre heated oven on the middle shelf DO NOT SLAM the door. Bake for 10-15 minutes until risen and firm.
• For the sugar coating, microwave the lemon curd on high for 1 minute until melted. Put the sugar into a shallow bowl. Brush on the melted lemon curd top of each muffin and dip the tops of each muffin in the sugar to coat the tops.
• If anyone can't get hold of Lemon Curd at your local store, you can make your own. Below I have included a recipe but feel free to use your own recipe.
• The following will make a single large jar of lemon curd. Obviously you can multiply up the quantities to make more.
• Put a large bowl over a pan of water. Put this on the heat, and once the water has come to the boil put 55g (2oz) of unsalted butter and 225g (8oz) of sugar into the bowl.
• Meanwhile, grate the rind of two lemons and squeeze their juice into another bowl. Once the butter has fully melted, add the rind and juice to your large bowl over the pan. Finally, beat two eggs and pour them into the mixture. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. Keep it moving slowly all the time so that it coats the edges of the bowl. This will allow it to start cooking on the hot glass. Over the next 20 to 30 minutes it will thicken and you may start to see some white parts forming in the otherwise yellow mixture. This is perfectly normal. Eventually you will see that the mix has become considerably thicker and you will be able to draw the spoon through it and see the bottom of the bowl. Once you have reached this stage it is ready to be poured into the jar.
• Remove the pan from the heat and very carefully ladle the hot mixture into a sterilised jar using a funnel if necessary to help you get it in, without it running down the sides.