Thursday, February 10, 2011

Linzer Heart Cupcakes


I have done a pretty good job of staying away from desserts since the holidays (excluding my Superbowl party post from earlier this week), but with Valentine's Day, I couldn't resist sharing this recipe I found at Faith's wonderful blog, An Edible Mosaic.

Please stop in to see all of her wonderful tips for making these delightful cupcakes. And by the way, her cupcake recipe is delicious!  I will be giving away the rest of the cupcakes to friends this weekend!


After the (slightly-overfilled) cupcakes are baked, the tops are cut off and a heart shape is cut into them. Since I've had lemon on my mind recently, I made some easy, microwave lemon curd to use as the filling which is piled onto the bottom part of the cupcake.


The tops are then dusted with powdered sugar and placed back on the cupcake over the the filling.


Voila!  Lemon Curd Linzer Cupcakes for your Valentine! Feel free to substitute strawberry or cherry pudding in place of the lemon curd.


Faith's Linzer Cupcakes
Adapted from Linzer Cupcakes by An Edible Mosaic
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
3 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

About 1 1/2 cups lemon curd (recipe follows) or pudding of your choice
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350F. Beat together the sugar and oil, then cream in the eggs until light and fluffy, and then stir in the milk and extracts. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring until just combined. Do not over-mix.

Line the cupcake baking pan* with cupcake liners and fill each cupcake liner 7/8 full of batter (3/4 full for regular cupcakes). Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until light golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean Cool for 5-10 minutes in the cupcake baking pan and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cool completely before proceeding.

Cut off the tops of the cupcakes just above the cupcake liner using a serrated knife. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut a heart shape in each cupcake top. Place a good dollop of lemon curd or jam on top of the cupcake bottoms. Dust the cut-out cupcake tops with powdered sugar and gently place back on top of the filled cupcake bottoms.

*Note: the tops of my cupcakes stuck to the baking pan since they are intentionally over-filled for this recipe. Luckily I used a non-stick muffin pan, but it might be a good idea to

Easy Microwave Lemon Curd

4 ounces butter (NOT margarine)
The grated zest from 3 lemons
3/4 cup lemon juice (from the 3 lemons)
I also add about 1 tablespoon of my homemade Limoncello, which I keep in the freezer.
1 cup sugar
4-5 eggs, thoroughly beaten

Put butter, sugar, lemon juice and lemon rind into a micro-safe bowl. Cook on high about 3 minutes, stirring halfway through. Butter should be melted and sugar dissolved.

Beat in eggs and microwave in 30-second intervals until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Whisk after each 30-second interval. Cool and pour into sterilized jars. Cover immediately. Store in refrigerator. Will last for about one week.

Makes about 3 medium sized jars.

52 comments:

  1. What a fun idea, they look beautiful! I'm sure I'll be a copy cat soon:@)

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  2. They look great! Your recipe for the Lemon Curd sounds wonderful. Happy Valentine's Day:)

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  3. Wow! They look so cute, I like the plate you have presented, gives a very rich look.

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  4. Oh, Susan, what a beautiful dessert! Perfect for Valentine's Day!

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  5. Cute as buttons:) Heart buttons.. Ils sont beaux beaux beaux!!

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  6. I love these! They are adorable. I love lemon curd too ~ thanks so much for sharing the recipe! Is the Limoncello recipe available on your blog?

    Pat

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  7. These are so pretty and they look so delicious! Thanks for the great recipe and photographs. I will try these soon for sure!

    Best wishes,
    Natasha.

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  8. I loved them on Faith's post and I love them on yours with the lemon curd. I love the microwave way to lemon curd. Foolproof!

    They look fantastic!

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  9. You are driving me crazy!! What did you do with the heart that you cute out of the top. Just askin'..... ;)

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  10. Great idea! How easy too. I love these cupcake cups too. I have some and they make the cupcakes look so nice.

    Your pictures and presentation are always so gorgeous, I am sure I have gained weight blogging!

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  11. This is so cool, a viral cupcake! They were beautiful and your lemony take on them is perfect. I really have to try these cupcakes! And you get all those heart shaped cutouts for snacks... how great is that??? I love lemon curd.

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  12. These look soooooooooo yummy and I will check out the blog you suggested. This makes two recipes today I have copied. I must say, you do post some wonderful ones.

    Carolyn/A Southerners Notebook

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  13. I love lemon! These would be great for a bridal shower as well. Possibilities! I am so happy I found your blog.

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  14. I love this idea! Talk about dressing up a cupcake. Can't wait to bake some. I can think of so many occasions where these pretty little cakes would be perfect. Thanks for sharing this Susan.

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  15. That's so pretty. I'm definitely going to try it.

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  16. Oooooh those look so YUMMY & just perfect for Valentine's day:) Thanks for sharing!

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  17. These are just plain adorable and such a smart idea!

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  18. These are so great looking. Nice job!

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  19. Love, love them Susan! Anything with hearts calls my name ;o)

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  20. They are so beautiful and look relatively easy to do! I love this idea Susan. Thanks so much for sharing it with us. Perfect for Valentine's Day. :)

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  21. I think the best thing to do when you make such wonderful desserts is to share them with your friends. Your lucky lucky friends are going to love the moist cupcake with lemon custard filling. Now I want one.

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  22. What a cute idea. The possibilities are endless! Thanks for giving this a try and sharing it with us :-) And good job on not gobbling them all down! I have to whisk anything I make away to work so I don't eat it all.

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  23. I wanted to make them after I saw them there, too! They are gorgeous! I sent her a link for a cupcake contest to enter - oh yes... Pom WOnderful is holding a Valentine's cupcake contest. Enter it! These are to die for!
    I love ideas like this. I will do it. I will never forget it. It is so easy I wonder why I didn't think of it.
    Kudos to you for getting it done in time for the big day!
    :)
    valerie

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  24. Wow, these are beautiful!

    I'm hosting a weekly linky for sweet recipes called Sweet Tooth Friday. I'd love to have you stop by and link up. http://alli-n-son.com/2011/02/10/spicy-chocolate-chip-cookies/

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  25. The cupcake looks delightful! I have not tried making lemon curd in a microwave before, will have to give this a try! Thanks for sharing!

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  26. Yum! You got my attention when you mentioned lemon curd. :D
    Enjoy your weekend.

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  27. Looks supercute Susan! I love the heart shapes.. a great treat for Valentines day.

    Have a great weekend.

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  28. Oh my, these look sinfully delicious and decadent for Valentine's Day! This recipe will be making it's way to my recipe folder! Thank you for sharing and have a wonderful weekend!

    Mary

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  29. They look fantastic, just beautiful :)

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  30. Those are just beautiful! And is that the tray you won? It is so pretty!
    We must have been thinking along the same lines. Yesterday I made choc cupcakes and did cherry filling like a linzer, my take on a black forest! Not as pretty as yours though!

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  31. how cute are these! perfect for valentines day!

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  32. Susan these are absolutely beautiful!! gloria

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  33. Love these, they are gorgeous!
    mickey

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  34. Valentine's Day absolutely requires dessert, so I think you get a free pass! I love that you stuffed these with lemon curd...so delicious.

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  35. I love that you are sharing your lemon recipes. I am a true lemon lover and this are so beautiful; what a great recipe. You did a fantastic job; wow!
    Rita

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  36. wow...they are so much easier to make than those with buttercream frosting and they look grand!

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  37. You're on a lemon kick, Susan! Me too. I'm going to have two lemon posts coming up. I LOVE lemon. (Not as much as my sister, but close.)
    I loved the linzer cupcakes when Faith did them. But I love them even more with lemon!
    And your lemon tart looks divine.
    Great idea to use a chocolate almond crust. Very unusual.

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  38. These are incredibly elegant. I love Linzer cookies, why not Linzer cupcakes! Very creative and Beautiful. Happy Valentine's Day to you!

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  39. Thank you all for stopping to comment! Each and every one is so much appreciated and Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!

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  40. wow so cool love these, thanks I am trying to make fun things to occupy the little J :-0

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  41. These have that special touch that says I love you for all the special people in our lives. The fact that there is lemon is a bonus:D

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  42. Linzer Cupcakes~ What a great idea! Love lemon curd...thanks so much for the microwave recipe! Happy Valentine's!

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  43. What a neat idea. I love linzer cookies and really like your take on it (OK, borrowed take). Thanks for brining your Valentines to Seasonal Sundays.

    - The Tablescaper

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  44. Very lovely cupcakes and i love the lemon curd idea!

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  45. Well, I just adore lemon curd, so this is definitely going on the menu here. Thanks for passing the idea on to us. I really like how yours turned out. And so Seasonal. :-)

    Becky

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  46. What a wonderful cupcake! Love the way that the lemon custard is exposed in the middle.

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  47. I capital love these! So adorable and clever!!
    Jess : )

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  48. OMG...how delicious everything! I will soon start from the Linzers, they look yumi, yumi, yumiiiiiiii...

    Come say hello, I love baking and cooking, so you're my kinda gal!

    HAPPY VALENTINE'S.
    FABBY

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  49. I heart this lovely dessert!
    And I just noticed Mack on the side bar.
    Double delight!

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