One surefire way to know you've hit the jackpot with a new recipe is when people taste it and all they can say to you is, "I love you." Any compliments or praise are always accepted when you have spent time creating tasty concocations, but when all anyone can utter from in the midst of their taste bud bliss is those three magic words, you know you have really done something right.
This happened to me last Saturday when I whipped up a batch of cupcakes with a recipe I had ripped out of Bon Appetit 4 months ago and have carrying in my calendar ever since. This cupcake batter is created with butter, sugar and lemons which is always a sign that you're onto something divine then it has you slip a little pocket of jam right in the center for a surprise that is sure to delight. The recipe calls for raspberry jam; however, despite the fact that there are cases of delicious jams created by lovely sister, there was no raspberry. I searched through jars of blueberry mint, strawberry with drambue, peach and finally decided that plum would be most complimentary to this delicious buttery confection. And I must say when people ask you, "What kind of cupcakes are those?" and you can respond with, "Why they're Lemon-Plum," you just sound like a classy cat. So without further ado...
Lemon-Plum Cupcakes
Beat together until fluffy
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tsp lemon peel
Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time.
Mix in 3/4 cup of flour
1 tsp baking powder
Then add 1/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tbl lemon juice
Mix in another 1/2 cup flour
Drop 1 Tablespoon of batter into 12 muffin cups. Drop 1 teaspoon of jam on top (I used plum but get creative with whatever you have). Cover with remaining batter. Bake at 350 for about 23 minutes.
When cool, frost. I used jarred frosting due to time constraints but any will do. Below was the one listed in Bon Appetit.
Beat together
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbl lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp lemon peel... They recommend doing this on 6 cupcakes then adding 1 Tbl jam to the others. Pretty fancy and they sure look lovely..
However, in this case, the taste alone will make these a smashing success!
Without a doubt the most beautifully lovely post...your description of the jam pocket got me misty eyed. Thank you so much! I have to have these: Dear Allison, might I rustle up a plum jam worthy of pocketing next time I see you?
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