As I am now in my third trimester with baby #2 (yes, I realize I haven't blogged in a while, so SURPRISE!), I find just about any excuse to make something sweet. Maybe the third trimester doesn't have anything to do with it, but the fact that I'm pregnant does. For some reason, this time around all I want is sugary goodness, whereas with little man #1, I wanted salty foods.

I digress.

The other day I woke up and decided I just had to have something lemon. Maybe because it was 100 degrees outside and it was making me think of lemonade, or maybe because baby just decided he had to have something lemon. (Yes, HE! Another boy!) Regardless of the reason, I scoured the pantry to come up with a new recipe. And, voila! These are easy and delicious, and though I usually prefer to use fresh ingredients-- they don't require you to have actual lemons lying around. Just some lemon pudding!



Ingredients:

- 1/2 C butter
- 1 C sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- (1) 3.4 oz package of instant lemon pudding
- 1 C flour (if the mixture seems too wet, add 1/4 C to it)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsk baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
*Optional: 1/2 C - 3/4 C White Chocolate Chips*

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare your cookie sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray (I used parchment paper).

- Cream your butter and sugar together with a handheld or standing mixer. Add in your vanilla and egg next.

- Add your lemon pudding mix before the rest of your dry ingredients. Stir until well combined. Lastly, fold in your chocolate chips if you're using them :).

- With a medium cookie scoop, place cookies on baking sheet. *If you do not have a cookie sheet, use 1-2 Tbsp of dough and round into balls before placing on sheet.*

- Cook for 8-11 minutes, depending on your oven. The edges will be SLIGHTLY tan/brown. Let cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

So easy, and so yummy. There's something about these cookies that almost give them a "cooling effect" when it comes to warm weather.

Recipe adapted from Creations by Kara.

Hello all.

I have a lot of recipes saved that I intend to share with you. I've been so swept up in working on my YA novel and being a wife/mother that I admit you've been neglected. That happens. Sometimes things have to be put aside for a while-- but hopefully I'm making an excellent return to the blogosphere!

In order to do that successfully, I knew I had to start with a wonderful recipe-- so I hope you approve in my choice. I've been procrastibaking a lot (Procrastination- Baking). It tends to happen when I'm writing and working and all that jazz. Luckily, Michael doesn't seem to mind. He loves getting creative in the kitchen with me.

Citrus Tea Muffins


Note: This is a half-batch recipe (it makes six muffins). For a full recipe, make sure to double up!

Ingredients:

MUFFINS:
- 1/4 C butter, softened
- 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 C sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract *optional*
- 3/4 C flour (I did 1/2 C unbleached all purpose and 1/4 C whole wheat)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 - 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 - 1 tsp lime zest

OPTIONAL GLAZE/ TOPPING:

- 1/2 C powdered sugar
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- Juice from 1/2 lime
- 1/2 tsp butter, softened
- 1/4 tsp vanilla

- 1 tsp shredded coconut
- 1/2 tsp lime zest
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 and line your muffin tin/ spray with cooking spray. *Remember this is a half recipe unless doubled*.

- Beat softened butter until fluffy. Mix in your applesauce, sugar, egg, and lemon extract.
- Gradually add your dry ingredients, including your zests.
- Use 1/4 C of mix for each muffin, approximately. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, depending on your oven. Check with a toothpick to make sure they're cooked all the way through. Remove to baking rack to cool.


-While they're cooling, combine your powdered sugar, citrus juices, butter, and vanilla for your glaze. In a separate bowl, toss together your zests and coconut (if using).
-When the muffins are cool, drizzle the glaze over them, then sprinkle the topping on that. Let sit for a few minutes before serving so the topping stays put.



Recipe adapted from Positively Splendid.

It's Mrs. Healthy Ever After's Birthday! Make sure to visit her site. I positively love all her recipes and posts.

If you couldn't tell, I'm loving lemon this season. It just so happens that Nikki told me lemon blueberry is one of her favorites, so I shipped some of these to her for her special day... and ate the rest myself.

Just kidding. Michael really did help.

Kind of.


Ingredients:

- 1/2 C butter (1 stick), softened
- 1 C sugar (can lesson to 2/3 or 3/4 if desired)
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice OR 1/2 lemon, juiced
- zest of 1 lemon
- 7 tbsp milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp lemon extract (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 2 C + 3 tbsp unbleached, all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 C of fresh blueberries

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare a muffin pan with liners/cooking spray.

- In a small bowl, toss blueberries with 3 tbsp of flour until blueberries are coated. Use a slotted spoon to remove blueberries and shake off any excess flour. Set aside.


- With a handheld or standing mixer, blend your butter and sugar. Add your lemon juice, zest, milk, vanilla, lemon extracted, and eggs. Continue mixing until smooth.

- Fold in your dry ingredients (either pre-mixed or not...I like to save dishes). Make sure you just use 2 C of flour, you already used the 3 tbsp!

- Carefully stir in your blueberries.

- Fill muffin cups with about 1/4 C of mixture.

- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes (depending on your oven), and check with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean before removing to cooling rack. Recipe makes about 15 muffins.


Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven.

I've been dying to do something with Lemon Poppyseed because, well, let's face it-- it's delicious. It's one of my favorite combinations for when it starts to warm up... or I guess I should say for spring and summer, since it's always warm where I am.


Ingredients:

- 2/3 C butter, softened
- 1 scant C sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 bananas, mashed (I used overripe bananas that I had frozen)
- Juice from 1.5 Lemons
- 1 C unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 C whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp poppyseeds
- lemon zest from one whole lemon



Directions:

- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Line your muffin pan and spray with cooking spray.
- Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the banana and mix well.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between each addition.
- Mix in the lemon juice, flour, baking soda, vanilla, salt, poppyseeds, and lemon zest.
- Scoop about 1/4 C into each muffin liner.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove to cooling rack and let sit for a few minutes before serving.


Recipe molded from Something Swanky.

April 14th was my dear, dear friend's birthday. We've known each other since we were five. Yeah. I can hardly believe she's put up with me that long... kidding (sort of).

As is tradition, I love to send people baked goods for special occasions... although I do have a tendency to send them just because or to let them know I'm thinking about them during a trying time. OK... I just love to send baked goods out.

I made these for her, because it was one thing she had *mentioned* when I gave her options she would like (of course the "confetti" was added for her birthday)!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 C butter, softened to room temp
- 1/3 C brown sugar
- 1/4 C sugar
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon.
- 3 tbsp instant lemon pudding mix (see picture)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 C all-purpose, unbleached flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp to 1/4 C rainbow sprinkles *just depends on how many you want*

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 375 and prepare your cookie/baking sheet with nonstick spray or parchment paper.
- Beat together your butter and sugars. Next add your vanilla and egg.
- Add your lemon zest and juice.
- Mix in your pudding mix, followed by your flour and baking soda.
- Fold in your rainbow sprinkles *optional*.
- Use 1 to 2 tbsp (or a cookie/ice cream scoop) per cookie. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the tiniest bit of golden brown around the edges.
- Remove and let sit on a cooling rack.


Enjoy lemon? Try out these other recipes as well!


Lemon Berry Muffins


Lemon Tea Biscuits
This recipe was adapted from Dreaming of White Chocolate.

Not to be confused with Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. I think these definitely turned out better than their pink predecessors. I had initially planned on making this a cake, but cupcakes are so much easier when you plan on giving them away... not to mention cuter, in my opinion.

Ingredients:

- 1/4 C butter
- 1 C sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 C + 3 tbsp frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 C flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/s tsp baking soda
- 1 C buttermilk

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350.
- Mix together your dry ingredients in a small bowl (flour, baking powder and soda).
- Beat together the butter and sugar. Then add the eggs.

- Add lemonade concentrate and vanilla.

- Add about 1/3 of your flour mixture, mix. Add 1/2 C buttermilk, mix. Repeat this process with the rest of your dry ingredients and buttermilk.
- Line/prepare your cupcake pan (or 9 x 13 cake pan). Use 1/4 C for each cupcake.


- Cupcakes: bake for 22 to 25 minutes. Cake: bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick to see if completely cooked (no batter will stick to it).
- Let them cool before icing!


Sadly, I did not get to ice these (due to many different things, but for one Clark kept eating them before I got to them). The recipe listed below for the icing is from the original recipe (which you can view here). I did not get to alter, or even try it, just so ya know!

Frosting:

- 1/3 C butter, room temp
- 3 to 4 C powdered sugar
- 1/3 C + 2 tbsp lemonade concentrate, thawed
- 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

- Beat the butter until smooth. Add 1 C of powdered sugar and 1/3 C of the concentrate. Mix.
- Add the vanilla and gradually add the rest of the powdered sugar, as needed for consistency.

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon and all I wanted to do was curl up with a good book, a nice cup of tea, and something tasty to go along with them... but what?

Ta-DAH! Too bad I used Michael's nap-time to make these rather than do what I set out to do, but there's always another day!

These are easy, not so time consuming, and did I mention delicious? They are a little too thick to be considered a "cookie" I think, even though that's what I set out to make. I decided to call these "biscuits", because it seems that when you eat one you really want tea or coffee to go with it.

Just my opinion, of course. Here's how you make them!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 C Butter/Margarine (one stick)
- 3/4 C Sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 C All Purpose, Unbleached Flour
Powdered Sugar

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare your cookie sheet.
- Beat the butter until nice and fluffy. Then add the sugar and mix until well blended.


- Add the egg, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir again.

- Add the dry ingredients in thirds. For example, add the baking powder and 1/2 C of flour, stir. Add the baking soda and 1/2 C flour, stir. Add the salt and the last 1/2 C flour, stir. You may eventually have to move on to a simple spatula or spoon rather than mixer, but use your mixer until you can't anymore.


*I think this is a lot easier than having another dirty dish, but if you wish to combine them in a smaller bowl and then add them in thirds, that will clearly work as well!*

- Sprinkle powdered sugar onto a plate (about 1/3 to 1/2 C). Take a heaping teaspoon of dough and roll it in the powdered sugar, then place it on the cookie sheet. Repeat for each biscuit!





*If you wish them to be flat, you can press them with a spoon before you put them in the oven.*

- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. If you wish them to be flat, you can press them with a spoon before you put them into the oven.


Recipe makes from 24 to 36 cookies, depending on how big you make them.




The way they looked reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, for whatever reason. Hope you enjoy!