Category: Light Shine University

 I know, I know. It’s not spring yet and I could possibly have curbed my craving for something luscious and lemony until the flowers were blooming, like a good girl. Perhaps that would have been more seasonally appropriate. But then I thought…

seasonally appropriate?  What does that even mean? And then a better question would be–and do I care? Hmmm….

Apparently not.

I found this scrumptious bit of loveliness on a pass through Recipe Tips and sincerely couldn’t resist.

Yeah…like I tried.

Cream Cheese Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

1 box lemon cake mix

1/3 cup butter-  softened

1 egg

8 oz cream cheese – softened

1 cup powdered sugar

peel from 1/2 lemon – grated

2 Tbsps lemon juice

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, blend dry cake mix, butter, and 1 egg. Press into an ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Blend in the powdered sugar. Stir in lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth. Set aside 1/2 cup of mixture. Into remaining cream cheese mixture, beat 2 eggs, and vanilla until well blended.  Spread over the cake mixture.
Bake at 350° until set, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely. Spread the reserved cream cheese mixture onto the bars. Refrigerate until firm; then cut into squares and serve.

No, no–you’d never realize it, but there is a goofy green vegetable hidden away in this innocent looking cupcake. And the best part is that you’d never know it was in there because you’ll be too busy rolling your eyes back in your head over the incredible chocolate loveliness–that is this scrumptious cupcake. Try to remain calm…

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

1-1/4 cups butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups grated zucchini
1 tub chocolate frosting

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with yogurt, beating well after each addition. Add zucchini. Batter will be thick and fluffy.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched in the middle. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Frost cupcakes.

Make them without shame.

Gobble them up with wild abandon.

After all–we must eat our vegetables, mustn’t we?

Heh, heh.

“C-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e”

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

 

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Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups butter
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup plain yogurt
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 tub chocolate frosting

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Stir in vanilla.
4. Combine the flour, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with yogurt, beating well after each addition.
5. Add zucchini.
6. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
7. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched in the middle. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
8. Frost cupcakes.

1.2.4

How long has it been since you’ve had an old fashioned lemon drop? Oooooh, too long I bet. So maybe–just maybe you’ll need to make some of these sweet and tangy little lemon drop cupcakes. If summer is dragging her feet where you live, like it is where I live–then let’s not be afraid to bring the sunshine right indoors!

Luscious Lemon Drop Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla
3-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

With mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add peel and vanilla-and mix well. Mix dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fill  paper-lined cupcake pan with 1/4 cup of batter.  Bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes or the middle springs back to a light touch. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING:

3 Tbsp butter
2-1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1Tbsp milk

Cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, vanilla, peel and milk together and beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes and decorate with candy lemon drops.

Luscious Lemon Drop Cupcakes

 

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: Launi

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS:
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3-1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups sour cream

Instructions

1. With mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition.
3. Add peel and vanilla-and mix well.
4. Mix dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fill paper-lined cupcake pan with ¼ cup of batter.
5. Bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes or the middle springs back to a light touch.
6. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Notes

FROSTING: 3 Tbsp butter 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar 2 Tbsp lemon juice ¾ tsp vanilla ¼ tsp finely grated lemon peel 1Tbsp milk Cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, vanilla, peel and milk together and beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes and decorate with candy lemon drops.

1.2.4

…kinda like Oreos, only soft and chewy and…

with cream cheese frosting in the middle, instead of whatever the heck that other filling is. Ah, yes–a significant improvement on the age old classic that the cavemen enjoyed. It’s a new day for Oreo lovers I’ll tell you!

Ingredients:

1 Devil’s Food cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup shortening

Mix everything together until smooth. Roll or scoop dough into balls about the size of a large grape.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet about 9-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool on wire rack.

Frosting

1- 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter

4 oz. cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat until smooth. Spread frosting on bottom side of cookie and squish another one on top of it.

Now be careful here–because, as you can see–it’s real easy to get carried away with this step. In fact, our dear friend–who gave us the recipe–and whose doing the driving in the above picture added two more wads of icing to this cookie.

You think I’m kidding?

Here’s proof.

Now this is some serious frosting love my friends. One bite and that filling is going everywhere.

We can handle it.

heh, heh, heh.

“C-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e”

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

 

Print

: Launi

Ingredients

• 1 Devil’s Food cake mix
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup shortening

Instructions

1. Mix everything together until smooth.
2. Roll or scoop dough into balls about the size of a large grape.
3. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet about 9-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
4. Allow to cool on wire rack.

Notes

Frosting

1-3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat until smooth.
Spread frosting on bottom side of cookie and squish another one on top of it.

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