Those of you who know me probably know I’m a softie when it comes to children. So in addition to the recipe, I’m going to tell you about the Pink Whisk Challenge that’s dedicated to Save the Children and the Hidden Hunger Campaign. I heard about this from @bakingaddict who has the blog The More Than Occasional Baker. She got it from @KarenBurnsBooth whose blog is Lavender and Lovage.
The challenge was started by Ruth Clemens who is the star of The Pink Whisk as a way for those of us who have plenty to help the children who have little or nothing. It’s not a big ask, just a recipe that can be added to a recipe e-book. The book will be sold to raise awareness and funds for the campaign.
How can you join in? If you blog, feature a recipe on your site just like I’m doing. The more people that see that we care, the more people who’ll get involved. If you’re on Twitter you can tweet about it too. Tweet @thepinkwhisk and @savechildrenuk with a link to your recipe and include the hashtag #nameaday. Sorry for so many links but it’s only fair to give them credit for all their hard work.
Can you imagine a world with enough food for everyone? I can. Can you imagine a world where more than 300 kids no longer die from hunger? I can.
Yeah, I know I’m not in the United Kingdom. I don’t think those hungry kids care and you shouldn’t either. Let’s get behind this and make a difference. Who else is going to help those kids if we don’t?
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Okay, moving on to food!
Last week I saw two posts on making lemon curd and how good it was. I got up this morning determined to make some applesauce for a tart I’m planning to make and then thought, “while I’m in the kitchen, maybe I should try that lemon curd.” OMG, it was SO good. Not only was it good, it was really simple. I haven’t made lemon curd for years but I’ve bought a lot. Never again!
I got the homemade lemon curd recipe from recipe from the now deleted Cafe Terra Blog – how could I go wrong if so many said it was good? Oh it was good. It’s one of those recipes you make and you taste and then take a big spoonful and run upstairs to the husband and shove it at his face and say, “Taste this!” He opens his mouth as a good husband does and says, “yes, that’s really good, dear.” I expected a bit more enthusiasm but he’s been working horrendous hours lately so he was forgiven.
I went back downstairs and put the jars of golden goodness in the fridge and thought what to do with it (other than sitting outside with a jar and a spoon). I was making green curry chicken for dinner and thought, that sounds perfect for lemon meringue tarts. (okay, it was a stretch but I was going to use that lemon curd!) The tarts were really good. The meringue was soft and the filling was tarty sweet and delicious. …and creamy, I forgot creamy. The texture is lovely.
Later I was talking with Terra on Twitter to thank her for the best recipe and it came to me as we were chatting what I could do with the rest of the lemon curd. Muffins! – blueberry style with a filling of lemon curd and topped with lemon sugar. You will love these muffins! Hopefully Terra will see this and add her recipe for lemon curd to the challenge.
You don’t have to use my recipe – honestly, if you have a favorite blueberry muffin that you drool over, use that, but make the lemon curd and top the muffins with the lemon sugar.
- 360 grams plain flour
- 370 grams caster (fine) sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarb soda
- 375 ml buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 70 grams unsalted butter melted
- 1 to 2 cups blueberries
- 1 cup lemon curd
- ¼ cup sugar
- zest of one lemon
- Preheat oven to 375F (180C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
- Mix ¼ cup sugar with the lemon zest and set aside for the topping.
- Combine flour, sugar, salt, bicarb soda and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
- Mix together well.
- Add blueberries to dry ingredients and mix to coat with flour.
- Melt butter and combine with wet ingredients
- Fold liquid mixture to the flour mixture. Gently. Do not overmix.
- Fill muffin cups ¾ full and sprinkle lemon sugar on top
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. (you know your oven)
- When cool, cut a circular bit of muffin from the top and place a teaspoon of lemon curd in the hole and place the cut portion back on top.
Please, if you have a heart for hungry kids and a good recipe, please visit The Pink Whisk?