lime zest

Banana Lime Bread

June 10, 2012 | 25 Comments

This past Friday night was Date Night, which meant Prometheus tickets and chicken fingers.

Because everything that I know about alien life forms strongly suggests that they pair well with fried poultry.

Especially when accompanied by fermented beverages boasting yeasty bouquets suggestive of a fine cerveza.

This past Saturday was Errand Day, which meant supermarket trips and tin foil hat manufacturing.

Because everything I know about the impending alien invasion strongly suggests that tin foil hats will keep A. and I safe.

Especially when we are also fortifying with more chicken fingers.

Filed Under: Quick Breads Tagged With: banana bread, eggs, flour, Greek yogurt, ice cream, lime juice, lime zest, quick bread, recipe, sweet

Lime Nut Coconut Bark

May 16, 2012 | 35 Comments

It’s Wednesday. Let’s make some candy!

The truth is that I’m not a super huge candy person. I’d much rather shove a cupcake or a donut into my face. But if I am going to reach for candy, it’s going to be something rustic and simple like a brittle or a nice piece of bark.

And since it’s warm out and I’ve got beaches on the brain, I’m pretty sure it’s time for some sweet, substantive, flavored cocada.

Don’t get me wrong: Snickers, Junior Mints and Reese’s definitely have a place in the pantheon of Sweets Excellence. I just personally prefer the flavor-popping excellence that can only come from homemade candy.

Plus, when you go homemade you’re in the driver’s seat, which is always nice.

Today we’re steering towards sweet coconut and lime. Because the sun is shining. Because my bathing suit has been unmothballed. Because I’ve started hinting to A. about trips to the shore.

It must be summertime. We’re going to need snacks.

Filed Under: Candies Tagged With: candy, cocada, coconut bark, light corn syrup, lime juice, lime zest, pine nut, recipe, sweet, sweetened condensed milk

Margarita Cupcakes

April 24, 2012 | 28 Comments

Some days you feel like a margarita.

Some days you feel like a cupcake.

Well, I guess you can call me Babe Ruth because today I’ve got all the bases covered.

I never really thought much about curds until I moved to the southwest and was literally surrounded by citrus. When there’s such an abundance of any type of produce, it’s only natural to start thinking about new and interesting ways to eat it.

Curds remind me of a fresher, lighter version of pudding: sweet, creamy and lightened up with the sweet/tart flavor of fresh juice.

Who wouldn’t want to put that on top of a cupcake?

Crickets…

So then it becomes a question of construction: we know what’s going on top of the cupcake, but what’s going inside it?

I’m a big fan of cupcakes baked with buttermilk. There are flavor benefits, but more importantly there are textural benefits; no one wants to bite into a crunchy cupcake.

Buttermilk banishes crunchy cupcakes.

Tequila, on the other hand, brings us closer to margarita authenticity. Just a little bit, and make it silver, if you please. (Of course, if these cupcakes are for little ones instead of weekend warriors, simply replace the tequila with buttermilk.)