Memorable Quotes:

"A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect." Fernand Point

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cupcakes

Tender, moist lemon muffins made with ricotta and fresh blueberries, then finished with a thick lemon glaze. Fresh blueberries and curls of lemon zest make an especially pretty garnish.

Yield: About 12 muffins
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 16–18 minutes



Muffin Batter

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
  • ½ cup white whole-wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 large egg whites
  • ½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup canola oil
  • 1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • About ⅔ cup fresh blueberries, plus additional berries for garnish

Lemon Glaze

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1–2 teaspoons water, as needed

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, the whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg, egg whites, ricotta, sugar, canola oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla until well combined.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
  5. In a small bowl, gently toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour.
  6. Gently fold the coated blueberries into the muffin batter.
  7. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, using approximately ¼ cup batter per muffin. If desired, place a few additional blueberries on top.
  8. Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
  9. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool for at least another 20 minutesbefore glazing.
  10. To prepare the glaze, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and salt.
  11. Add water a little at a time until the glaze is smooth but very thick.
  12. Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon glaze over each cooled muffin.
  13. If desired, garnish with fresh blueberries and thin curls of lemon zest.

Tip: Tossing the blueberries with a tablespoon of flour helps keep them suspended throughout the muffins instead of sinking to the bottom. Make sure the muffins are completely cool before glazing so the glaze remains thick and white rather than melting into the muffins.

Source: