Cornmeal Pound Cake Cupcakes

HL made these delicious, lemony cupcakes. She substituted unflavored yogurt for the sour cream. The recipe is from the Feb.-Mar. 2011, Mary Janes Farm, The Everyday Organic Lifestyle magazine. The magazine is available by subscription or at Books a Million bookstores.

Cornmeal Pound Cake Cupcakes

2 1/2 T butter

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c sugar

3 eggs

1/2 c sour cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 t salt

1/2 c + 2 T flour

3/4 t baking powder

1/2 c cornmeal

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In med. bowl, combine butter and sugars with mixer on medium speed till fluffy for about 2 min. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in sour cream and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl sift together salt, flour and baking powder. Stir in cornmeal. Add dry mixture to batter and mix on low until blended.

4. Pour batter into lined muffin pan about 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Don't over bake.

Lemon Curd

5 egg yolks

1 egg

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c freshly squeezed lemon juice

zest of one lemon

1.Place egg yolks, egg and sugar in the top half of a double boiler.

Whisk together, then stir in lemon juice and zest.

2.Cook over simmering water, whisking constantly, until very thick, about 5-8 minutes.

3.Strain curd through a fine sieve into a glass container and cover

with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming.

4.refrigerate for several hours, until chilled

Soft Sour Cream Frosting

1/3 c heavy cream

1/2 c powdered sugar

1/2 c sour cream

3 T lemon curd

1. In a medium bowl, beat cream and powdered sugar together with mixer until soft peaks form starting on low speed, then increase to high speed.

2. gently fold in sour cream and lemon curd until well mixed.

Assembling Cupcakes

Before frosting the cupcakes place lemon curd in a pastry nag with a long narrow tip .Inject tip in the center of the cupcake and squeeze curd into the center.

Spread cupcakes with frosting.