Summer

It is SUMMER! 

I love summer. It is happiness in a season and makes my heart happy. 

This is my last summer before real life starts. 

I have to be honest, sometimes I feel inadequate when I think about taking on the world as an adult.

I have received so many words of encouragement these last few days, and i will be honest, it is a little intimidating to have people tell me all of these great things i am going to accomplish. 

But i am very determined and love rising to the occasion. 

I can do it! 

On a completely different note, I love raspberries.

So obviously when summer rolls around it is my favorite go-to healthy snack. 

here are some recipes on my radar for this summer:

1. Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes 

(makes 12 cupcakes)

Don't these look delicious??? I am thinking i will have to make these for my cute primary class! 

Ingredients:

lemon 1 tbsp

lemon 1 (to cut into wedges)

fresh raspberries 1 cup

fresh raspberries 24

1 lg egg

2 lg egg whites

2  1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup All-purpose flour 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/8 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup cake flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp lemon extract

2  3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1tsp vanilla 

1 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup salted butter

7/16 cup buttermilk 

(TONS of ingredients, I know) 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift all-purpose flour and cake flour into a mixing bowl. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk 20 seconds, set aside.
• In a food processor, pulse together 3/4 cup granulated sugar with lemon zest until finely ground, about 1 minute. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter with lemon sugar mixture until pale and fluffy (if you don't have the paddle attachment that constantly scrapes bowl, then occasionally throughout entire mixing process, stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl). Mix in egg, then mix in egg whites one at a time, adding in vanilla with second egg white.
• In the liquid measuring cup used to measure buttermilk, whisk together buttermilk and lemon juice. Working in three separate batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, add 1/3 of the flour mixture alternating with 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and mixing just until combined after each addition. Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean, about 18 - 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool several minutes in muffin tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Meanwhile prepare simple syrup.
• For the simple syrup:
• In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp lemon juice with 1 Tbsp granulated sugar until sugar has dissolved. Brush mixture over warm cupcakes (use all of it, about 2 light coats over each cupcake). Allow cupcakes to cool completely, meanwhile prepare raspberry puree and allow to cool.
• For the frosting:
• 
• Puree raspberries in a food processor until well pureed then force through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove seeds (you should have 6 - 7 Tbsp puree). Heat mixture in a saucepan set over medium-low heat until reduced by half (to 3 - 3 1/2 Tbsp). Cool completely (speed chill in freezer).
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter until very pale and fluffy. Mix in 1 cup powdered sugar then mix in reduced raspberry puree and vanilla. Add remaining powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy (if an even stronger raspberry flavor is desired you can add in 1/4 tsp raspberry extract, or to taste).
• Add one raspberry to top of each cupcake then pipe frosting over raspberry and top with another raspberry and a small lemon wedge (and straws for decoration if desired, I cut mine into thirds. Mint leaves are also optional). Store in an airtight container.

2. Raspberry Lemonade

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Sweet'N Low (12 packets) 

1 cup of water

1  1/4 cups fresh lemon juice (or about 6 lemons)

2 cups raspberries, pureed

3  1/2 cups cold water

ice cubes

Directions:

Step 1: in a small sauce pan, bring the Sweet'N Low and water to a simmer. Stir so that sugar dissolves completely then remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. 

Step 2: Place the raspberries in a food processor and process until smooth.

Step 3: pour pureed raspberries in the sugar water and stir well. Add the lemon juice.

Step 4: combine the raspberry mixture and the cold water in a large pitcher. Stir well and add lots of ice. 

Step 5: serve raspberry lemonade with thin slices of lemons and raspberries. 

3. Iced Raspberry Danish Braids

Recipe here because it a LONG process

Recipe for the homemade danish pastry dough here

Make sure to set aside an afternoon for this one :) 

Hope you all have a blessed and sugar filled summer ahead of you!!

xx