Lemon-Scented Blueberry Cupcakes

How are those New Years Resolutions treating you? We’re just 12 days into the new year, and hopefully you’ve stayed strong and are on the right track to a great 2013!
If you have a sweet tooth, these blueberry cupcakes might be right up your alley. They recipe is from Cooking Light, and they’ve received outstanding reviews. The combination of blueberries and lemon juice is perfect. The texture is more muffin-like than cupcake-like, but nonetheless they were tasty. The lemon-scented cream cheese frosting was amazing! You would never know that you’re eating 1/3 less-fat cream cheese. For a homemade look, use a small flat spatula… like I did. If you want to get fancy, pipe the frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip for a fun, swirled appearance.
So go ahead…  satisfy that sweet tooth with these light and scrumptious cupcakes. Enjoy!
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and soda.
Combine melted butter and egg. Add buttermilk, milk and lemon rind. Then add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture.
Fold blueberries into batter.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.
In a stand mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, rind, vanilla and salt. Gradually add powdered sugar and stir in juice.
Spread frosting over cupcakes and garnish with blueberries.

Blueberry Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
CUPCAKES
6.75 ounces (1 1/2 cups) plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour, divided
10 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
3/4 cup blueberries

FROSTING
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less fat cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place 12 paper muffin cup lines in muffin cups.
3. To prepare cupcakes: Weigh or lightly spoon 6.75 ounces flour (about 1 1/2 cups) into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Measure 1 tablespoon flour; level with a knife. Sift together 6.75 ounces flour plus 1 tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
4. Combine melted butter and egg in another large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk, milk and 1 teaspoon rind to butter mixture; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold blueberries into batter.
5. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
6. To prepare frosting: Place cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon rind, vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar (do not over beat). Stir in juice. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes. Cover and store in refrigerator.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 cupcake)
Recipe from: Cooking Light Way to Bake: The Complete Visual Guide to Healthy Baking – delicious recipes, freshly healthy ingredients, smart tools & techniques

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: 236 Calories | 7.7g Fat | 3.7g Protein | 38.7g Carbohydrate | 0.7g Fiber | 38mg Cholesterol | 230mg Sodium | 71mg Calcium

Strawberry Santas and a Very Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Eve! As a kid, I always enjoyed Christmas Eve better than Christmas Day.  The reason?  Our family opens presents on Christmas Eve! Our grandparents would come in town, we’d eat light sandwiches for dinner and start opening gifts at 7:00 or 7:30.  Santa would come that night and we’d open the presents from him on Christmas Day. What do you do on Christmas Eve/Day?
Now for the treats… when I saw these cute little Strawberry Santas on Pinterest, I just had to make them! They are super festive, tasty and pretty easy to assemble. They would also be a perfect appetizer on Christmas Eve night. Enjoy!!

Strawberry Santas
Ingredients
1 lb. large strawberries 
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
6 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 cup Cool Whip
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions
1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top, (enough for a hat). Clean out the whole strawberry with a paring knife, if necessary (some of them are hollow already). Prep all the strawberries and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, Cool Whip and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill the strawberries with cheesecake mixture.
3. Once strawberries are filled, top with the ‘hats’. Decorate according to photo.
4. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.
Yield: 4-6 people