Tag Archives: lemon

I ♥ When You Talk Desserts To Me | Volume 6 | Lemon Ginger Cookies {flourless}

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My wife is quite the perfectionist. Being a photographer and blogger she is always thinking of great ideas to share with her readers or amazing images that she can capture with her camera. Most of the time these plans go off without a hitch, and sometimes they hit a snag. I have to admit it right now though, not all things that go haywire are her fault. I’m sure most of us know the feeling of needing more space, more tools, more time, it’s a universal thing and when I got home today to find a plate of lemon ginger cookies I thought to myself SWEET (pun intended ;-) ) but I took one look at Stacey and I knew all was not so sweet.

My darling Stacey was defeated, something between idea and creation had gone wrong. She explained how she couldn’t find the right ingredients at the store, especially the lack of crystallized ginger in our nearby stores. It was quite the tragedy in her eyes. However, when I bit into the cookie it tasted sweet and good. I really could not find the fault in the cookie, in fact, I ate four more.

The balance between lemon and ginger gives it a mighty snap, almost to the point of pucker sweet, but that’s what lemon lovers love the most, that moment of fresh lemon flavor. It took me a while to develop my lemon taste buds, but I am glad I did for this blog post alone :-)

I think we can all benefit from our defeats in some way or another, it makes us stronger, but it’s also wise to understand that, sometimes, we have to give up what might have been in order to really enjoy what is.

 

Lemon Ginger Cookies (flourless)

Need:

  • 2 Cups Rolled Oats
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter or coconut oil
  • 1 cup coconut flakes
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of ginger
  • fresh lemon zest

How:

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Beat eggs and sugar together, slowly adding remaining ingredients. Teaspoon drops of mixture on pan with two inches between each cookie. Bake for ten minutes.

* I found the rolled oats to be okay, but I would have rather used ground almonds for more texture.

* Crystalized ginger would have been a better touch than ground ginger (as noted in Richard’s above thoughts).

Lemon Zest Icing:

Need:

  •  1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 lemons

How:

Mix powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice together and then add fresh lemon zest.

 

Cupcake and Cocktail | Lemon Ginger Martini

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The first time I visited Santa Barbara was when I was on Spring Break during my senior year of college with my sister and some girlfriends. We spent some time in Tiburon (just outside of San Francisco), before we drove down the coast to Santa Barbara. A family friend owned a house there, with a few quirky cats, parakeets, and a yard filled with lemon trees. The idea of grabbing a fresh lemon right from the tree at anytime was such a simple luxury for me; growing up in New York the only fruit I picked fresh were apples during the months of September/October. That’s why when I found my apartment in Santa Barbara, what caught my attention most about it was the lemon tree in the backyard patio area. It makes me to so happy to be able to walk outside and grab a lemon to make a salad dressing, add freshness to guacamole, or just to slice up and toss in a pitcher of water when friends are over. My new favorite lemon indulgence is a cupcake and cocktail combination; a bright, lemon ginger martini paired with a lemon ginger cupcake.

Serve this cupcake and cocktail for a refreshing end to the week; your Friday happy hour will be a lot sweeter!

 

Lemon Ginger Cupcake:

  • 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated ginger root
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, eggs, and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the flours. Slowly alternate adding the flour and the milk to the butter mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the lemon juice, lemon extract, and grated ginger until completely mixed. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake for 18 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean.
Lemon Vodka Frosting:
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup vodka (I used Cupcake Vodka)
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • 1 stick cold butter
Cream together cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and vodka and mix til combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Lemon Ginger Martini:
  • 1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • grated zest of one lemon
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice
  • vodka

In a small saucepan, combine the sliced ginger with the water and sugar and bring to a simmer over a moderate heat. Simmer for five minutes, then let the ginger syrup cool. Transfer to a blender and puree. Strain the syrup into a glass jar. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.

When you are ready to make your martinis add 2 ounces vodka and 2 ounces lemon-ginger syrup into a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake. Strain into a martini glass and add a small ribbon of lemon peel as a garnish.