Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes

Strawberry lemon cupcakes are a simple and delicate early summer dessert. Neither too fancy nor too ordinary, these tasty cupcakes have a delightful strawberry and lemon flavor. They’re great for those days when we want a quick, unpretentious yet elegant sweet treat. And the kids will love them, leaving nothing on their plates.

These cupcakes are also perfect for picnics. If you leave off the topping, you can transport them easily – and they’re still great even without it. They’re moist, fluffy, sweet and sour at the same time. And they are also simply beautiful and delicious.

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Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes

Beautiful & delicious cupcakes with a strong strawberry and lemon flavor.

Course Dessert

Cuisine International

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Author Paula

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 250 g flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 150 g sugar
• 80 g butter
• 200 g Greek yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100 g strawberries

For the topping:

• 400 ml whipping cream
• 2 tblsp powdered sugar
• 1 tblsp lemon juice
• grated lemon rind
• strawberry coulis

Strawberry coulis

• 250 g strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

• Wash the strawberries well and break off the stem. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice then purée them with the blender. Strain the purée and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 180° C/356° F and prepare a 12-cup muffin pan. Cream the soft butter at room temperature and the sugar. Separately mix the flour with the salt, baking soda and bicarbonate.
• Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the butter cream and one egg. Mix well until smooth. Do the same with the next egg. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and the yogurt. Finally, add 2 tablespoons of strawberry purée and vanilla extract. Homogenize gently.
• Distribute the mixture into the 12 cups. Place a spoonful of strawberry purée on top of each cupcake. Marble with the tip of a knife.
  
• Put the cupcakes in the oven and bake for 25-27 minutes, until they pass the toothpick test. Place them on a rack to cool.
  

For the coulis

• To prepare the strawberry coulis, combine fresh strawberries, sugar, and a splash of lemon juice in a saucepan. Simmer the mixture over low heat for 8-10 minutes, allowing the strawberries to break down and release their juices.
• Transfer the cooked mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. For a finer texture, strain the coulis through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any solid parts.
• Allow the coulis to cool to room temperature.

For the topping:

• Mix the whipping cream with the powdered sugar until fluffy. Add the grated lemon zest and lemon juice and mix gently.
• Decorate each cupcake with the lemon-flavored whipped cream. Top with a spoonful of cooled strawberry coulis. Decorate each cupcake with a fresh sweet strawberry. Enjoy!

Notes

Related: Black Forest Cupcakes (Best Cupcake Recipe)
Related: Red Velvet Cupcakes
Related: Easter Chick & Bunny Cupcakes
Related: Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
Related: Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Pecans

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Duxelles: French Mushroom Paste

Duxelles is a traditional French mushroom paste that is perfect for soups, risottos, but can also be enjoyed on toast.

It’s made with minced mushrooms (white, brown or wild porcini for an enhanced flavor) mixed with butter, heavy cream and spices.

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Duxelles: French Mushroom Paste

A traditional French mushroom paste that is extremely versatile and goes well with risottos, pasta, many different soups or on toast.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine International

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 5 servings

Author Giorgos Tsoulis

Ingredients

• 250 gr white mushrooms
• 1 tbsp butter for sautéing
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 30 ml heavy cream full fat
• 1 bunch of rosemary leaves only, chopped
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Place the mushrooms in a food processor and blend them until they become a paste. Transfer the paste to a bowl and set aside.
• Put a large deep-frying pan on medium to low heat, add the butter, garlic, rosemary, and mushroom paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat and let all the ingredients cook until the mushrooms release all their liquid. Season with salt and pepper and stir at regular intervals.
• Add the cream, mix well, remove the pan from the heat. Leave the paste to cool and serve.

Notes

Chef’s tip: This mushroom paste recipe is perfect for soups or risotto.

Related: French Food: 50 Popular French Dishes
Related: Roast Pepper Soup w/ Garlic Shitakes & Parsley Oil
Related: Bearnaise Sauce
Related: Hollandaise Sauce
Related: Wild Mushroom Risotto

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Poale-n Brâu: Romanian Sweet Cheese Buns

Poale-n brâu are traditional Romanian buns filled with a sweet cottage cheese-based cream. They are popular in Moldavia, the easternmost region of Romania.

However, you can also find them in other parts of Romania, typically under the name “Brânzoaica” (Brânzoici plural), although the recipe and cooking technique might vary slightly. You can find them sold in many bakeries and stores throughout the country and people enjoy them for breakfast or as a sweet snack.

The unusual name of these buns, literally translated to bottom to waist comes from the way the dough is folded. The corners of the square dough are brought towards the center, in the shape of an envelope, covering the filling and preventing it leak into the pan.

In the fall or winter, poale-n-brâu is the perfect comfort food. Cottage cheese and raisins folded up in a sweet, fluffy, and flavorful dough make this dessert a treat that’s hard to match.

This poale-n brau recipe takes a different spin on the traditional recipe with the replacement of raisins with fresh raspberries. The raspberries blend surprisingly well with the vanilla cream cheese and it’s a great summer pairing.

However, if you’re looking for the traditional recipe, you can always opt to add raisins instead of raspberries.

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Poale-n Brâu: Romanian Sweet Cheese Buns

A traditional Romanian dessert or snack made with leavened dough and filled with raspberries and cottage cheese.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Romanian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12 pieces

Author Diana Oana

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 240 g milk
• 60 g butter
• 7 g dry yeast
• 90 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 500 g flour
• ⅓ tsp salt
• grated lemon/orange zest

For the filling:

• 250 g cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 100 g sugar
• 30 g semolina
• grated orange zest
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• fresh raspberries (or raisins)

For the assembly and decoration:

• 1 egg yolk
• 3-4 tbsp milk
• powdered sugar

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Mix the lukewarm milk with the yeast and set aside for 5-6 minutes.
• Mix together the sugar, soft butter, eggs, lemon zest, flour, and salt and knead into an elastic dough.
• Let the dough rise for one hour or until it doubles in volume.
• With a spatula, mix all the ingredients for the filling except the raspberries.
• Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a 7-8 mm ( ~1/4 – 1/3 – inch) thick rectangle.
• Cut the dough into twelve 10-12 cm ( ~4-5-inch) squares.
• Place a spoonful of the cheese filling in the middle of each square, place 3-4 raspberries on top, and bring the corners of the square to the center, sticking them together over the filling.
• Let the buns rise in the pan for another 20 minutes, then brush with egg yolk mixed with 3-4 tablespoons of milk.
• Bake the buns in a preheated oven at 200° C/392 ° F for 20 minutes.
• After baking, dust with sugar and serve hot or cold!

Notes

Related: Chocolate Paska Bread
Related: Paska Bread with Sour Cream
Related: Amandine (Romanian Chocolate Cake)
Related: Papanași: Romanian Fried Doughnuts

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Mushroom Youvetsi (Greek Mushroom & Orzo Stew)

Enjoy the vegetarian version of this Greek classic: youvetis (or giouvetsi) with portobello mushrooms. Giouvetsi (or youvetsi) is a traditional Greek dish made with orzo pasta, onions, tomatoes, red wine, spices and some sort of protein: beef, chicken or lamb being the most popular protein choices.

But vegans and vegetarians can also enjoy this delicious Greek stew by replacing the meat with mushrooms. Enjoy this vegetarian giouvetsi recipe by Greek celebrity Chef Giorgos Tsoulis.

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Mushroom Youvetsi (Greek Mushroom & Orzo Stew)

A delicious vegan youvetsi (giouvetsi) recipe with portobello mushrooms by Chef Giorgos Tsoulis.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Giorgos Tsoulis

Ingredients

• 200 g portobello mushrooms cut into 8 pieces
• 400 g white mushrooms quartered
• 250 g pearl onions cut in half
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 30 ml olive oil Greek extra virgin
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 125 ml red wine
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground all-spice
• 1 bay leaf
• 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
• 550 ml vegetable stock
• 150 g orzo medium
• 10 sprigs thyme only the leaves, finely chopped
• 4-5 mint leaves finely chopped
• salt
• pepper

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Place a deep pan over high heat and allow to get very hot. Add the portobello and white mushrooms in batches so as to not crowd the pan. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes, until golden on all sides.
• When ready, transfer to a bowl and then add another batch. Repeat this process until all of the mushrooms are ready. Season generously with salt and pepper and set aside until needed.
• In the same pan, add some olive oil and the pearl onions. Lower the heat to medium and sauté for about 2-3 minutes, until nicely caramelized.
• Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Then add the sautéed mushrooms and tomato paste. Sauté for 1-2 minutes before adding the wine. Cook until the alcohol evaporates.
• Add the cinnamon, all-spice, bay leaves, canned tomatoes, and vegetable stock. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer for 30-35 minutes until the mushrooms soften and the sauce thickens. Ten minutes before it is ready, add the orzo, mix, and cook for the remaining cooking time or until soft.
• When ready, remove from the heat and season to taste. Add the fresh mint and thyme and serve.

Notes

Chef’s tip: You can also add any other mushroom varieties you like – such as shiitake or porcini.

 

Related: Lamb Youvetsi Recipe
Related: Beef Youvetsi Recipe
Related: Greek Cauliflower Pie
Related: Spanakorizo (Greek Spinach and Rice)
Related: Ladenia (Traditional Greek Pizza/Flatbread)

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Walnut Skordalia (Greek Garlic & Bread Dip)

Skordalia is a traditional Greek dip made from toasted bread, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. It’s a great accompaniment to fried fish, vegetables, or you can use it as a delicious spread.

Adding walnuts to skordalia gives the dish a nutty flavor and a nice texture. Enjoy this traditional skordalia recipe by Greek celebrity chef Giorgos Tsoulis.

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Walnut Skordalia (Greek Garlic & Bread Dip)

A delicious Greek garlic and bread dip with crushed walnuts. A perfect dip for fish, seafood, various types of meat, or a delicious spread.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 5 servings

Author Giorgos Tsoulis

Ingredients

• 250 gr toasted bread without the crust
• 10 ml vinegar (or lemon juice)
• 5 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
• 150 ml olive oil
• 70 gr walnuts
• water
• salt
• pepper

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Place the toasted bread in a large bowl and cover completely with water. Allow it to soak for about 5 minutes.
• After soaking, drain the bread thoroughly and transfer to a food processor. Add the garlic, vinegar, walnuts, and season with salt and pepper. Process at high speed, gradually pouring in the olive oil in batches until it becomes a paste.
• When ready, serve with some chopped parsley on top.

Notes

Chef’s tip: Removing the inner part, or the germ, from garlic cloves can help reduce the pungent flavor and make the skordalia lighter and easier to digest for some, as the germ can be harsh on the stomach for some people.

Related: Muhammara: Middle Eastern Red Pepper Dip
Related: Tzatziki Recipe
Related: Aioli Recipe
Related: Taramosalata: Greek Fish Roe Dip
Related: Tapenade
Related: Most Popular Greek Foods

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