White Chocolate Brownies

Taken from The Cookie & Biscuit Bible

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, diced
• 14 oz white chocolate chips
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup cranberries
• grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 3/4 cups flour

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
   
2. Put the butter and 11 oz of the chocolate chips into a bowl and melt in the microwave for approx 1 minute or until smooth, stir immediately to blend the chocolate and butter.
3. Beat in the eggs, sugar, cranberries, lemon rind and juice, flour and remaining chocolate chips.
4. Pour the mixture into an 8 x 11 baking tin and bake for 20 minutes or until slightly risen and golden. Leave to cool in tin and cut into small squares.
   

English Lemon Shortbread Strips

Taken from Land O'Lakes

Shortbread Ingredients:

2		cups LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1		cup sugar
1/4		cup lemon juice
4		teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel
4 1/2		cups all-purpose flour

Glaze Ingredients:

1		cup powdered sugar
2		tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
2		tablespoons lemon juice

Garnish Ingredients:

1

tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all shortbread ingredients except flour in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.

Reduce speed to low; add flour. Beat until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Press dough evenly into lightly greased 15x10x1 jelly-roll pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely.

Combine all glaze ingredients in small bowl with wire whisk until smooth.

Spread thin layer of glaze over cooled shortbread; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lemon peel, if desired. Let stand 30 minutes to set. Cut into 2 1/2x1-inch strips.

Lemon and Raspberry Butterfly Cakes

I took the cupcake recipe from allrecipes.com but I wanted to make these into butterfly cakes so made my own lemon buttercream and added raspberry preserves.

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sour cream

Buttercream

• 1/2 cup butter
• Rind and juice of one lemon
• 4-4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  
• 1/2 cup milk

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon peel and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

To make the buttercream:- Mix all of the ingredients together until creamy- add more powdered sugar depending on how you want the consistency of the buttercream.

When cooled, using a sharp knife, cut a circle out of each of the cupcakes and slice this circle in half. Spoon a teaspoon of jam into the center of each cake and then top with the buttercream. Position the halves of the cut circle on top of the cake to resemble a butterfly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to make pretty!

Honey Lemon Cookies

Taken from www.allrecipes.com

• 7 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• ICING:
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1. In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Combine honey, yogurt, lemon peel and lemon extract. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with honey mixture.
2. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Brush over the warm cookies; sprinkle with lemon peel.