Custard Archives - Wood & Spoon

Champagne Elderflower Cupcakes

So what are your plans for New Year’s Eve? Do you have the champagne iced down? Is your sequined dress polished and ready for dancing? Did you buy a new lipstick to ready your pucker for a midnight kiss?

New Year’s Eve

Something about New Year’s Eve makes me jittery with excitement. The parties and bubbles and noisemakers and confetti make the world so shiny and glamorous for a brief moment. For a few hours, regardless of the year you’ve had, there’s laughter and excitement and so much hope for the coming year. I love an excuse for a party, but one that gives you the opportunity to celebrate time and the promises of tomorrow is beautiful, if you ask me. This year, Brett and I celebrating with some friends in a more relaxed fashion, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it soon. In the meantime, I’m excited to share these champagne elderflower cupcakes with you, as I’m sure your NYE party is looking for a little extra sugar, booze, and sparkle.

Champagne Elderflower Cupcakes

These champagne elderflower cupcakes are lightly flavored with champagne and elderflower liqueur. Filled with a champagne custard and topped with a zesty lemon elderflower whipped cream frosting, the cupcakes taste like a cocktail in cake form. What better time to try them out than New Year’s Eve?! These champagne elderflower cupcakes are best eaten the day they’re prepared. Still, they keep well in the fridge, so feel free to make them the morning of your party. If you’re feeling extra festive, serve them alongside an elderflower and champagne cocktail- with only 2 ingredients and zero prep time, this cocktail is a cinch to throw together and will make your cupcakes shine.

All of my hopes, blessings, and love to you and yours this coming year. I wish you all of the best that life has to offer and pray that 2017 is your most delicious year yet. I can’t wait to share more with you in the coming year. Happy New Year and cheers to you!

Champagne Elderflower Cupcakes

Print Recipe

Scented with elderflower liqueur, lemon zest, and bubbly champagne, these champagne elderflower cupcakes are a festive dessert to include in your holiday and New Year’s Eve celebrations!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 45
Cook Time: 45
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 24
Category: Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

3 cups cake flour
2–1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, room temperature
1–3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup canola oil
1 cup dry champagne or sparkling white wine
2 tablespoons of elderflower liquor (St. Germain)

For the custard

1–1/2 cups half and half
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup dry champagne or sparkling white wine
2–1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla

For the frosting

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
2–1/2 tablespoons elderflower liquor
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Instructions

To prepare the cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 24 cupcake tins with papers.
In a medium sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the oil.
Add half of the dry ingredients and stir on low speed to combine. Add the wine and liquor, stirring briefly to combine, and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix just until combined- do not overmix. Scrape the sides of the bowl and fold the batter to ensure it is thoroughly mixed.
Put approximately 1/4 cup of batter in each cupcake liner (I use a large cookie scoop to fill mine), and then place the prepared pans in the oven. I typically bake one pan at a time to ensure even baking, but you can prepare them how you prefer. Rotate in the oven if you notice on side of the pan getting darker than the other. Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack while you prepare the remaining elements.

To prepare the custard

Heat the half and half in a medium sized saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat until it is hot (but not boiling). In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Add the wine and cornstarch, whisking until combined. Slowly add 1/3 of the hot half and half, whisking the whole time to ensure the eggs don’t get cooked. Pour the entirety of the mixture back in the saucepan and continue to cook it all on the stove over medium-low heat. You’ll notice that the mixture will begin to thicken and perhaps even bubble slightly. Remove from the heat when the custard is a thick pudding consistency. Whisk in the butter and vanilla and place the custard into a small bowl. Place a sheet of plastic directly on top of the custard, to prevent a skin from forming on the top, and place the bowl in the fridge to cool.

To prepare the frosting

Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, elderflower liquor, and zest and continue beating just until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1/2 cup of the chilled custard into the whipped cream.

To assemble the cupcakes

Using a paring knife, cut a small, tablespoon sized whole in the top of each cupcake. This is where the custard filling will go, so feel free to make the hole somewhat deep but not wider than half the width of the cupcake.
Spoon or pipe the custard into the holes in the cupcakes. About 1 tablespoon of custard should go in each cupcake.
Pipe or dollop the whipping cream frosting on each cupcake. I used a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip to pipe my frosting.
Store the cupcakes in the fridge. They are best eaten on the day they are assembled.

Recipe Adapted From: Julie Richardson

Elderflower Champagne

Print Recipe

A sparkling cocktail to pair with your cupcakes!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 5
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1

Ingredients

1/2 ounces elderflower liqueur
3 ounces chilled champagne or dry sparkling wine

Instructions

Pour the elderflower liqueur in the bottom of a champagne flute. Top with the champagne. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 71
Sugar: 1
Sodium: 4
Fat: 0
Saturated Fat: 0
Unsaturated Fat: 0
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 2
Protein: 0
Cholesterol: 0

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Lemon Almond Tart

4 Comments / Pies and Tarts

“If at first you don’t succeed: try, try again.” I’m not sure where that quote originated, but whoever it came from clearly has never tried to create the perfect lemon tart. I can almost see those people pointing and probably laughing at me as I taste tested another round of lemon tarts with utter disappointment. Well, this time, I get the last laugh, because I am happy to report that after many tries, I nailed it. Today, I get to share with you the recipe for the best, most perfect lemon almond tart – a light and nutty almond crust filled with a creamy, tart lemon filling. (Drool)

This all started with a giant bag of lemons and an afternoon peruse through Thomas Keller’s “Bouchon” cookbook. I ran across his recipe for lemon tart (or as Keller and the French call it, “Tart au Citron”), and I thought it may be worth a stab. I had all of the needed ingredients, with exception of those needed for the pine nut crust, but thanks to a lone wolf bag of almond meal left in the netherparts of my pantry, I decided to proceed.

Attempt number one was eggy- and so, so tart. Everything Thomas Keller does is is perfect, so I confess that my lack of skills and palate were likely to blame. Unfortunately, as my husband pushed the tart around on his plate, I knew it wasn’t a winner.

Attempt number two yielded a perfect almond crust but with a filling that was still kind of eggy. I researched and discovered a few things about cooking with lemon and eggs (see notes!), so attempt number three left me with a perfectly tart/sweet lemon filling. Unfortunately, I torched the shell this time around and failed to cook the filling for quite long enough so it still wasn’t right. #humblingkitchenmoments

Attempt number four, as baby bear would say, was juuusssst right. Lemony, sweet, and with an incredibly creamy mouth feel, this was a tart sexy enough to call it by its French name. This was a tarte au citron.

I often receive complements from friends and family about how lovely all my food looks from the 2×4” screen of an iPhone, but what most people don’t know is that behind every photo is usually a failed attempt, a frosting that’s too stiff, a curdled filling, a sink full of dishes, or a scorched mess on the bottom of my oven. Those things aren’t as fun to write about or as pretty to photograph, but they’re apart of the process. If this is ringing any bells right now, take heart, because redemption is almost always just around the corner. This week, we’re calling redemption lemon almond tart.

Read through the recipe, and the notes in particular, prior to getting started. There’s no need for y’all to make the mistakes I’ve already trudged through. I like my lemon tart the exact way I take my ice cream sundaes- with a giant dollop of whipped cream. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to be sure to whip some of that up as well.

Lemon Almond Tart

Print Recipe

A light and nutty almond crust filled with a creamy, tart lemon filling. I prefer this tart served with a generous dollop of sweetened whipped cream and lemon almond crumbs.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 45
Cook Time: 45
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the crust

4 ounces (About 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) of almond meal
7.5 ounces (About 1–1/2 cups) flour
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) of sugar
1 stick (4 ounces) butter, room temperature
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

For the filling

1 teaspoon butter, softened
2 tablespoons of flour
2 whole eggs, cold
2 egg yolks, cold
1 cup of sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice (juice of about 2–1/2 lemons)
2 teaspoons of packed lemon zest
10 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the lemon crumbs (if desired)

About 1 cup of reserved, uncooked almond crust crumbs
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon of melted butter

Instructions

To prepare the crust

In a bowl, combine almond meal, flour, and sugar. Using a pastry cutter or the back of a large fork, cut in the stick of butter until dough is uniformly pea-sized crumbles.
Lightly whisk the egg and extracts together in a separate bowl, and, using the pastry cutter again, combine the wet and dry ingredients. Only manipulate the dough as much as you have to to make it uniform. Overworking your dough will cause it to toughen when baked.
Place dough in the refrigerator for about ten minutes while you prepare your tart pan. Dough can also be left covered in the fridge at this point for up to one day.

When ready to prepare the tart

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using your hands, butter a 9″ tart pan with a removable bottom with 1 teaspoon of softened butter. Lightly dust the bottom and sides of pan with flour.
Using your fingers, press the almond meal crust into the bottom and sides of the tart pan. You will likely use all but 3/4-1 cup of the dough. Trim any excess off the top.
Bake crust for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through, until edges are almost turning golden and the center crust is set. Allow to cool while you prepare your filling. Alternatively, the crust can be made one day in advance and set aside covered.
Bring a small-medium saucepan filled with an inch of water to a simmer over medium-low heat.
In a bowl just barely larger than the saucepan, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar.
Once water is boiling, place the bowl of eggs on top of the saucepan and whisk until mixture becomes paler and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and zest, continuing to whisk all the while. Occasionally turn your bowl to ensure you don’t cook the eggs. Continue whisking consistently until mixture is thickened, about the consistency of a very loose pudding. Your whisk should be leaving a momentary trail behind it as it moves through the bowl and the mixture should generously coat the back of a spoon. The entire cooking process will have taken about 10-12 minutes.
Turn the heat off, but with the pan still on the burner, add the cold butter, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, whisking until piece is combined before adding another piece. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour your filling into the tart crust. Place a piece of saran wrap directly on top of the filling and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Tart is complete at this point, but lemon crumbs can be added as a garnish if desired.

To prepare lemon crumbs

Preheat oven to 350.
In a bowl, combine about 3/4 cup of reserved, uncooked almond tart crumbs with lemon zest and sugar. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir until small clumps form.
Spread out on a sheet pan and break up larger clumps to smaller, pea-sized pieces. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden, shaking pan intermittently. Allow to cool. Sprinkle on top of tart or on top of each piece along with a generous dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

Notes

Crust dough will be crumbly, but be sure to cover the sides and bottom of your pan thoroughly and evenly. It may crack in the oven, but that’s ok.
When zesting your lemons, avoid the pith (the white part below the yellow exterior of the lemon). Zesting the whites can cause your tart to taste bitter.
Cooking time of the filling may differ depending on the type of saucepan you’re using and how large your bowl is on top of the pan. If your bowl is too large, it will take longer to cook the eggs.
Cooking your filling in some materials can cause your tart to taste metallic or eggy. After trial and error myself, I recommend using a glass bowl and a silicone whisk.
If you prefer a much more tart filling, add another packed teaspoon of zest to the filling.
If you like to serve your tart with whipped cream (don’t we all?), whip 1 cup of cold, heavy whipping cream until frothy, then slowly add 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. When nearly to stiff peaks, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Yum!

Recipe Adapted From: Thomas Keller

Custard

New Year’s Eve

Champagne Elderflower Cupcakes

Champagne Elderflower Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

For the custard

For the frosting

Instructions

To prepare the cupcakes

To prepare the custard

To prepare the frosting

To assemble the cupcakes

Elderflower Champagne

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

Lemon Almond Tart

Ingredients

For the crust

For the filling

For the lemon crumbs (if desired)

Instructions

To prepare the crust

When ready to prepare the tart

To prepare lemon crumbs

Notes

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