LEMON MERINGUE CUPCAKES                     Makes 12 Cupcakes

 

INGREDIENTS

1 ¼  C Blanched, Slivered Almonds or 1 3/4 C Almond Flour (Honeyville or Nuts.com)

1 ¼ C Unsweetened, Shredded Coconut

1/2 C Erythritol

1/2 C 1/3 t Stevia

*2 Medium Lemons with Peel, Deseeded and Chopped (about 1 1/2 C)

1 C Raw Yellow Squash with skin or peeled Zucchini, chopped (about 1 medium)

1 T Vanilla Extract

½ t Sea Salt

1 Large Egg

3 Large Egg Whites (reserve yolks for Lemon Curd Filling)

3 T Coconut Flour

1 T Egg White Powder (optional, helps promote a nice rise)

2 t Baking Powder


DIRECTIONS

Position oven rack to lower portion of oven.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line Muffin Pan with 12 Cupcake Paper Liners.  Set aside.

In your Food Processor, fitted with the S Blade, add the Almonds, Coconut and Sweetener.  Process for 2 or 3 minutes until it is powdery. 

Add the Lemons, Squash, Vanilla and Salt and process until smooth.

Add the Eggs and continue to process another minute until smooth and well blended.  Don’t worry about over mixing, the Eggs are fine.

Combine the Coconut Flour with the Baking Powder and add while it is running.  Blend for a minute, then let set another minute.

Open the lid and check the Batter.  It should be the consistency of thick pancake batter.  If it is too thin (some Lemons are juicier than others) add another Tablespoon of Coconut Flour and blend again.

Using an Ice Cream Scoop or a ¼ C measure, fill the Cupcake Liners about ¾ full.  Bake about 12 minutes at 375 degrees, then turn the temperature down to 325 degrees and continue baking about 25 more minutes, until the tops of the Cupcakes feel firm when touched. 

Cover with Aluminum Foil if they begin to brown.

BLENDER DIRECTIONS:  Whisk together the Almond Flour, Coconut Flour, Baking Powder, Egg White Powder (if using) and Salt into a medium-sized bowl and set aside.  In your blender, blend the Eggs with the chopped Lemons, Squash and Coconut until smooth and liquidy.  Add the Erythritol, Stevia and Vanilla and blend together.  Pour into the Almond Flour mixture and stir til combined.  Bake as above.



LEMON CURD FILLING

4 Large Egg Yolks

2/3 C Erythritol

2 T Butter

2 Whole, thin-skinned Lemons, deseeded and chopped or Juice and Zest of both Lemons

Blend all thoroughly in a small Food Processor until smooth, transfer to a sauce pan and cook and stir over medium heat a few minutes until it is thick.  Cool.

Poke a hole in each cooled Cupcake and add a little Lemon Curd before frosting.


MERINGUE FROSTING

1 Large Egg White

1/3 C Erythritol

2 T Honey

1 1/2 T Water

1/8 t Cream of Tartar  

1/8 t Sea Salt

1 t Vanilla Extract

1/2 t Almond Extract

Combine all the ingredients except the Extracts in a Double Boiler (or use a Tall Stainless Bowl set on a strainer just above a pan of Boiling Water).


Beat with your Hand Held Mixer for 6 minutes, it will become light and creamy and triple in size.  Remove the bowl from the heat, add the Extracts and continue to beat another minute.

NOTE:  *I use Meyer Lemons in this recipe.  If your Lemons are more tart or have thick pith, you may opt to juice and zest them rather than using the whole fruit.