Lemon Caramel might change your life

I know it has certainly changed mine.

Look at this gigantic box, whatever could it be (3/26/24!!)

Hello and happy weekend! I was coming off of a few weeks where I was like “wow, I really don’t leave the house much.” And then suddenly, this week happened, and I can no longer feel my feet. It was busy.

I always feel a bit weird about brand events (in the vein of: why am I here and not everyone else?), so when I do go to them (again, leaving the house is not my forte) I go for brands I know and love, or brands I want to know and love. So of the smattering of events I was lucky enough to go to this week, here are the brands that hosted, why I love them, and where you should go to visit/get them, if that’s your thing!

• Guinness at Tatiana - I mean, C’MON. A stout fan-fav! Guinness is for making Guinness affogatos. I’ve always considered it a dessert beer, and no one can change my mind.

• Kerrygold St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon at Gem Wine - I’ve always loved them but I just found out they sell their garlic herb butter in STICKS. Where have I been? As for Gem Wine, it’s a gem. If you can snag a rez, go.

• Brightland’s launch of their Castelvetrano Olive Oil at Big Night - In the past year or so, I have made a hard pivot into being a Brightland girl. You usually can’t tell because of my gorgeous Sprezz olive oil bottle, but their Awake + Alive varieties are usually what’s in there. Also, please visit Big Night if you’re ever in NYC! And buy me the entire green section. Thank you.

• Alaska Seafood’s Demo & Dinner - Have you ever been feet from Martha Stewart and accidentally taken Jean-Georges’ display plate of sablefish because you panicked? No? Well, the sablefish was good. And he made another display plate so it’s fine. We’re good.
  If you have the means, get your hands on wild Alaska sablefish and report back on the texture. I think it’s the best fish on the planet.

• Sofreh Cafe’s Soft Opening - which is open to the public! If you are in Brooklyn for a Barclay’s Center event, I’ll always tell you to go to Sofreh. Now if you’re in the area in the morning, I highly recommend Nasim’s new cafe (location info in their stories). It’s like an extension of the restaurant!

So you see what I mean when I said it was a whirlwind? But I’m still so extremely grateful. Your attention and your time is the reason I get to go/see/share all these things, so I want to make sure they are worth sharing with you! And telling you how I stole a plate in front of Martha Stewart? Felt worth sharing.

But now, the weekly round-up! And a bonus recipe

Turmeric & Ginger White Bean Soup - This plant-based soup is quick with small beans, but meant for bigger beans, too! And canned or dried, which is always a versatility thing I enjoy. You smash some of the beans to get a creamier, thicker texture, and it’s a perfect soup to close out the winter season.

Castelvetrano Pesto - two vegan recipes today! This vegan pesto replaces the parm with buttery Castelvetrano olives, and balances out with the Brightland Castelvetrano olive oil, although if you have another evoo, that’s totally find too.

And a Guinness Affogato! My argument for making one: it’s less booze than a normal affogato, but ten times the flavor. I’ve had three this week because I’m feeling festive.

And the bonus recipe! Lemon Caramel Muffins

Last spring it was exactly around this time when I started with muffin mayhem. I’m glad to know nothing has changed.

Suns out. Muffins Out.

And these ones are packed with gooey, sticky lemon caramel. Whole pieces of lemon cook down in the caramel (don’t balk! it’s good!) so it stays soft and pliable throughout baking, as well as when your muffins are fully cool. It’s almost like a jam, but the sugar gets so toasted that it errs more on the caramel side.

The full recipe is here - and you’ll see it on your social feeds tomorrow!

Makes 6 jumbo muffins, or 12 standard ones

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE LEMON CARAMEL

• 2 large lemons

• 110 grams granulated sugar, 1/2 cup

• 28 grams salted butter, chilled, 2 tablespoons

FOR THE MUFFINS

• 113 grams salted butter, melted, 8 tablespoons

• 165 grams granulated sugar, 3/4 cup

• 55 grams dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup

• 2 large eggs

• 60 grams heavy cream, 1/4 cup

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 280 grams all-purpose flour, 2 cups

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

• 80 grams milk of choice, 1/3 cup

FOR THE CITRUS SUGAR

• 60 grams turbinado sugar, 1/4 cup

• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest

INSTRUCTIONS

• Begin by making the lemon caramel. Zest both the lemons and set the zest aside. Slice the peel away from the lemons, then cut the interior into bite-size pieces. You should yield 130 grams of lemon pieces.

• Set a medium sauté pan over medium heat and add the sugar and lemons pieces. Stir to combine and cook for 3-4 minutes, allowing the sugar to fully melt. Add in the two tablespoons of butter and mix vigorously to combine.

• Once the mixture is combined, cook it down, stirring often, as it bubbles and begins to darken. It will turn a light golden hue in 4-5 minutes, and a deep gold in 7-8 minutes. When the mixture is thickened and you can swipe a spatula along the bottom of the pan and the bottom shows for a few seconds, it's ready to transfer.

• Carefully pour the lemon caramel onto a sheet of parchment paper on a cold surface. It should seize up immediately. Let it cool to the side while you make the muffin batter.

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.

• To make the batter, in a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, sugars and eggs. Add in the cream and vanilla and mix again.

• Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine, adding splashes of the milk a bit at a time to assist the mixing. You'll soon have a smooth batter.

• By now, the caramel should be cool enough to handle, although still a bit stretchy. Begin pulling it apart into pieces no bigger than a bean, and add those pieces to the batter. Mix to combine.

• Line a jumbo muffin tin (or a standard 12-count muffin tin) and scoop in the batter. You want it nearly to the top of the tins, but not completely.

• In a small bowl, mix together the reserved lemon zest and the turbinado sugar. Rub the sugar into the zest to make citrus sugar.

• Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the sugar.

• Bake the jumbo muffins for 30-35 minutes, or until domed, golden, and you can tap the tops without them feeling too "jiggly" (an inserted toothpick might lead you astray, since it could come out with lemon caramel on it!). If baking standard muffins, begin checking at the 20-minute mark.

• Serve warm and enjoy!

And that’s it for this week! I’ll see you next Saturday. In the meantime, happy baking and affogato-ing :)

Xoxo,

Justine_Bakes