A recipe for yogurt and olive oil cupcakes lightly flavored with lime and topped with brilliant pomegranate arils and buttercream or just a simple pomegranate honey syrup.
“Is anyone this girl’s mom?” the salesperson asked, staring around the shoe store. He was referring, of course, to my daughter, who at this moment was standing, hands on her hips, in front of a display of TOMS shoes, eying the ones that sparkled and shone.
On her head was a bright blue bomber hat to accent the brown puffy down vest covered in brilliantly-colored butterflies. Skinny jeans and pink flip-flops completed the ensemble, but not before a single toe sock graced one foot and leg, all the way to her knee. Her eyes glinting with the prospects of owning a pair of sequin-encrusted shoes, she was oblivious to the salesman’s distress.
“I’m her mom,” I replied, already anticipating the question that was to follow.
“Oh, I was just wondering if that’s her sock or if she found it in the store.”
Barely letting him finish, I laughed to myself and replied, “Yes, and she’s only wearing one of them.”
My youngest daughter is already the stuff of legend, the kind of girl that catches people’s attention even when she is completely unaware of the effect, or all too well aware and seemingly unconcerned. The bits of crazy and unconventional in her persona mix alongside an often soft-spoken young lady with plenty of poise.
I eagerly anticipate the person she’s becoming, and my greatest fear in parenting her is that I’ll squash the sagacious imagination, the cunning cleverness that oozes out of her every pore, the sprightly sarcasm she picked up at too young an age. I worry that self-doubt will somehow grab hold of her, and so I push her to be herself in the face of life. It’s the same wish I hold for all of my children.
So I encourage them to experiment, to build and create, to tear down invisible walls, and wear single toe socks with their flip-flops. I hope the biggest hopes for them, and I dare not share my wildest dreams lest they be confused with theirs. Sometimes I fail as a parent, and I tell them that it’s my failure, for we are all human. I want to teach them that it’s okay to own up to the mistakes you’ve made so that you may learn from them and move forward. I watch as they make their own.
I sing with them and let them eat popcorn for dinner when dad is away. We let them scoop pumpkins and carve faces, and we delight in the finished products with their crooked smiles and the marker that still showed on the smooth orange surface.
I say no sometimes as often as I say yes, but never without explanation. I read stories and explain answers to questions. And I love. Even when it does not feel like it’s enough, I trust that it is and that it will be.
It’s hard to miss Kristan from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen when you’re in the same room. The glitter and glam is sure to catch your eye and make you smile, and the spice, well, that’s the best part. Kristan is welcoming in her own daughter soon, who I’m sure will prove to be every bit as spirited as Kristan herself, and you know Lucy’ll have plenty of her momma’s glitter. We’re throwing a cupcake party to celebrate. Be sure to see what everyone else is bringing to the party!
Cookies and Cups | Zebra Cake Cupcakes
The Hungry Housewife | White Cupcakes
She Wears Many Hats | Pretty in Pink Party Marshmallows
Two Peas and Their Pod | Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Bluebonnets and Brownies | Apple Cider Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
My Baking Addiction | Sugar and Spice Cupcakes
Picky Palate | Pumpkin Brownie Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Blooming on Bainbridge | Twinkie Cupcakes with Pink Cherry Frosting
Bakingdom | Homemade Twinkie Cupcakes
Sprinkle Bakes | Princess Torte Cupcakes
Glorious Treats | Sweet Baby Cupcakes with Easy Fondant Toppers
Sweet Sugarbelle | Damask Cookies
Buns In My Oven | Maple Cupcakes with Maple Frosting
Dine and Dish | Neapolitan Cream Filled Cupcakes
Chocolate and Carrots | Whole Wheat Chocolate Cupcakes
Bake at 350 | Little Pumpkin Cupcakes
Living Locurto | Baby Shower Printables (coming soon)
Cupcakes like my daughter: Impossible to ignore and complexity hidden within. Subtly sweet and rich, these olive oil and yogurt cakes have all the makings of an everyday snack cake, but they sing of something far more special. Go ahead and skip the buttercream and just give them a slight dusting of powdered sugar for a late afternoon treat.
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup Greek yogurt (low or full fat)
1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup sugar or palm/maple sugar
2 limes, zested and juiced
2 eggs
Pomegranate Buttercream or Pomegranate Honey Syrup (recipes below)
Preheat the oven to 350º F. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, sugar, the zest from one lime, and 1/4 cup of lime juice. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
Sift the flour mixture into the yogurt bowl. Stir until the flour is just combined. Scoop the batter into 14 cupcake liners to fill 2/3 full. Bake for 22-24 minutes or until tops spring back. Remove from oven and cool completely before topping with buttercream, syrup, or simply dusting with powdered sugar.
Pomegranate Buttercream Frosting
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 – 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small saucepan, reduce the pomegranate juice by half over medium heat. Set aside to cool.
Mix together the butter and 2 1/2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar. Beat until creamy. Stir in the vanilla. Slowly add the reduced pomegranate juice. Add more sugar if necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
Pomegranate Honey Syrup
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup light-flavored raw honey
In a medium saucepan combine the pomegranate juice and the honey. Heat over medium heat until the mixture boils, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook until the liquid has been reduced by half. Allow to cool slightly. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
Makes 14 Pomegranate and Lime Olive Oil Yogurt Cupcakes.
The October Unprocessed version of these cupcakes is made with a soft whole wheat flour, sweetened with natural sweeteners, and gets drizzled with the pomegranate honey syrup and a few pomegranate arils. It may even be eaten for breakfast when there is no one around to question.
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Looks like your daughter did a great job helping you out. Thanks for the lime olive oil yogurt cupcakes.
She’s great to have in the kitchen with me.
Very nice little website you got here.Mine ain’t that big, i just love to blog about my own cake recipes, check it out if you like.Ciao
Lovely cupcake recipe! Thanks for sharing.
these sound really interesting. i should make this one day.=)
Love the look of the buttercream, although the pom-honey must be tasty, too….YUM!
Colette @ JFF!´s last post ..Orange Sweetness: Who Dunnit?
this sounds like a winner to me! Thanks!
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