Pink grapefruit curd

Today, I have a really fun and easy recipe for a delicious, sweet, tangy and slightly bitter pink grapefruit curd. It is delicious as a filling in a pie, or swirled in yoghurt with a few berries and raw almonds on top. This would also make a fantastic flavor in a vanilla ice cream base.

Here's how to make it!



INGREDIENTS:
- 1 large pink grapefruit
- 1/2 to 1 cup of granulated sugar (according to how sweet you like the curd to be, and how sweet your grapefruit is)
- 4 egg yolks, you can keep the whites for an another recipe like a chocolate mousse or macarons
- 1/2 to 3/4 stick of butter, cold


RECIPE:
- zest and juice the grapefruit

- mix the zest, sugar and yolks in a bowl, whisk in the grapefruit juice and stir until the sugar is dissolved

- cook over very low heat (even better in a double boiler) and stir continuously until the mixture starts to thicken a little, then add the butter cube by cube and stir until the butter is melted and blended in and the cream thickens. The perfect consistency will stick a wooden spoon held above the pot

- strain in a mesh to remove stringy zest (or don't if you like the texture; I like it very smooth) and refrigerate

Note: this curd will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator
- enjoy whichever way you want! I like mine by the spoon(ladle)ful, right out of the jar!

Chocolate and citrus marmelade cupcakes

If you're like me and an awesome friend gave you a jar of kick@$$ mixed citrus marmelade that's so good you are running out of toast to eat it, look no further! This is a perfect recipe to use the liquid gold that is citrus jam.

If you don't have citrus or orange marmelade, don't worry you can absolutely make those cupcakes with just the zest and juice of the fruit!

Enjoy and feel free to comment!


INGREDIENTS (14 cupcakes - technichally yields 16, but a good baker needs to taste with and without frosting, no?)
for the cupcake batter:
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 egg
- 1 stick butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup orange juice, with a splash of grapefruit flavored vodka (or not if you are baking for kids)
- 1/2 cup milk
- a splash of vanilla extract
- zest of 1 orange
- any kind of citrus marmelade, optionnal (mine is a mix of grapefruit, lemon and orange, a present from my friend R.)


for the frosting:
- 2 cups of confectionner sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 stick of butter
- a splash of vanilla extract
- a splash of grapefruit flavored vodka, optionnal


RECIPE:
prepare the batter first:
- preheat your oven at 350F
- cream the sugar and butter until fluffy

- add the egg, zest and vanilla and beat at low speed until soft and creamy

- mix the dry ingredients in a bowl: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt

- mix the milk and orange juice

- incorporate the dry ingredients and the milk-OJ mixture alternately, finishing by the dry ingredients and mix until smooth

- line a cupcake tray with paper liners and fill to 1/3 with batter, add a small spoonful of jam on top and cover with batter to 2/3 of the pan

Note: if you don't have jam, just skip the intermediate layer, and just fill the cupcake pan 2/3 up :)
- bake for 20 minutes at 350F (oopsie, looks like I forgot to take a picture of the final product!)
- let cool completely on a rack until ready to frost

prepare the frosting:
- mix the butter, zest, confectionner sugar and cocoa powder

- add the orange juice and mix until smooth

- fill a pastry bag (or just a plain ziploc bag that you cut a corner from) and frost away!


Try not to eat the paper liner... ;)