a peace offering

I'm a bad blogger.


You see, I'd like to post more frequently, but my incredibly slow laptop is getting in the way. And for some unknown reason, the "h" key popped off about a year ago. Lately it's stopped working all together. You'd be surprised how one little, unassuming letter (well, the absence of one) can ruin everything. I've been reduced to copy-and-pasting each "h" individually, or surreptitiously writing my posts at work when my boss isn't looking and pasting them in later. It's all very Harriet the Spy, if Harriet were a cranky 24-year-old with the urge to bake. I haven't felt this sneaky since I was seven and stored Baby-Sitters Club books under my mattress to devour after lights-out. (Seriously.)

Will you forgive me? And will you accept these Meyer lemon tea cakes as a peace offering? They're soft and sweet and light, and go down mighty easily. Until you realize somebody's eaten half the batch. (But don't be like me.)


Meyer Lemon Tea Cakes
adapted from Food Network magazine

For the cakes:
1 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup granulated sugar
1 to 2 Tbs. grated lemon zest (Meyer or regular)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup milk or plain yogurt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda (only if using yogurt instead of milk)
1/2 tsp. salt

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin.

In bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub the mixture together with your fingers until sugar is moist and fragrant. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then add the olive oil and milk. Whisk until blended.

Whisk 1 cup flour, the baking powder, baking powder (if using) and salt in a small bowl. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the milk mixture until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake until the cakes just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and spring back when lightly touched, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then loosen the sides with a small knife and invert the cakes onto a rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and butter until smooth, adding more sugar or lemon juice to achieve the desired consistency. Drizzle over the warm cakes, or dip the tops of the cakes directly in glaze.