Experiment #6: Coconutty Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

So, I had all that lemon curd leftover from experiment #2, and I wasn't about to slather it on a scone or on top of a cake since it was just too lemony for me. I modified a basic coffeecake recipe that called for applesauce and substituted part of it for the lemon curd, added poppy seeds and coconut, and omitted the nutmeg and other spices called for in the original recipe. It was so tasty! Too bad I only made one small loaf. Sad face. I think this would make a great muffin and/or cake recipe too. Just enough lemon but not overwhelming like that first bite of lemon curd. The following recipe will make 2 mini loaves:

1/2c granulated sugar

1T water

1/4c vegetable oil

2T almond milk

1/4c plus 3T applesauce

2T lemon curd

1c flour

1/2t baking soda
1t poppy seeds
1/4c toasted coconut



Combine sugar and all liquid ingredients. Combine dry ingredients in another bowl. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture (half at first) being careful not to overmix. Divide batter between 2 mini-loaf pans sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes.

I had a bunch of toasted coconut left as well as frozen pie dough from the pizza pie experiment. I've had a hankering for cherry pie, so I think that's next.

SO, from this experiment I learned:
1. I don't like lemon curd alone, but mixed into a cake batter...delicious!
2. Large flake toasted coconut adds great flavor and a nice texture contrast.

Experiment #2: Vegan Lemon Curd "A"

I've never actually eaten lemon curd, but I saw this tasty looking lemon cake at Whole Foods with a mound of lemon curd on top and a cute little bee made from a chocolate straw and 2 almond slices. Eeep! I found a ton of veganized recipes online and tried this one from vegansaurus! first:

1 cup fresh lemon juice (I used organic lemons.)

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice

4 T cornstarch

pinch salt

zest of 2 lemons

1/3 cup plain, non-dairy creamer

2 T Earth Balance

Blend the lemon juice, water, evaporated cane juice, cornstarch, and salt until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan, add lemon zest, and whisk over medium heat until it boils. This took me 15 minutes. Stop whisking and boil for another minute. Remove from the heat and add the creamer and Earth Balance and stir until melted. Voila! Not let it cool a tad before putting it in the fridge in a glass jar or other container for safe keeping.

The lemon curd was a great consistency, and whoa was it lemony! I think it's just too strong to cover the top of a cake, so next I'm going to try a lemon pie filling recipe I found online that calls for almost half a cup of orange juice and less lemon juice and sugar. It'll be milder and better in larger quantities. For the time being, I plan to fold this lemon curd into lemon poppyseed muffins for breakfast. That recipe will follow soon.

Color---Vegan lemon curd comes out a lot paler than the non-vegan version since it doesn't use egg yolks. I added about a half to a full teaspoon of turmeric to the finished product to make it look more lemony, and it worked great without altering the flavor of the curd.

What I learned from this experiment:

1. I need a milder lemon filling to use on top of a cake. Search for lemon pie filling recipes.

2. Turmeric works great as a natural food coloring and won't alter the flavor as long as it's used in moderation.

3. Try folding the curd into muffins or pound cake.