Some may think it’s a bit odd that I spend my rare days off busy as a bee in the kitchen. I spend much of my work day as an event manager running in and out of a kitchen so most would assume I’d rather stay as far away from a stove as possible on the days I’m at home. But cooking & baking make me happy, and what better way to relax than to spend the day doing what makes you happy? So when most are watching TV or reading a book, I am quietly covering the kitchen in flour & butter in hopes of creating a brand new delicious confection. When others may be dreaming about vacations to exotic places, I dream about cupcakes. To each her own I guess. However, I had a terrible dream last night that I finally opened up the bakery of my dreams and it did not do so well. That is apparently the only nightmare my subconscious mind can muster. So once I woke up today I had to make sure I still have a flair for all things sweet. And well my friends, judging from these cupcakes, I’ve still got it. What a relief. I used a small batch vanilla cupcake recipe from My Madison Bistro , and created my own summer-y nectarine buttercream to go with it. The cupcakes are light & fluffy and the buttercream is sweet & fruity. Perfect for a lazy summer day off work. Enjoy!

Ingredients: Makes 6 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 5 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 egg whites

• 5 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped nectarine (about 1 small nectarine)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Preparation:

1. Mix flour, sugar & baking powder in a large bowl
2. Beat in butter with an electric mixer
3. In a separate bowl, whisk vanilla, milk & egg whites together
4. Add egg mixture into butter mixture and beat until well incorporated
5. Spoon batter into 6 cupcake liners and bake at 350 for 20 minutes
6. For the frosting, beat butter until creamy, then add in nectarine & beat well
7. Mix in powdered sugar & lemon extract
8. Once cupcakes have cooled, frost away!