Lemon Blueberry & Almond Teacakes

I took a break from baking or blog posting for a while since I felt like I was eating too much sugar. Also, because I was out of town on vacation (& attending a wedding!) in Mexico City, Mexico. It was a fun trip and I'm glad I went. I saw a lot of similarities between Mexico & India and it made me more appreciative of Mexican culture for sure.
It's been really difficult to not keep baking all my bookmarked recipes from Sweet (Ottolenghi & Goh) but I finally got a chance when I was about to meet some friends I hadn't seen in a while. What better excuse to see them, catch up on life and share some cakes as well? This is one of the very few recipes from Sweet cookbook that I didn't feel was overly sweet (not that it deterred me from eating all the other ones I baked before this, but just didn't feel like it needed all that sugar).

The blueberry cakes baked up tender, sour and sweet, just what we want from refreshing spring themed cakes. I could have easily eaten the whole lot but thankfully I had friends to share. I can see these cakes working well with raspberries and blackberries (but not strawberries, too watery). I might try another fruit variation soon. They are the perfect serving size with just the right amount of icing and just the right amount of fruit. I hope you make them and enjoy them just as much as I did!

Recipe adapted from Sweet, Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh
Makes 12 teacakes

Ingredients:
200 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature (~2 sticks butter/16 tbsp)
190 gm sugar (~1 cup)
Zest of two lemons
4 eggs, beaten
190 gm almond meal (~2 cups)
45 gm all purpose flour (~1/3 cup) plus extra for dusting
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
100 gm fresh blueberries, plus 36 more to garnish (~2/3 cup plus 36 extra for garnish)

Icing:
160 gm confectioner's sugar (~1 1/3 cups)
2-4 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Using a pastry brush, use some of room temp butter to grease a muffin pan well. Sprinkle well with flour and tap out excess. Set the muffin pan aside.
Beat butter and sugar with a hand held beater on high till well combined and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and eggs, one by one and beat till combined. Add the almond meal in three batches. In a separate bowl, sift ap flour and baking powder. Add this to the batter and mix briefly to combine. Add the lemon juice and mix again on low to combine. Divide this mixture by spooning it into the greased and floured muffin pan and divide the blueberries between them to distribute evenly. Bake for 30 -35 minutes till a skewer inserted into the middle muffin comes out clean. Mine only took about 30 minutes. Cool the cakes on a rack (in pan) for 15 minutes and then using a very thin bladed knife, cut around the cakes and carefully invert them. Col completely for a couple of hours. Make the icing by combining the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp lemon juice to begin with. Add more lemon juice a tbsp at a time to make it runny enough to pour on top. Top with 3 blueberries on each cake and press lightly so they adhere. Let harden completely and serve.