CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- I'm not sure why, but last week's balmy weather prompted a taste for something lemony at my house. I searched through cookbooks, magazines and online for tempting recipes and found one for Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes, which I baked last weekend.

The dense, moist cupcake was especially tangy, probably due to my heavy-handed measurement of grated lemon rind. I definitely used more than the 1 teaspoon specified in the recipe. The lemony cream cheese frosting was, well, icing on an already delicious cake.

A naked cupcake would probably suffice for lemon-lovers who prefer their baked treats slightly less sweet.

With a stick of butter in the recipe, the Glazed Lemon Cookies from Martha Stewart don't qualify as low fat, but Martha generally bakes a decent cookie, so the recipe's worth a try.

The Web site lowfatcooking/about.com offered a healthier take on classic buttery-crusted Lemon Bars. Reviewers called the moist, tangy lemon bars a low-fat, easily portable treat perfect for picnics or other casual gatherings.

Although she doesn't sink to Paula Deen's disregard of fat and overly processed ingredients in her recipes, Ina Garten isn't known for her healthy recipes. Her Lemon Yogurt Cake is a pleasant surprise. She uses a cup of yogurt to add moisture and density to the cake, but adds a half-cup of oil for good measure.

I haven't baked Garten's cake, but I have tasted one baked by a friend. She substituted low-fat plain yogurt for the whole milk variety, but otherwise followed Garten's directions to the letter. The cake was delicious, moist and bursting with lemon flavor. My friend also used a wooden shish kabob spear to poke tiny holes in the top of the cake before she poured the lemon syrup on top. It soaked into the cake and intensified the lemon flavor.

Because I purchased a bag of lemons, instead of a few single ones, I think I'll tackle Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake next. You know that old saying about making lemonade when fate gives you lemons - cake's even better.

Reach Julie Robinson at jul...@wvgazette.com  or 304-348-1230.

Lemon-Blueberry Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

            1 1/2            cups, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

            10            tablespoons granulated sugar

            1 1/2            teaspoons baking powder

            1/4            teaspoon salt

            1/8            teaspoon baking soda

            1/4            cup butter, melted

            1            large egg

            1/2            cup low-fat buttermilk

            1/2            cup 2 percent reduced-fat milk

            1            teaspoon grated lemon rind

            3/4            cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

Frosting:

            1/4            cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

            2            tablespoons butter, softened

1              teaspoon grated lemon rind

            1            teaspoon vanilla extract

            1/8            teaspoon salt

            1 1/2            cups powdered sugar, sifted

            2            teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Fresh blueberries (optional)

HEAT oven to 350 degrees.

PLACE 12 decorative paper muffin cup liners into muffin cups.

LIGHTLY spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Measure 1 tablespoon flour; level with a knife. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour plus 1 tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.

COMBINE melted butter and egg in another large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk, milk and 1 teaspoon rind to butter mixture; stir with a whisk.

ADD buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

BAKE at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

TO PREPARE FROSTING, place cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon rind, vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar (do not overbeat). Stir in juice.

SPREAD frosting evenly over cupcakes; garnish with blueberries, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Nutritional Information: calories 236, fat 7.7g, protein 3.7g, carbs 38.7 g, fiber 7g, cholesterol 38 mg, iron 1 mg, sodium, 71 mg.

SOURCE: Cooking Light, January, 2007

Glazed Lemon Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

            2            cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

            1/2            teaspoon baking soda

            1/2            teaspoon salt

            1            tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

            1/2            cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

            1            cup granulated sugar

            1            large egg

            1            teaspoon pure vanilla extract

HEAT oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and lemon zest. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until combined. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture.

DROP dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 2 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread cookies with Lemon Glaze and let set, about 1 hour.

 Lemon Glaze

            2            cups confectioners' sugar

            2            tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

            1/3            cup fresh lemon juice

WHISK together 2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, and 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice in a medium bowl until smooth

Source: http://www.marthastewart.com

Low-Fat Lemon Bars

Makes 16 squares

            1            cup all-purpose flour

            1/4            cup sugar

            1/2            cup quick oats

            3            tablespoons butter

For the Topping:

            1            egg

            1            egg white

            1            cup sugar

            3            tablespoons flour

            1/4            teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

Juice and zest of 1 large lemon

Confectioner's sugar, sifted, for sprinkling

HEAT oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

COMBINE flour, oats and sugar in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender, add butter and blend until the mixture is crumbly.

PRESS crumbs into the bottom of the baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes until edges are golden.

whisk egg and egg white. Add sugar and beat until creamy. Add flour, baking powder, salt and lemon; whisk until smooth.

POUR lemon mixture over pre-baked base. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until center is set.

COOL in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

 Nutritional information: calories 133, fat 2.8g, cholesterol 19mg, sodium 15mg, carbs 25.1g, fiber 0.1g, protein 2.1g

Source: www.lowfatcooking/about.com

Lemon Yogurt Cake

            1 1/2            cups all-purpose flour

            2            teaspoons baking powder

            1/2            teaspoon kosher salt

            1            cup plain whole-milk yogurt

            1 1/3            cups sugar, divided

            3            extra-large eggs

            2            teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

            1/2            teaspoon pure vanilla extract

            1/2            cup vegetable oil

            1/3            cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze:

            1            cup confectioners' sugar

            2            tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

HEAT oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 1/2- by 4 1/4- by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

SIFT together flour, baking powder and salt into one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.

POUR the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

COOL cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove cake from pan and place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

COMBINE the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice to make a glaze and pour it over the cake.

 Source: FoodNetwork.com