Lemon Coconut Curd and Cupcakes
[Vegan]

To Make the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line or grease muffin/cupcake tins.
2. Sift spelt flour into a large bowl.  Process almonds and shredded coconut and add it to the flour.  Add baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, apple sauce, and brown rice syrup.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.  Fold gently with a spatula until well combined and you have a homogeneous mixture.
5. Fold in apple cider vinegar and work quickly to pour the batter into the prepared tins.
6. Bake on the center rack in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, checking on them after 20 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center.  If it comes out clean and dry, they are ready.  Otherwise return to the oven for an additional 3-5 minutes, they should brown to a nice golden color because of the almond meal.  Watch them carefully so they don’t burn and remember that oven times and temperatures vary.
7. Remove from the oven and let them cool to the touch, then remove them from the tins and let them cool completely.
8. Once cooled, use an apple corer to remove the center, being careful not to puncture a whole in the bottom of the cupcakes.
9. Fill the center, and top with Lemon Coconut Curd and a sprinkle of shredded coconut.
10. Keep refrigerated in an air tight container and serve within 3 days.

To Make the Lemon Curd:

1. Add rice milk, brown rice syrup and coconut butter to a small pot over medium heat, whisking until the coconut butter is fully dissolved.  Whisk in lemon juice, lemon zest, turmeric and coconut.
2. Dissolve kudzu in a small amount of cold water and add it to the milk, whisking and letting it come to a gentle boil for about 2 minutes, it will start to thicken at this point. Remove from heat and set aside, it will continue to thicken as it cools.
3. Meanwhile, dissolve the agar agar powder in a small amount of water over medium heat. Bring it to a boil and whisk until all of the agar is dissolved and you have a clear liquid, about 3 minutes.
4. Pour agar liquid over warm rice milk cream and mix well to combine thoroughly.  NOTE **If the rice milk cream has cooled too much, bring it back to heat before adding the agar, otherwise the agar agar will start setting on contact and create clumps.
5. Process the mixture for 30 seconds to a minute using an immersion blender or a stand up blender.
6. Pour into a glass container with a cover and place in the fridge to let cool for about 2 hours.
7. Once cooled, give it a good stir.  If it’s clumpy, blend it once again.  At this point you can fill and top the cupcakes with the Lemon Coconut Curd immediately, or you can let it rest over night to firm up a bit which I highly recommend.