Lemon Cakes With Basil Lemon Syrup Food

LEMON BASIL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition., Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a small round pastry tip. Fill with lemon curd. Push the tip through the top of each cupcake to fill., For syrup, in a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, basil and lemon zest strip. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Strain; discard basil and lemon zest strip. Cool completely., In a large bowl, beat the confectioners' sugar, butter, 3 tablespoons lemon syrup, vanilla, lemon zest and extract until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Frost cupcakes. (Cover and refrigerate remaining syrup for another use.), Place corn syrup and sugar in small bowls. Dip paintbrush in corn syrup; brush over a basil leaf. Coat leaf with sugar. Repeat. Garnish cupcakes with basil leaves. Store cupcakes in the refrigerator.

MANGO CHEESECAKE WITH BASIL LEMON SYRUP

Steps:

• Special equipment: 9-inch springform pan
• For the Mango Cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a cooling rack.
• Blend the cream cheese and ricotta in a food processor. Add the mango puree, eggs, and sugar and pulse until the mixture is smooth.
• Pour the mango mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool for 30 minutes. Place in the refrigerator and cool completely, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
• For the Basil Lemon Syrup: Place the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Cool the syrup completely. In a food processor combine the basil and the cooled syrup. Pulse until the herbs are finely chopped. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
• Slice the cheesecake and place on a serving plate. Drizzle with the syrup and serve.

LEMON CAKES WITH LEMON BASIL SYRUP

Steps:

• Make cakes:.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F Lightly brush 8 muffin cups with some of melted butter and chill 2 minutes, then butter again and chill 1 minute more. Dust cups with matzo cake flour, knocking out excess.
• Beat together softened butter, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until well blended. Beat in lemon juice and 2 teaspoons zest until combined. Add flour and mix at low speed until just combined.
• Beat whites with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they hold soft peaks. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, a little at a time, beating, then beat until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir one fourth of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Spoon batter into 8 prepared muffin cups.
• Blend remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon zest with your fingertips and sprinkle over batter, then bake until cakes are puffed, edges are golden, and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then lift out cakes carefully (tops will break easily) and cool completely on rack.
• Make syrup:.
• Bring all syrup ingredients to a boil, covered, in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, then remove lid and boil 10 minutes. Pour syrup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Cool to room temperature.
• Assemble dessert:.
• Beat cream in a bowl with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks.
• Spoon 1/4 cup syrup into each of 8 shallow bowls and top with cakes. Spoon whipped cream on top of cakes.

HEAVENLY LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a round cake pan with parchment paper.
• Beat 1 1/4 cup sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth; beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well before adding the next egg. Stir flour, lemon zest, and baking powder into creamed butter mixture until batter is smooth; pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Poke holes into the top of the warm cake and pour syrup over cake. Cool slightly before cutting.

BASIL LEMON SYRUP

Steps:

• Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let stand at room temperature, covered, 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Strain syrup thourough a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids.

LEMON SYRUP

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
• Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature, then stir in 1 1/2 cups of fresh lemon juice.
• You may make ahead, the syrup keeps indefinitely.

LEMON BASIL SYRUP (FOR BEVERAGES)

Steps:

• Combine the lemons, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat, add the basil, and seep for 30 minutes.
• Remove the basil and add to sparkling water or champagne to taste.