MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

      Title: Lemon Cakes With Basil Lemon Syrup
 Categories: Cakes, Desserts, Citrus
      Yield: 10 Servings
 
MMMMM---------------------------CAKES--------------------------------
    1/2 c  Unsalted butter; softened
  1 1/2 tb Butter; melted
    3/4 c  Matzo cake flour;
           - more for dusting
    2/3 c  Sugar; +1/4 c
    1/4 ts Salt
      3 lg Eggs; separated,
           - room temperature
           - for 30 minutes
      2 tb Fresh lemon juice
      1 tb Lemon zest; fine grated

MMMMM---------------------------SYRUP--------------------------------
  1 1/4 c  Sugar
  1 1/2 c  Water
      1    Fresh lemon zest strip
           - (4x1")
    1/2 c  Fresh lemon juice
      8 lg Fresh basil sprigs

MMMMM-----------------------WHIPPED CREAM----------------------------
      1 c  Heavy cream; chilled
 
  Equipment: a muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups
  
  Garnish: small fresh basil leaves
  
  Sweet basil scents the lemony syrup and makes these delicate little
  cakes deliciously modern.
  
  Cakes:

  Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
  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 ts 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 ts zest until combined. Add
  flour and mix at low speed until just combined.
  
  Beat whites with remaining 1/8 ts salt in another bowl with cleaned
  beaters until they hold soft peaks. Add 2 tb 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 tb sugar and 1 ts 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.
  
  Syrup:

  Bring all syrup ingredients to a boil, covered, in a 3 qt 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.
  
  Recipe by Ruth Cousineau
  
  Recipe FROM: Gourmet Magazine, Apr 2005
  
  Formatted by: Dave Drum, Sep 15, 2008
  
  Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
 
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