Lemon Basil Blueberry Cupcakes Recipes

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.

BLUEBERRY-BASIL LOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour; set aside.
• In large bowl, mix 2 1/4 cups flour, the granulated sugar, baking powder, lemon peel and salt. In medium bowl, beat buttermilk, 6 tablespoons melted butter, the vanilla and eggs with whisk until well blended. Stir into flour mixture. Gently fold in blueberries and basil. Spread batter in pan.
• In medium bowl, mix brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter until blended. Using fork, stir in 2/3 cup flour until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle topping over batter.
• Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (If loaf becomes too brown, cover with foil during last 30 minutes of baking.) Cool 10 minutes. Loosen loaf from pan; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

LEMON BLUEBERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). *Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
• In a medium bowl combine 1 and 3/4 cups of the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a separate bowl combine the sour cream, milk, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice; whisk well to combine and set aside. Place blueberries in a small bowl; add remaining lemon juice and toss to coat the berries; add remaining flour and toss to coat the berries in the flour; set aside.
• In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Add in the granulated sugar and lemon extract (if using) and beat until well combined. Add in the egg and egg yolk and mix well. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add in 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix until just combined (this should take about 5 seconds). Add 1/2 of the sour cream mixture and mix until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour and sour cream mix, being sure to mix on low until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the floured blueberries (and any excess flour in the bowl) and lemon zest.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cupcakes are cool, frost and decorate. The cupcakes may also be frozen, unfrosted and stored in a freezer safe bag, for up to 2 months.
• In a medium bowl using a handheld electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-speed until smooth and creamy. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the powdered sugar and lemon juice, beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract, lemon extract (if using) and lemon zest; beat smooth. If the consistency appears too thick, add a teaspoon of milk or heavy cream, but only if necessary. The frosting should be creamy and spreadable, but also thick enough to hold its shape. Pipe or spread the frosting on top of each cooled cupcake.
• Top each frosted cupcake with a pinch of lemon zest and extra blueberries, optional but pretty!

BLUEBERRY BASIL CORNMEAL MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400° F. and line a standard muffin pan with liners or spray the insides of the cups with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, orange zest and basil.
• In a smaller bowl whisk together the yogurt, milk, honey, egg, oil and vanilla.
• In a small bowl toss the blueberries together with a teaspoon of flour. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
• Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry and stir together with a rubber spatula until nearly combined.
• Add in the blueberries and fold together just until you can no longer see any streaks of flour.
• Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared muffin pan and place it on the middle rack of the oven.
• Bake for 12-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. If the muffins are getting too dark on top, cover them loosely with a piece of foil.
• Cool the muffins on a wire rack for several minutes before serving.

LEMON BASIL BLUEBERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• This is what the finished filling should look like.
• Combine the butter and sugar for the cupcakes and beat until fluffy. Add the 2 eggs. Add the zest and juice from 2 lemons. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the yogurt.
• Put all of the ingredients for the filling in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and frequently stir. The filling is done once it darkens in color, the blueberries have started to decompose, and the mixture starts to thicken. Put the filling in a bowl and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or just until it is cool and thickens slightly.
• Use a melon baller and put one scoop of batter in each cupcake liner. This will be about 1/4 full. Add a spoonful of filling on the top of each cupcake. Use the remaining batter to put on top of the filling. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes.
• Make sure the butter for the frosting is room temperature. Combine all of the frosting ingredients, gradually adding the powdered sugar and the finely chopped basil last.
• Make the blueberry reduction sauce using the same technique that was used to make the filling.
• When the cupcakes are cool, cover with frosting, drizzle the blueberry reduction, and place a fresh blueberry and candied lemon pieces on top as garnish.
• Makes 12 cupcakes.