If you haven’t stopped by this week on Toast, we’re all things lemon and basil, sweetened up. Check out how to make both candied lemon curls and candied basil leaves, as well as a twist on one of my all-time favorites, lemon-basil panna cotta.
A few weeks ago, Aimee from Like Mother Like Daughter posted a recipe for fruit pizza. The pregger in me immediately craved it and so I set out to make my own version of this traditional treat.
This fruit pizza has a soft lemon sugar cookie crust, out-of-this-world lemon-basil cream cheese frosting, and is topped with fresh fruit and a candied basil leaf. The combo of flavors and textures is perfect – if you are a fruit pizza lover, this recipe is for you!
Lemon Sugar Cookie Crust
(adapted from Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
– 2 1/2 cups flour
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
– pinch of salt
– 1 cup butter, softened
– 1 1/2 cups sugar
– 1 egg
– 1 teaspoon vanilla
– 1 lemon, finely zested
– 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325-degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add in egg and beat well, until the mixture turns a light color. Stir in lemon zest and lemon juice, then gradually add in the dry ingredients, being sure not to over-stir.
3. Line a cookie sheet (18×12″) with parchment paper, or lightly grease. Pat the dough into the entire sheet to a uniform thickness. (I use my Grandma’s old trick of using the butter wrapper to press down the dough.)
4. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the edges of the cookie are golden brown.
Lemon Basil Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
2 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lemon, finely zested
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup loosely-packed fresh basil leaves
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter.
2. Rinse and dry basil, then place in mortar.
3. Use the mortar and pestle to squish down the basil into a paste. (If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, mince the basil as finely as possible)
4. Transfer a small amount of the cream cheese and butter mixture into the mortar to help pick up all of the pieces of basil inside. Stir to combine, then transfer the entire mixture back into the large bowl with the rest of the cream cheese and butter.
5. Stir to combine, then add in vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Gradually mix in powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.
Lemon Basil Fruit Pizza
1. Spread out lemon basil cream cheese frosting on the completely cooled lemon sugar cookie crust. Let chill in fridge for about an hour to set frosting.
2. Top the entire cookie with fresh fruit, or cut into squares and top individually. Don’t forget to garnish with a candied lemon curl or candied basil leaf!