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1
Put sugar and water in a small saucepan, stir and heat until it boils; sugar will dissolve and the syrup will be clear. Add basil leaves, stir to submerge all leaves, and turn heat off. Allow leaves to steep until liquid cools, 30-45 minutes or so. Strain leaves out using a mesh strainer; discard leaves. Syrup will be tinged with pale green. Store syrup in a labeled jar in the refrigerator.
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2
Makes about 3/4 cup syrup - enough to play with in several different ways!
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3
Strawberries with Basil Simple Syrup
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4
Slice berries into a large bowl, spoon some simple syrup over berries, stir gently and allow to sit for 10 or so minutes. Stir again and serve berries and syrup in individual bowls, garnishing fruit with a few thinly sliced basil leaves for pretty.
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5
Basil Lemonade
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6
Basil Lemonade = refreshing!
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7
For one glass of lemonade, stir together 8 ounces ice water (or club soda or mineral water, for a fizzy version), 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons Basil Simple Syrup. Taste and adjust tart/sweet to your liking, adding either a bit more lemon or syrup, depending on if you like your lemonade more tart or sweet. Serve over ice in a tall glass, with a sprig of basil sticking out, if you have one! Life is good!
