Lemon curd biscuits

Let's not stop the tea party just yet...and extend it just a teensy bit longer, shall we? I need to put the little tea cups and china I bought on our recent trip to London to good use.

So let's sit a spell and have another cup of tea.  Nothing fancy, but we need something to nibble on.  I know!  How about some lemon curd biscuits to go with our cuppa?  Doesn't that sound good?  A traditional crisp, buttery, British-style biscuit with a refreshing taste of lemon is just the thing to go with a cup of tea on a spring afternoon.  

After we braced the long lines and gawked at the crown jewels at the Tower of London, I bought a couple of souvenirs...the tea cup I'm using here and a little book full of recipes for afternoon tea.  This biscuit recipe in that book called out to me because I adore lemon (and other citrus flavors in desserts) and these biscuits actually have a bit of homemade lemon curd stirred into the dough itself to give it a nice strong lemon flavor.

The dough is a bit dry and I likely handled it a little more than I should have.  I found these biscuits best eaten the day they're made and I really enjoyed the flavor of them...a lovely blend of sweet-and-tart from the lemon curd.  The neat thing is you start the recipe by making a small batch of lemon curd.  After using a portion of it for the biscuits, you end up with a little extra lemon curd as an added bonus!

These lemon curd biscuits are great on their own.  But you know me...I dipped some in chocolate.  Absolutely not necessary but it's a near reflexive move that I can't control at times.  Either way, with or without chocolate, it's just about taking a break and enjoying simple things.  Even if it's a tea party for one sometimes, it's nice to take a moment to treat yourself.  

After the biscuits are made, you still have a small bonus amount of homemade lemon curd leftover.  It's an excellent excuse to bake a fresh batch of (British-style) scones, which is just what I did!  Maybe we have a renewed appreciation for British-style scones now because my family and I enjoyed these immensely over Sunday breakfast.  Lemon curd is simply delicious with scones! 

Use the extra lemon curd from this recipe as a spread for scones

This lemon curd biscuit recipe was tucked away in this lovely little book I picked up in London. Though there's no photo of the finished biscuit, it still tempted me because of the lemon curd used in the biscuit dough itself and the fact that you'll have a little extra curd on your hands as a result.  It seemed like a great multi-purpose recipe to try first.   

And that first step is making a small batch of lemon curd - something you can do a day ahead like I did.  Because we're only making a small amount, the recipe calls for cooking over a double boiler.  And I don't know about you but my best friend when making lemon curd is a fine mesh sieve.  I never manage to make it without a bit of cooked egg; passing the curd through a sieve ensures you remove those unwanted bits

As shown above, 40 grams of lemon curd get added to the biscuit dough.  The dough will be on the dry side when done.  I was quite tempted to add a small splash of milk to bring the dough together to be easier to work with.  In the end, I held back but likely worked the dough a bit more than I should have with my hands.  

I used a small ice cream scoop to place rounds onto a baking sheet.  Then, I flattened the top of each biscuit slightly.  

Bake until the biscuits are starting to turn golden, about 15 minutes.  I thought they were best eaten freshly made the same day but you can store them in an airtight container for a few days.

And there you have some sweet nibbles to go with your tea.  Time to get brewing, sipping, and nibbling!  From simple to elaborate, it's always fun to have a tea party.

It's also fun to have scones!  After tasting the delicious scones at Fortnum & Mason in London, I made the British-style scones again (see previous post: here) this weekend with a renewed sense of appreciation.  Split them open and spread on whatever you like; strawberry jam is great but I now realize that lemon curd might well be my favorite topping for a scone!  My hubby agrees.

  
Recipe:

Lemon Curd Biscuits 
Adapted from Tea Fit for a Queen: Recipes & Drinks for Afternoon Tea

- Makes approximately 20 small biscuits -

For lemon curd:
1 large egg
30g unsalted butter
50g caster (superfine) sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon

For biscuits:
100g unsalted butter, softened
40g granulated sugar
40g light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
A good pinch of salt
Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
40g lemon curd
175g plain (all-purpose) flour

Make lemon curd: Place egg, butter, sugar, and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl set above a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Stir and cook, allowing butter to melt, continuing until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes or so.  You are looking for a consistency like soft jelly.  Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve (to remove any cooked bits of egg) into a separate bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the surface of the curd and let cool (you can do this a day ahead). You will use a portion for the biscuits and save the rest for another use (preferably, as a topping for scones).

Make biscuits: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.  

Beat butter, sugars, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest together (in a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer) until soft and creamy.  Stir in 40g of the homemade lemon curd (store the rest in a clean container and use within a week).  

Work in the flour to make a dough.  Use a small ice cream scoop or a teaspoon to place small scoops of the dough onto the baking sheet.  Flatten each slightly.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until biscuits are golden.  Transfer biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely.  I think the biscuits taste best the day they're made but you can store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  Enjoy with a cup of tea!