Lemon Meringue Gems {Shortbreads in hats}

These little shortbread gems are more of a production line than anything, the only baking involved is the easy-peasy biscuit bottoms. I used the homemade lemon curd left over from the Blue Meringues but you could, of course, buy a jar.

As for the meringue ‘hats’, well I used pre-made meringue drops, left over from the Eton Mess Cupcakes {this really is a use up what I have hanging around kind of bake!} but if you are really adventurous you could make your own.

I had a punnet of fresh raspberries on the go at the time and popped one onto a couple of the gems instead of the meringues to much joy for my taste buds, so if you don’t have any meringues and don’t want to make them, raspberries make an excellent alternative.

After finishing our house sitting, we spent a night wild camping with some friends. It was a lovely summer evening, we sat on a bench, drinking beer, overlooking a beautiful view of the Yorkshire Dales, watching farmers working into the night collecting silage from the fields below.

As the night closed in, and the bats zipped over our heads, we moved into the van to share travel stories.

The following day we headed back up to Scotland, back to Dundee. Chris is helping our friends with their attic so I’ve done a bit of ‘essentials’ shopping in the city, walked the dog {Bo, my bestest friend in the world!}, sat at the computer editing photos and baked these.

The weather has been pretty atrocious, continual rain, not very summery at all.

Nothing like lemon curd to cheer the soul and bring some sunshine in.

oven 180 / gas 4

1 large baking sheet lined with parchment

• 100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 50 g golden caster sugar
• 100 g plain flour
• finely grated zest of one lemon
• pinch salt
• lemon curd
• meringue drops or raspberries

Put the butter, sugar and lemon zest into a large bowl, sift in the flour and salt. Rub in until the butter is well distributed, as you would making scones or pastry. This is a much wetter mix however due to the higher butter to flour ratio. It should easily come together into a firm dough in your hands, without the need for any liquid.

Dust your work surface with flour and roll your dough out to a centimetre thick then stamp out small rounds, either plain, fluted or flowery- whatever you have.  Mine were about 4 cm across.

Transfer them onto the baking sheet, leaving a bit of room between as they with spread a little bit. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, they should just be starting to colour. Leave for a minute or so on the sheet then use a palette knife to move them onto a wire rack to cool and firm up.

I used a piping bag with a big star nozzle to dot the cooled shortbreads with the lemon curd but a teaspoon would do the trick too.  The piping bag/nozzle gave a neater finish though. Top them off with a meringue drop or a raspberry then you’re done.

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