Tuesday, July 06, 2021

Whipped shortbread cookie with lemon filling


Whipped Shortbread Cookies (my mother-in-law's recipe)

1 cup soft butter

1/4 cup corn starch

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter, corn starch and sugar with mixer.  Add in flour and vanilla. Whip heavily until it looks like whipped cream. Drop by balls onto baking sheet. Bake at 300° F for 15-20 minutes until very light golden, but not brown. Remove from oven and immediately press back of spoon gently into center of cookie and then let cool completely. 

Lemon filling (adapted from the Joy of Cooking cookbook)
I used my friend Vanessa's ingredient list, but used the cookbook cooking technique because I forgot her slightly different instructions for the eggs. I didn't ruin the filling though and mine tasted just like hers!

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Grated zest of  half a lemon

1/4 cup strained fresh lemon juice

3 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon butter (if you use unsalted butter, add 1/8 tsp of salt into sugar mixture. I used salted butter,)

Cook the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice and egg yolks all together in a saucepan over  medium heat and add in the butter once everything is combined. Then whisk and scrape the sides and bottom of pan constantly to prevent the mixture from scorching or sticking. Once it simmers and thickens, continue to let it cook while whisking for about another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and then using a spatula, scrape and strain the filling through a mesh sieve set over a bowl. Cover the surface of the filling with a piece of wax or parchment paper, cool and then refrigerate to thicken.

To assemble the cookie:

Add a small dollop of chilled lemon filling to each cookie and keep cookies chilled until serving.