Rose Lemonade & Shortbread Biscuits with Strawberry Lemon Curd

This recipe for shortbread biscuits with strawberry lemon curd is easier to make than you might think, and adding a splash of rose water to the pink lemonade is an elegant touch that sets it apart from everyday recipes.

In case you knew me back in my sophistimom days, this is a post I did back in 2010 or 2011, I can’t remember which. I just always loved the way this picture turned out.

Rose Lemonade

8-10 lemons (you will need about 1 1/2 cups of juice)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cranberry juice (optional, for color)

3-4 cups ice water

1/2-1 teaspoon rose water (available at international grocers)

1. With a vegetable peeler, carefully slice off the yellow rind of one of the lemons, being careful not to remove the white pith. Place the zest in a small saucepan, along with the sugar with 1 ½ cups of water. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool.

2. While the sugar syrup cools, extract the juice from all of the lemons and add to a pitcher. Stir in cranberry juice and ice water. Add 1/2 a teaspoon of rose water, and check for taste. Add more if desired. Serve with ice in individual glasses.

Shortbread Sandwich Biscuits

2 sticks (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (optional)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup strawberry lemonade curd (recipe follows)

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in vanilla bean scrapings. Incorporate salt and flour, then mix until just incorporated.

2. Place dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Preheat oven 375 degrees. Roll out dough 1/8” thick and cut into shapes refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes, and then and bake for 6-8 minutes, or until slightly firm, and just barely golden around the edges. Allow to cool and spread a teaspoon of strawberry lemonade curd on half of the cookies, and top with the remaining halves.

Strawberry Lemon Curd

zest of 3 lemons

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

juice of 3 lemons (about 1/3 cup)

Pulp from 1/2 cup strawberries pressed through a sieve (about 1/4 cup)

pinch of salt

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together zest, butter, and sugar. Incorporate eggs one at a time and mix until smooth. Add in lemon juice, strawberry pulp, and salt. Mixture will curdle.

2. Pour mixture into a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes. Lemon curd will come together and thicken. When it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, remove from heat. Strain into a glass bowl and allow to cool. Refrigerate or freeze until you need it.