Lemon Cream and Shortbread Biscuits

The current series of Masterchef is having a terrible influence on me - I keep coming over all "cheffy" by trying to make my puddings look professional instead of just home made.  The current vogue is for a swoosh of some kind on the plate - a purée or a coulis (and why can't they just say sauce???) artfully highlighting the beautiful food - you know what I mean.  This is harder to achieve than you think!  Most of mine ended up looking as though you've swiped a spoon over the plate by accident and didn't have time to wipe it off.... here is the best. 

Lemon, basil and strawberry work very well together, and the crisp shortbread biscuits are a lovely contrast to the unctuous cream.   Assembled in seconds - just in time for the next Masterchef programme!

Lemon Cream and Shortbread with a strawberry coulis

Shortbread

5oz/150g plain flour

3 level tbsps rice flour – if no rice flour, substitute plain flour

2oz/50g caster sugar

4oz/100g butter at just above room temperature

Preheat oven to 170deg C/325 deg F.    Grease a large baking sheet.   Mix together the flours and the sugar.    Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients.   It will form a dryish dough, which you knead a little before rolling (this stretches the gluten and makes the biscuit stick together better).  

Roll out the dough between two pieces of greaseproof parchment, about 5mm thick.   Cut out the circles and transfer using a fish slice to the baking sheet.   Bake until golden – the butter in the mixture will brown while your back is turned, so check it frequently after 15 minutes or so.   They firm up when they are cool.   When they are done, dredge them with caster sugar.  

This quantity made 18 biscuits - they store well in an airtight tin.   

Lemon Cream

1 pint/540ml double cream

2 small jars home made lemon curd/1 larger jar commercial curd

Pour the cream into a large bowl and stir in the curd.  This should thicken immediately.  If not, whip the mixture lightly.    

Strawberry Coulis

Blend some overripe strawberries (approx 6oz/180g) with a tablespoon of icing sugar.  "Swoosh" artistically around the plate.  Job done! 

The final Pudding 

Assemble the pudding by dolloping layers of cream in between the shortbread rounds - 3 is probably enough.  Decorate with basil and icing sugar before adding the strawberry coulis as artistically as you know how.