Baking| Strawberry & Lemon Curd Shortbread
“Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances that we know to be desperate.”
G.K. Chesterton
Desperate times call for desperate measures! Even though the magnitude of my troubles was minuscule, 3 days of no internet reduced me to tears. Silly how addicted and dependent we can be on the internet. Sometime back, sweet Joy from Gourmeted tweeted about Lemon Curd & Shortbread Bars. I had a small jar of left over lemon curd in the freezer and this recipe called my name. Saved the link as the net is just a heartbeat away; well almost always… 
Little did I know!! We have massive roadworks being carried out for rain harvesting which have meant underground telephone cables being cut pretty often. The cable company always has them up and running the same day; not this time though as the damage was extensive. Oh the untold anguish and the feeling of being cut-off…
These wedges were something born out of desperation as I finally gave up and decided to bake ‘anything shortbread’ with the lemon curd and strawberries. Cookbooks yielded nothing, so I eventually put together a basic shortbread recipe for the base, topped it with the lemon curd, and then threw on some strawberries to add colour and taste. Slivered almonds on top for crunch seemed to crown these well. 
My love for fruit in baking continues unabated. I managed to get a neat stash of strawberries the other day at a really good price. The challenge of course was to use them judiciously and deliciously so they wouldn’t disappoint! Froze some, made some strawberry muffins {recipe to be blogged}, and then made this shortbread.
’twas soon time to tempt the teen out of her diet, and these had her eating out of my hand, no fuss, nothing! Ah the power of food, always A M A Z I N G!! I enjoyed making these. Loved the different textures, the colours, and the burst of flavours from the rather buttery unsweetened shortbread to the sweet tart lemon curd, the strawberries lending their ever promising magic to the wedges. Bye bye diet, hello happiness!!
It’s always handy to have lemon curd on hand. Have you tried making your own? I use a simple home made lemon curd recipe from Ju @ Little Teochew. It freezes beautifully too, and am contemplating doing a batch of orange lemon curd once before the season bids us adieu.
Strawberry & Lemon Curd Shortbread
Delicious and light, the crisp buttery shortbread base is complimented beautifully by simple homemade lemon curd – the flavours tart & sweet. Strawberries add a unique dimension to this indulgent dessert.~Cooking time: 45 mins | Servings: 6 | Meal type: High tea / Dessert
Biscuit Crust:
100g butter, chilled, cut into cubes
3/4 cup plain flour
Topping:
2/3 cup easy homemade lemon curd
100g fresh strawberries, diced
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C. Lightly grease a loose bottomed 7″ round tart pan.
Run the flour and butter in blender until you get a breadcrumb like mix. Press into the bottom of a removable base 7″ round tart pan.
Bake at 180C for 10-15 minutes, until light brown Take out of oven, top with lemon curd followed by strawberries. Sprinkle the slivered almonds over.
Return to oven and continue to bake at 180C for 25-30 minutes till the edges begin to get light brown.
Cool on rack, cut into wedges and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with unsweetened whipped cream.
Variations
You can use other seasonal fruit like blueberries, raspberries etc.
♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥
Copyright © Deeba @ Passionate About Baking
~
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Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India
Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
50 Comments
Rosa
Mmmmhhh, what a divine combination! That shorbread is so droolworthy.
Cheers,
Rosa
shayma
it’s a beautiful recipe, Deeba. strawberry and lemon are my two favourite gelato flavours! and the fact that you can freeze the shortbread and make it on a dreary day is even better. x shayma
Vimitha
That looks absolutely divine and colorful… Great recipe Deeba…
Barbara | VinoLuciStyle
What a great idea Deeba. I actually have a jar of lemon curd with no intended recipe..til now. I’m so ready for some warm weather and strawberries…your post reminds there is hope that spring will actually, as promised, spring eternal!
CurryLeaf
AWESOME. Always PERFECT desserts and EXCELLENT Clicks.
Heavenly Housewife
Shortbread is such a favourite of mine, but I’ve never seen one like this. You have taken shortbread to another level daaaaahling, and it looks fabulous!
*kisses* HH
Cherine
What a mouthwatering shortbread!
pigpigscorner
Time for strawberries already?? Looks gorgeous! I don’t think I can survive without the internet, even for a day.
gloria
aaah! Deeba you know I really love strawberries and this baking strwberry with lemon curd look delicious! xoxoxoxo gloria
gloria
like always I love the pictures!
Katrina
I just posted some shortbread, too. (pb/chocolate) I’ve decided I really like shortbread. Yours looks so lovely and sophisticated. I love that berries are starting to come back in season!
Rupa
Hi Deeba
Thanks to all your wonderful recipes
Have a question though….can you make this recipe postings printer friendly
Like can you have a printer icon to print one out w/o pictures
I frequent your blog a lot but have a tough time doing copy paste since i would like to try out these recipes.
Thanks once again for sharing these with us.
– Rupa
Deeba @ PAB
Thank you Rupa… will do. I am a bit tech/code challenged but will do this on priority.
5 Star Foodie
This sounds like an amazing dessert, love the lemon curd and so wonderfully colorful with the addition of strawberries!
Amanda
LOVE! Gorgeous as always Deeba!
Sharlene
This looks so delicious I can’t imagine anyone turning it down! What a wonderful way to make good of a bad situation, or lemon curd out of lemons!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
I can only imagine how much of a challenge I was to my parents eating wise. In fact I took over cooking for myself for a while there too! But I would have been totally coaxed back by this! 😀
Patricia Shea
Deeba-licious as always…such clean, clear, bright and beautiful photography and a winning taste combination!! Thanks…Patricia
Andy
Hi Deeba, That was a beauty and yummmmmmmmmmmmm, will bake it soon…and let me know the orange lemon curd recipe when you make it….love oranges and am so worried its time to bid the adieu!!
Sara{OneTribeGourmet}
Only you my dear Deeba can create these gorgeous desserts! *Drool*
Quay Po Cooks
Amazing photos! They make me so want to make the shortbread.
Sing From Dominos India
What a gorgeous n exotic looking dish dear..great color n flavors!
Rajani@eatwritethink
what burst of colours… lovely food shots… love coming here.
shaz
Well at least your desperation yielded a creation of utmost beauty! Lemon curd and strawberries and shortbread, oh my! My mind is screaming “need to bake now”. Except it’s midnight and what I really need to do is go to bed 🙂 Great work as usual Deeba.
Meg Luby
holy cow, i love everything about this! from the colors to the flavors that look like they’ve got to be popping, yum! thanks for sharing 🙂
-meg
@ http://clutzycooking.blogspot.com
Katie @ This Chick Cooks
This looks amazing! Your photos are so fantastic! Thanks for stopping by my blog so that I could discover your great blog. I love it. I’m your newest follower. Have a great day.
Katie
Michelle
STUNNING styling Deeba! You really have a talent and should teach classes, I would be the first in line if you did!
Barbara @ Modern Comfort Food
This recipe is so stunningly gorgeous and yum-alicious that it takes my breath away, dear Deeba. And I always have the weird sense that you’re reading my mind when it comes to what I REALLY really want. It’s prime-time strawberry harvest season where I live, and I still have a bushel or so of fresh tangerines on my garden trees. Might try this subbing in tangerine curd for the lemons in this luscious dessert.
Sukaina
It’s amazing how dependent we become on the internet and social media. If that pie/tart was in front of me, I’d happily give up any diet!
Barbara
It’s amazing, isn’t it? How dependent we become on our computers. When I was young, no cell phones, no computers. Somehow we struggled through! 🙂
Love lemon curd, Deeba, and what a delightful way to serve it…with strawberries and almonds. It’s a lovely dessert!
Laura Flowers
Three days without internet? Deeba I’m so sorry! I’m happy you’re back and sharing your beautiful work. This recipe looks easy enough even for me!
Printing…
Laura
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit
This looks so good! I love lemon and fruit together, especially when it’s teamed up with a delightful shortbread crust. I have some lemon curd left over from some tarts that I made, and it might just find its way onto this shortbread. 🙂
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen
Oh dear, I’m afraid I’d be lost without internet access for 3 days as well, I really can’t believe how easily we get attached! And, thank you, I’ve had a bowl on lemons staring at me on the counter for days, now I know what to make with them!
Anna Johnston
Being without internet is very strange isn’t it, its amazing how we’ve come to totally rely on contact with the world at our fingertips 🙂 Absolutely wonderful looking shortbread Deeba., just gorgeous 🙂
Katie @ This Chick Cooks
I’m back 🙂 I just wanted to let you know I’m featuring your recipe today on my weekly features. Thanks so much for sharing it!
Joy
That looks lovely. I love the combo of strawberries and lemons.
MeganPires
I bet this was absolutely delicious! I need to make lemon curd someday and I’m glad to know it freezes beautifully. Now I have a lemon strawberry shortbread craving! 😉
Mika
Hi! It is the first time I stop here to read you…
It’s one week I can stop thinking about strawberries, I don’t know why…and now your post with that lovely recipe that it’s far more better than the banana strawberry juice I was thinking about…
Your picture are great…
Delishhh
Deeba – What a great dish. I have not tried to make my own lemon curd yet but this mihgt have just changed my mind. So pretty and your pictures are just awesome!
Sue
Perfect dessert! I even have some homemade lemon curd in the fridge. I’m just waiting for the strawberry stands(the best!) to open any day now:) Thanks for the tip about freezing the curd; I never thought to do that.
Simone
ooo, three days without internet… I think I would freak out. I get into panic mode when I can use the internet for a few hours, let alone a few days. Or maybe I would end up enjoying the quiet? Who knows… Hope it doesn’t happen! Your strawberry and lemon curd shortbread looks delicious and those strawberries make me long for summer!
Catalina
This sounds so delicious 🙂 I love strawberries but I have to wait for them to get to their season (no fresh strawberries around the place where I live). I’d never think about shortbread as a cake base (I know it only as a cookie) so this is a great inpiration for me. Btw you have fabulous photos!
sonia
Gorgeous shortbreads… ! I cudn’t resist even ur ingredients and what to say abt the final serving….too gud and vibrant !
anh@anhsfoodblog.com
lovely! I am thinking of making lemon curd, too! And i will remember this recipe 🙂
Krista
I’m so glad you have your internet back, Deeba! These are SO pretty and delightful. Your photos make me smile and think that spring must truly be on the way. 🙂
Pachecopatty
Life without internet is not so good when we’re so used to having it at our fingertips.
Your photos are beautiful. I love the colors in this shortbread tart with strawberries and lemon curd, so good together;-)
Baking Dish
Baking dishes can be more than just something we throw in our ovens. They can be decorative and attractive which can add to the presentation of our dishes at parties and gatherings.
Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes)
This was your quick, non inpired creation? Wow. It looks amazing. I love lemon curd too 🙂
charmaine
Deeba, JoAnne Saldanha from Chennai told me about your blog. I am tempted to try your lemon curd tart, but wanted a couple of clarifications
* Does your pastry base have to go on the sides of the tart case as well, like I would normally do tarts
* When I have tried baking my lemon curd (as for a lemon meringue pie) it tends to melt and then clip through the cracks in the pastry base.
Deeba @ PAB
Hi Charmaine, Thanks for writing to me. My shortcrust base didn’t go up the sides, and no, my lemon curd didn’t seep through since it was quite thick. Since this was a thick biscuit base, it didn’t have cracks so the lemon curd stayed put. You could place the tart pan on a baking tray though. I usually do that or give the base a cover of aluminum foil just in case! Hope this helps!