Ladies Kisses - Lemon Shortbread dressed with Berry Vienna Cream

Ladies Kisses - Lemon Shortbread dressed with Berry Vienna Cream

These little treasures are a marriage of Shortbread/Melting Moment meets Baci Di Dama (Italian Ladies Kisses)... and what a marriage they make! I was particularly pleased at the vibrant colour achieved simply by using fresh berries in the Vienna Cream.

Ladies Kisses

First things first:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and prepare baking trays (I line mine with baking paper).

Lemon Shortbread:

 
1. Place 150g organic raw sugar, 100g raw almonds, and the rind of 1 organic lemon into Thermomix bowl. Grind 1minute@speed9. 

2. Add 250g softened butter (we make our own in the Thermomix) and blend 20seconds@speed5.

3. Add 60g organic cornflour, 300g organic plain flour, 1 organic free-range egg yolk, and 60g lemon juice (juice from the same lemon that you removed the rind off). Pulse 10-20seconds@Turbo until blended, scraping down bowl as necessary.

4. Shape dough into 1.5-2cm balls and press gently with a fork.

5. Bake 12-15 minutes until firm.  Cool on the tray for 10 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container until you are ready to use them.

NB: The undressed biscuits can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Some beautiful young ladies enjoying (Young) Ladies Kisses for afternoon tea

Berry Vienna Cream:
 

1. Insert butterfly into Thermomix.

2. Place 120g softened butter into Thermomix bowl. Cream 30seconds@speed4.
 

3. Scrape down bowl. Add 100g fresh berries (we used 60g blueberries & 40g blackberries in the batch for the photos) and 130g icing sugar (we grind our own from organic raw sugar).  Cream 30seconds@speed4.


4.  Scrape down bowl. Add 120g icing sugar.  Cream 30seconds@speed4.

5.  Scrape down bowl. Add 130g icing sugar.  Cream 30seconds@speed4.

6.  Scrape down bowl. Add 130g icing sugar.  Cream 2minutes@speed4. 

7. Allow to rest 10-30 minutes until cool and thick. Spoon Vienna Cream into piping bag fitted with wide tip.

8. Pipe Vienna Cream onto Shortbreads and sandwich together.

9. Enjoy!

Variations:
 
Raspberry Shortbreads -  omit the lemon rind & juice, substitute with 60g fresh raspberries.

Blueberry Shortbreads - omit the lemon rind & juice, substitute with 60g fresh blueberries.

Vanilla Vienna Cream - omit the 100g berries, substitute with 1tsp vanilla extract and 5Tbsp milk.

Ladies Kisses: Blueberry Shortbread with Vanilla Vienna Cream