Lemon Berrycream Cookies

Lemon Berrycream Cookies

These are lightly sweet, buttery lemon cookies filled with a beautiful and rich butter cream, which is bursting with the tart and tangy flavours of raspberries and blackberries. These cookies look so pretty and feminine.  They would be the perfect cookie for a baby shower, or a little princess tea party!

Lovely Lemony Cookie

1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp light cream
1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of salt

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add egg and mix well.  Add cream and mix well. Add lemon juice and mix well.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, lemon zest and salt. Mix well.

Slowly add to creamed butter mixture. Mixing well.  Dough is mixed enough when it comes together and forms a ball.
Remove cookie dough from mixer.  No need to flour the surface as the dough is the texture of a play dough and should not stick.

Divide into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a log approx 3cm in diameter.  Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. 

Remove one log of dough from the refrigerator and use a sharp knife to slice into 24, 1 cm thick cookies.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Leaving a little space between each cookie (they don't spread much).

Bake @ 375° for approx 8 min, or until the bottom edge is just starting to turn a pale golden colour. Remove from oven cool for 1 min, then move cookies to a cooling rack. 
Repeat with each log of dough until all cookies are baked. Makes 8 dozen (96) cookies.  Allow cookies to cool completely.

Berrylicious Buttercream

1/3 cup butter, unsalted, softened
1 1/3 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Raspberry Blackberry Coulis

Cream butter and icing sugar. Add coulis. Beat until light and fluffy.

Pipe Berrylicious Buttercream on 1/2 (48) of the cookies, top with remaining cookies.  Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow butter cream to set.  Store cookies in refrigerator. Makes 48 sandwich cookies.

These cookies would be heavenly with a scoop of Lemonberry Gelato and a few fresh berries.

Lemonberry White Chocolate Scones



Lemonberry White Chocolate Scone


I hadn't really planned on making this recipe for this weeks challenge, but I had friends coming over this morning, and I can't have friends over and not bake.  So, no this is not the second recipe for the coulis- that is is still to come. 
I love scones, probably even more than muffins.  Again, the possibilities are endless.  The key to a nice scone is to not overwork the dough.  These scones have a light lemony flavor with lovely little berry pieces throughout.  You would think I'm nuts for white chocolate by this blog of mine, I'm really not. I prefer milk or even dark chocolate when I indulge.  I do find, however, that white chocolate has a nice light flavor that compliments fruit well and does not over power it.  These scones would make a nice addition to a brunch with some fresh fruit, and coffee of course.

Lemonberry White Chocolate Scones

3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 egg

2 3/4 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup frozen blackberries, coarsely chopped (chop when frozen, they won't turn to mush)

1/2 cup frozen raspberries, coarsely chopped (chop when frozen, they won't turn to mush)

1/2 white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°.  Add lemon juice to milk, let sit for a few minutes.  Beat in the egg until thoroughly combined.  Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Mix well.  Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

Add berries and white chocolate. Mix.

Add milk mixture and mix lightly with a fork until a soft dough begins to form. Do not over mix.

Turn out onto floured surface. Knead 5-6 times until dough hold together, again, don't over do it.

Cut into 8 equal chunks and gently form scones.

Place onto large lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake 15 min, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from pan onto a cooling rack.

Scones are best eaten the day they are made, but can be wrapped individually and enjoyed the next day as well.

Lemonberry Gelato



Lemonberry Gelato



Gelato is the Italian version of ice cream. I've created this gelato using a rich custard base to add a more complex flavour and velvety smooth texture.  Adding the lemon zest right at the beginning of this recipe allows it's essence to really infuse into the custard making a deeply rich lemon flavour.  The taste is absolutely homemade, you wouldn't be able to pick this up at the grocery store, or dare I say, not even the ice cream parlour. 

Lemonberry Gelato

1 cup milk

1 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup sugar (divided)

4 egg yolks

1 lemon, just the zest

4 tbsp blackberry raspberry coulis

fresh berries to garnish




In a heavy saucepan combine milk, cream, 1/2 cup sugar and lemon zest. Heat slowly, allowing the sugar to dissolve. Bring to a near boil (scald). Making sure not to allow the mixture to reach a boil. As soon as the smallest little bubbles appear immediately remove from the heat.  Allow to cool 6-7 min.

In a separate bowl whip egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar  until smooth.

Return saucepan to burner. Over low heat slowly add egg yolk mixture stirring constantly.  Gently and slowly raise heat to medium, stirring the whole time until mixture begins to thicken. Don't rush this step, or you will cook your egg yolks too fast and they will curdle.  Cook on level 1 for 2-3min, then move to level 2 for 2-3 min, and so on and so on, until you reach level 6 or medium heat, stirring constantly.  This part is all about the feel and look of the mixture.  When it is done it will look like liquid silk. It will be shiny and smooth, not terribly thick just slightly thickened.  Remove from heat.  Allow mixture to cool, stirring from time to time to avoid a skin. It will thicken further as is cools. When the mixture is just warm add the coulis and mix well. You may strain through cheese cloth or an unused j-cloth at this point to remove the bits of lemon zest if you choose, although it is not necessary.  When mixture has cooled substantially, place in sealed container in the fridge until it is completely cold. 

Remove from fridge and pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturers directions.  Mine is an  inexpensive, electric Cuisinart model that is extremely simple to use.  I simply pour the mixture in and turn it on.  An ice cream maker will generally make ice cream to a "soft serve" consistency.  For gelato extra freezing is required.  Pour mixture into a large freezer safe container with a tightly fitting lid and place in the freezer for an additional 2 hrs or so.  Gelato will keep nicely in a sealed container in the freezer for at least one week at optimum freshness.  This makes a great make ahead dessert. Makes a generous 2 cups.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, don't fret, you can still make delicious gelato.  Pour mixture into a large freezer safe container and freeze, stirring every 15 min or so,  until you reach the "soft serve" consistency. Cover and freeze and additional 2 hours or until set.

This gelato is smooth and tasty; it would be divine with a delicate cookie.