No 5 - Lemon Biscuits

Lemon Biscuits

Drawing up my list of things to bake, I realized that I had nothing flavoured lemon; quite remarkable really as despite an extensive veg garden when growing up, we grew no fruit except a lemon tree.  There was an ancient pear tree in the orchard of the ‘old house’ on our farm (the house by then a grain store and tractor shed), whose pears were sparse and hard, but no apples, no plums, none of the fruit trees which could easily have graced our growing space. 

I suspect the lemon tree was more a gardening challenge than an enjoyment or culinary necessity.  We must have been beyond the southern limit of where they happily thrive and I don’t recall its lemons making it into anything other than the ginger beer.

So my recipe book had nothing lemon, but I was sure there must be such things a lemon biscuits; so I resorted to the internet.

I chose this one: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/267608/lemon-biscuits

It seemed a bit odd that it had no leavening and only 2 egg yolks.  The biscuits were a bit ‘lemon shortbread-ish’ but of all the things I’ve produced for work (I’m up to 17 in this challenge but have been baking for these cake-testers for years), this is the one that has had the most repeat requests.

I’ve also subsequently tried it with 1 egg instead of 2 yolks; it doesn’t work well so find another use for the whites and stick to 2 yolks.