Name: Lemon curd shortbread recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves: 8
Cuisine: Baking, British
Ingredients: 220g plain flour; 30g cornflour; 180g butter; 80g caster sugar; 4tbsp lemon curd

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 27 November 2023

in Recipes

These lemon curd shortbread bars are 337 calories per portion and are easy to transport for picnics or lunch box snacks.

The crumble topping adds another layer of deliciousness to our lemon curd shortbread. The recipe takes 40 minutes to make and uses only five ingredients. Once you have a taste, we’re sure you’ll be wondering why you haven’t baked the bars sooner.

Ingredients

220g plain flour
30g cornflour
180g butter
80g caster sugar
4tbsp lemon curd

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Method

Heat oven 180C (160C fan, Gas 4). Grease a rectangular cake tin roughly 25cm by 10cm.
Sieve the flour and cornflour into a mixing bowl, add the sugar and the butter and rub together with your fingertips. When it resembles a crumble texture, stop.
Take two thirds of the mix and press down lightly into the cake tin. Prick with a fork and bake in the middle of the oven for 30-35 minutes, it should look almost done (like pale straw colour) but not brown on top.
Once out of the oven spread a layer of lemon curd straight on top of the shortbread keeping it in the tin. Cover the lemon curd with the remaining crumble mix, pat down very lightly and place it back into the oven for 15- 20 minutes.
Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin. Cut into desirable slices.

Top tips for making our lemon curd shortbread

If you are concerned the bottom of the shortbread will burn in the second cooking, place a sheet of tin foil shiny side down and place the tin of shortbread on top. This will reflect the heat away from the underside of the tin.

What are common mistakes when making shortbread?

Shortbread dough requires very minimal handling. Overdo it and your final biscuits will have a firmer, tougher bite.

What does lemon curd go with?

Serve your leftover lemon curd with meringue or drizzle over a pavlova layered with whipped cream and raspberries for a delicious dessert. You can also spread it inside a Victoria sponge cake instead of jam.

Some people like lemon curd spread on toast or crumpets for an indulgent breakfast but it’s also delicious with yogurt and granola.

Can you substitute lemon curd?

This depends on the recipe but for this crumble shortbread, you can certainly swap the lemon curd for a different flavour. You could use an orange or passionfruit curd or go for your favourite jam instead.

For something indulgent you could use chocolate spread or for some festive flavour, use mincemeat instead.

For this recipe you need a sieve and a large mixing bowl. If you’re short on space, consider investing in this stacking set from Joseph Joseph which has lots of bowls and equipment that will help with your baking and cooking.

For something classic you might prefer our Scottish shortbread or if you want a cake, you can’t beat Mary Berry’s lemon drizzle cake. We also love Mary Berry’s lemon and lime cheesecake which is a delicious and easy dessert for when you’re entertaining.

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.