Shortbread with Espresso Curd

Espresso curd and pistachio shortbreads

This recipe is a nice simple flavoured shortbread that carries the wonderful expresso curd that any coffee lover will just love.

Ingredients

250g softened butter

125g of icing sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp of vanilla extract

375g of plain flour

100g pistachio nuts roasted in the oven for 4-5 minutes at 170c

for the curd

125g of butter

4 egg yolks

100g sugar

50ml of hot water mixed with 4 tsp of instant coffee

70g of dark chocolate

Here how

Place the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together into a mixing bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until light and fluffy

add in the flour and nuts then continue to mix until it starts to form a dough

pour the mixture out onto a clean work surface and using your hand press the dough together and then roll it into a log

wrap the dough in cling film and chill for 1 hour while you make the curd

place the egg yolks and sugar into a mixing bowl and which together

chop the butter into small cubes and add to the bowl, followed by the coffee and chocolate

place the bowl onto a pan of simmering water and continue to whisk together

as the butter melts and heats up it will start to cook out the eggs and thicken

when the curds starts to leave a trail from the whisk means its starting to cook through

you’ll find the edges cook first so run your whisk around the edges to make sure it does not get too hot too quickly

pour a spoonful of the curd onto a plate and pop it into the fridge for a few minutes

when the plate of curd has cooled run your finger through the middle and if it stays separate then its cooks and it will hold its shape

pour the curds into a clean jam jar

using a sharp knife cut slices of the shortbread into disks about 1/2 cm thick

place the disk onto a non stick baking tray and bake at 160c for 9-10 minutes

when cooked leave the biscuits to cool completely before sandwiching together two of then with a spoonful of the yummy coffee flavoured curd