Lemon Kiss Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• In large bowl beat butter, sugar and lemon juice until light and fluffy.
• Add flour and almonds; beat at slow speed until well mixed.
• Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour for easier handling.
• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Shape a tablespoon full of dough around each chocolate kiss, covering it completely.
• Roll in hand to form ball.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes or until set and the edges are lightly, golden brown.
• After removing from oven allow to partially cool on baking sheet until firm enough to lift (about 10 minutes) then cool on racks completely.
• Lightly dust cookies with powdered sugar.
• In small pan, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth.
• Drizzle over each cookie.

Steps:

• For the lemon curd: Whisk together the granulated sugar, whole egg and egg yolk in a medium bowl.
• Heat the lemon juice in a small pot over medium heat until just simmering. Temper the eggs by slowly pouring the lemon juice into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour everything back into the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of a milkshake, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted and incorporated.
• Strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate until completely chilled and very thick, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Add the granulated sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
• Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and, using flour to keep it from sticking to your hands, roll it into a ball and place it into one of the cups of the mini muffin tin. Use your fingers to press it into the cup and up the sides. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Bake until the cookies are light golden along the edges, about 30 minutes. Using the rounded end of the handle of a wooden spoon, gently press into the divot in each cookie to make a deeper cavity. Let the cookies cool slightly in the tin, then use an offset spatula or butter knife to help transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the meringue kisses: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Put the egg white in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks begin to form. Slowly stream in the superfine sugar and beat until glossy stiff peaks form.
• Transfer the mixture to a disposable pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe 24 small kisses onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the meringues are beginning to dry, about 20 minutes, then turn off the oven and prop open the door with a spoon handle. Leave the meringue kisses in the oven until very dry, another 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely.
• To assemble the cookies, fill the cavity of each cookie with lemon curd. Top each with a meringue kiss.

Steps:

• Stir together the butter, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and zest from 1 lemon using a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour - you might need to get your hands in at the end. Tip onto a floured surface, bring together into a smooth dough, then roll out, half at a time, and stamp out 5-6cm rounds. Keep re-rolling trimmings, you should get about 40 biscuits. Arrange on trays lined with baking parchment, cover with cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake the biscuits for 8-12 mins until pale golden, then cool. Once cool, spread half the biscuits with a little lemon curd and top with a second biscuit. Arrange the biscuits on wire racks over trays. Mix enough lemon juice into the icing sugar to give a runny consistency, then drizzle over the biscuits. Scatter over a bit more lemon zest and leave to set.