Brandy Snaps or Baskets with Lemon Cream & Berries
A decadent summertime dessert
Add a touch of zest to this classic dessert! The crispy brandy snaps, piped lemon curd cream and fresh berries are a winning combination.
Ingredients
- 100 g butter, coarsely chopped
- 100 g brown sugar
- 100 g golden syrup
- 100 g plain flour, sieved
- 20 ml brandy
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 200 g crème fraîche
- 50 ml pouring cream
- 40 g pure icing sugar, plus extra for dusting (¼ cup)
- Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean
Lemon Curd
- 5 egg yolks
- 145 g caster sugar
- 125 ml lemon juice (about 4 lemons), plus finely grated rind of 1 lemon (½ cup)
- 80 g butter, coarsely chopped
To serve
- Berries, such as raspberries, mulberries and blueberries
Method
Lemon Curd
- Whisk yolks and sugar in a bowl until combined, then whisk in lemon juice and rind. Place in a saucepan, add butter and stir over medium heat until just simmering (5-6 minutes). Strain into a sterilized jar, seal and refrigerate until thick (4-5 hours). Lemon curd keeps refrigerated for 2-3 days.
- Combine butter, sugar and golden syrup in a frying pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly (1-2 minutes). Remove from heat. Add flour, brandy, ginger and a pinch of salt, stir to combine and set aside to cool slightly (10-15 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan forced. Drop tablespoons of brandy-snap mixture onto 2 oven trays lined with baking paper (leave space for mixture to spread) and bake until golden (8-10 minutes). Set aside to cool until slightly firm but still pliable (30 seconds to 1 minute) Working quickly, lift each brandy snap from the tray with a palette knife, drape over the handle of a wooden spoon and wrap around loosely to form a cylinder.
- (If you are after a basket, simply move the brandy snap after it has cooled slightly into a muffin tray. Press lightly, and wait till it is cooled before removing).
- Leave until firm (1-2 minutes), then gently slide off handle and set aside. Brandy snaps will keep stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
- Whisk crème fraîche, cream, icing sugar and vanilla seeds in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold in lemon curd to create a ripple effect, spoon into a piping bag and pipe into brandy snaps. Dust with icing sugar and serve with berries.
