Lemon coriander curd teamed with the sour tang of raspberry biscuit is no cake substitute but a delectable treat in its own right

Makes 20
FOR THE CURD:
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 large lemons
2 tbsp coriander seeds
100g caster sugar
20g cornflour
3 egg yolks, beaten
25g unsalted butter, softened

FOR THE BISCUITS:
80g unsalted butter, softened
80g caster sugar
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp freeze-dried raspberry powder*
1⁄4 tsp vanilla bean paste
150g self-raising flour, sifted
60g custard powder

1 To make the curd, put the lemon zest and juice, coriander seeds, sugar and cornflour in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, then immediately take the pan off the heat. Stir in the beaten egg yolks, then set the pan over a very low heat, whisking continuously. Cook for 3–4 mins, whisking all the time, until nice and thick.
2 Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the butter until it is all fully incorporated. Strain the curd through a sieve into a clean bowl and leave to cool.
3 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking parchment.
4 To make the dough, in a bowl, cream the
butter and sugar with an electric whisk until light and creamy. Add milk, raspberry powder and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the sifted flour and custard powder and mix to a soft dough.
5 Roll 1 tbsp of dough into a ball and place it on a prepared tray. Repeat until you have around 20 balls. Use the back of a small measuring spoon to make an indentation in each ball. Fill each hole with 1⁄2 tsp of
curd. (Any leftover curd will keep, refrigerated, in an airtight container for up to 3–4 weeks.) Bake the filled biscuits for 15 mins. Transfer them to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Keep in an airtight container for up to four days.

* If your supermarket doesn’t stock freeze-dried raspberry powder, search online – it is readily available from specialist stores and some health food shops.

Recipe from The Cardamom Trail by Chetna Makan (Mitchell Beazley).