The Great Lemon Biscuit Hunt

I used to live in a lovely little town which was almost walking distance to an Italian delicatessen. I would often go there for a coffee, if not two. Their sandwiches were delicious - the bread was freshly baked and the fillings were mouthwatering! My favourite was a sandwich with an eggplant steak, roast capsicum, artichoke, olive tapenade (or was it basil pesto...) and melty provolone cheese. Goodness me! Just thinking about it makes me hungry.

Anyway, this Italian deli has now closed down, and I am especially sad about this because I was particularly fond of their lemon biscuits. As I mentioned earlier, I used to enjoy a coffee or two, and my coffees were always accompanied by a delicious lemon biscuit. Me and my boyfriends mum would comment on how perfect the biscuit was. It wasn't too sweet, it wasn't too dense, and it had the most pleasant taste of lemon.

Upon asking, I was informed that they were called Brutti ma buoni al limone, but when I look for this on the net, nothing comes up that resembles the lemon biscuit that I bought from that deli.

I tell a lie. One picture comes up, and that is obviously from the deli's supplier, The Mezzapica Cake Studio in Leichhardt, Australia.

'Brutti ma buoni' by Mezzapica Cake Studio, Sydney

Here is a picture of the glorious Italian lemon biscuit. 'S-shaped' shortbread with a hardened lemon icing. Absolute heaven! (Thank you Mezzapica.)

However, seeing as it is far too difficult for me to go to Leichhardt to get my hit of lemon biscuit, I decided that I would try to recreate them. If I fail, I will go to Mezzapica and buy a ton. If they have stopped making them, I don't quite know what I will do. It may involve a pack of sleeping pills and a bottle of slivovitz...

But, before that, I have made a list of ten or so recipes that I plan to try one by one, all in hope of finding the great lemon biscuit.

I am not the best baker, but here is the first of my Italian biscuit making attempts. These are Italian lemon drop biscuits.

Somehow, I managed to ruin my icing. It was much too runny. The biscuit was OK, but the recipe called for 1 tbsp of baking soda???!!! I stupidly went with it and surprise surprise, my biscuit had a little bit of a soapy flavour to it.

You may ask why I don't just look for a recipe for Brutti ma buoni al limone? Well, I have had a look at a few, but they all seem to involve meringue. My favourite lemon biscuits were definitely not meringue. They were more like shortbread.

Anyhow. This was the first recipe I tried and it was sadly not the same. The great lemon biscuit hunt is not over. I will keep you posted!