Lemon-Blueberry Pie with Ginger-Lemon Shortbread Crust, thanks to Walkers Shortbread!

Disclosure: I am a Blog Ambassador for Walkers Shortbread. I was provided free product to try and was not compensated for this post. All thoughts are my own.

About a month ago I was contacted by a Walkers Shortbread representative to be one of a few select bloggers chosen to represent their product by being a Blog Ambassador. My first reaction? Flattered!

Of course I'm familiar with Walkers Shortbread products, I've seen them in the cookie aisle at most stores as long as I can remember. Who could miss the Scottish tartan plaid on the packaging?

I decided to do some more digging on the company I'd possibly represent, and became even more impressed with them and especially flattered that they chose me as one of the bloggers to represent their brand!

Company Information

• The family-owned company still bakes its shortbread, traditional cookies, cakes, oatcakes and puddings in the secluded village of Aberlour in the Highlands of Scotland. The company was founded in 1898 by Joseph Walker, and continues to be actively run by the Walkers family.
• Walkers Shortbread is the leading brand of food exported from Scotland.

Ingredients

• Walkers’ classic shortbread is made from only four pure and simple ingredients: butter, flour, sugar and a pinch of salt. Walkers Shortbread uses the very best ingredients that it can procure for its recipes.
• Our Shortbread is baked with no genetically modified ingredients, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or hydrogenated fats.
• No bovine growth hormones or antibiotics are given to the free range grass fed dairy cows that produce the rich, creamy milk that becomes the butter used in our shortbread recipe.
• 100% vegetarian; no animal fats are used in Walkers Shortbread recipes.
• Walkers shortbread, cookies and oatcakes are certified Kosher OUD by the Orthodox Union.
• Walkers Shortbread products are sold in supermarkets and gourmet, specialty, drug, club and on-line retailers nationwide and via the company’s website (www.walkersus.com).

In addition to all of that (as if it's not enough!) they have also had a successful partnership with the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®). This is especially impressive for me, because I am a dog owner and dog lover. We own dogs that are misunderstood and do get mistreated, so I feel this partnership is a dream! I've talked many times about how I prefer to make things from scratch, less preservatives and additives and to find a company that's been around as long as they have, and still uses pure ingredients and keeps it handmade is my kind of people!

As a Blog Ambassador, I will receive shipments of product with a theme. I can create recipes using these products and share them with you. I will also have contests, giveaways, and coupon codes that I get to share as well! Doesn't that sound fun!? Stay tuned, at the end of the post I have a limited time coupon code to share! Take a look at the special Pinterest board Walkers has set up for the various recipes their Blog Ambassadors share!

Once I received my first shipment, I was impressed by the variety of flavors. This is their Spring shipment, "Sweet Celebrations for Mother's Day and Spring". I get to taste these delicious cookies and think up some recipes that would be great for Mother's Day and Spring! The flavors are:

• Shortbread Fingers
• Shortbread Highlanders
• Raspberry Thins
• Chocolate Chip Shortbread
• Vanilla Shortbread
• Lemon Thins
• Stem Ginger Shortbread

They all sounded so amazing, I didn't know where to start. After a lot of self-restraint (and hiding these gems from the kids!) I decided to make a light dessert that tastes decidedly Springtime-ish (is that a word?). 

I decided to pair the Lemon Thins with the Stem Ginger Shortbread cookies to make a pie crust. The filling would consist of lemon and blueberries. How much more Spring can you get than that?

Since the cookies are simple with few ingredients, I decided this recipe should be no different. It's easy to put together, requires very little baking, and it's light and sweet with all the flavors complimenting one another. The pie should be chilled 24 hours before it's cut into, this gives the flavors a chance to combine and balance each other out. The texture is similar to a cheesecake, right down to the crust. I like that the little chunks of ginger add something special to this dessert.

Ginger-Lemon Shortbread Pie Crust Ingredients:

• 1 box (12 cookies) Walkers Shortbread Lemon Thins
• 1 box (12 cookies) Walkers Stem Ginger Shortbread Cookies
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Lemon-Blueberry Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 (14 ounce can) condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 9 ounces)

Lemon Infused Whipped Cream Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• zest from 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
Place both boxes of cookies in a bowl (or food processor, blender, whatever way you decide to crumble them). I used a bowl and just crumbled by hand, since they are shortbread and soft, they were easy to get to a fine crumb.
Once it's crumbly, take 2 tablespoons of the shortbread crumbles and reserve, this will be used to sprinkle over the finished product.

Once crumbled mix the two flavors of cookies together well. Add the sugar, then the melted butter.

Now mix the butter well into the sugar and cookie crumbs, being sure that all crumbs are the same texture.

Press the shortbread crumbs into a pie plate, making sure it's even all around.
Bake in the preheated oven for 5-8 minutes, just until golden.
Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.

Now reset the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, add the can of condensed milk and then the egg yolks.
Whisk thoroughly (D-Man decided to help me).

Now add the lemon juice and lemon zest, and continue to whisk together until well combined.

Now, add the fresh (and rinsed) blueberries, folding them gently into the mixture.

Pour the mixture into the crust and spread so it's even.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. The filling will be firm, similar to a cheesecake.
Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. This serves well the next day, so give 12-24 hours to chill.

Shortly before it's ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream. Combine the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Beat on high until stiff peaks form. 

Serve with a dallop (or two) of the lemon infused whipped cream, a sprinkle of the shortbread crumbs and use a lemon wedge and a few blueberries as garnish.

The Ginger-Lemon Shortbread Crust was divine, and a perfect compliment to the Lemon-Blueberry Filling.

Enjoy!

I have a limited time exclusive promo code #KMHSPRING which, for a limited time only, will give you 20% off your purchase made at www.walkersus.com, excluding sale items. This promotion will remain active until May 24, 2013.