Coconut Lemon Curd Scrolls

Classic, buttery scones are delicious when served with a side of lemon curd and these breakfast pastry scrolls are a takeoff on that favorite. The scrolls start with a tender, butter-rich dough that is rolled out and spread with lemon curd and sweetened, shredded coconut. Rolled up and baked, the finished pastries are kind of like the cinnamon bun version of a scone – only, with lemon and coconut instead of cinnamon. Ok, so the comparison is a stretch, but at least it gives you a jumping off point.

I am a big fan of the dough used to make these scrolls. It is easy to make and easy to work with, and the fact that it isn’t overly rich (only 1/2 cup butter for 3 cups of flour) makes me more likely to use it on a regular basis, while I might shy away from using puff pastry in all my breakfast time treats. The dough is quite plain and, while it does have a nice buttery taste to it, is not a standout on its own when it comes to flavor. This plainness makes it highly adaptable. I’ve used it to make nutella scrolls before, but you could spread the dough with cheese, herb butter or any other number of savory things, as well.

The scroll dough stays surprisingly light during baking, and fresh out of the oven these pastries have a lovely combination of slightly crisp-tender dough, silky lemon filling and bold, chewy coconut. They’re best served when they’re fresh out of the oven, or just cooled. After they have been stored for a while, the pastry tends to soften up because of the moisture content of the lemon curd. The scrolls are still tasty, but much softer overall the day after they’re made. Fortunately, the recipe is quite quick and doesn’t require much work time if you do want to whip up a batch in the morning.

I used some of my favorite light lemon curd to make these pastries, although you can substitute in a store bought lemon curd or the full-fat variety if you prefer.

Coconut Lemon Curd Scrolls
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups milk, cold
1/2 cup lemon curd
3/4 – 1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Rub in butter using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. The largest should be about the size of a large pea. Alternatively, you can combine these ingredients in a food processor and pulse to achieve crumbs, then transfer to a large bowl.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in cold milk, gradually stirring with a butter knife or a fork until a soft dough forms.
Sprinkle dough with flour and turn out onto a lightly-floured surface. Knead lightly until smooth, then roll out to a 12×14 inch rectangle. If dough gets too soft or sticky, even with the extra flour, put in fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
Spread lemon curd over dough, leaving a 2cm border along the longer edges, but going all the way to the end of the short edges of the rectangle. Sprinkle coconut generously over the lemon curd.
Starting with a long end, roll up dough in a jelly-roll fashion. Using a sharp, serrated knife to gently cut the roll into 12 even slices. Use a damp paper towel in between slices to keep knife clean and press gently to avoid squishing the roll. Lay scrolls flat on prepared baking sheet, allowing about 1 inch or so between each.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until scroll are light gold. Stand for 5 minutes on tray before gently pulling apart. Serve warm.

Makes 12.