Description
Delightfully tangy and buttery Lemon Curd Cookies featuring a smooth homemade lemon curd center nestled in soft, tender cookies. Perfectly balanced sweetness with a refreshing citrus twist, these cookies are ideal for tea time or any festive occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Lemon Curd:
- ½ cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- Pinch (â…› tsp) salt
- ½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
For the Cookies:
- 2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Make the lemon curd: Combine lemon juice, zest, egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in cold cubed butter until the curd is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and let cool completely.
- Prepare cookie dough: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour to make it easier to shape.
- Shape and bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Using a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon, press a shallow well into the center of each dough ball. Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden but centers remain soft.
- Fill and finish: While the cookies are still warm, spoon about 1 teaspoon of the cooled lemon curd into the indentations in each cookie. Optionally, dust the cookies with powdered sugar before or after filling. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is important to prevent spreading and to achieve a tender texture.
- For a more intense lemon flavor, increase the lemon zest slightly in the dough or curd.
- If lemon curd is too thick after cooling, gently whisk it to soften before filling the cookies.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate to keep longer.
- Make sure to press the indentations carefully to avoid breaking the dough balls.
