Description
Delightfully tangy and buttery Lemon Curd Cookies with a soft, crumbly texture, filled with luscious lemon curd and finished with a glossy, sweet lemon glaze. These cookies perfectly balance sweet and tart flavors, making them an irresistible treat for any lemon lover.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅔ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- lemon zest from one lemon
- ¼ cup prepared lemon curd
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside to ensure cookies don’t stick and bake evenly.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and fine sea salt thoroughly to evenly distribute the salt throughout the flour.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, add softened unsalted butter and ⅔ cup granulated sugar. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add lemon zest and vanilla: Stir in the fresh lemon zest and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until evenly combined with the butter mixture. Then gradually add the flour mixture a bit at a time, mixing until fully incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl to combine completely.
- Prepare dough balls: Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using a cookie scoop, portion about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie, then roll each ball smoothly with your hands. Roll each dough ball in the granulated sugar until coated and place on the lined sheet trays, spacing them two inches apart.
- Create indentations: Using the end of a round wooden spoon or a similar tool, press an indentation about two-thirds deep into the center of each dough ball. Don’t worry if some edges crack; this is normal and adds character.
- Fill with lemon curd: Spoon a heaping teaspoon of prepared lemon curd into each indentation, filling the center of each cookie generously.
- Bake the cookies: Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies look dry and the bottoms turn a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the lemon glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the freshly squeezed lemon juice, powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more lemon juice or powdered sugar as needed to achieve a thick but pourable glaze.
- Glaze the cookies: Dip a fork into the glaze and drizzle it over the cooled cookies sitting on the wire rack, allowing excess glaze to drip off. Let the glaze set for 15 minutes before serving or storing to ensure a perfect finish.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon zest and juice for the best bright, citrus flavor.
- Butter should be softened but not melted to achieve the best cookie texture.
- Roll dough balls gently in sugar to add a slight crunchy texture on the cookie surface.
- Don’t overfill the indentations with lemon curd to prevent leakage during baking.
- The glaze consistency can be adjusted to your liking by modifying the ratio of lemon juice and powdered sugar.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days for best freshness.
- Allow glaze to set completely before stacking cookies to avoid sticking.
