Description
Delicious lemon curd cookies with a crispy edge and a tart center, evoking nostalgia and joy.
Ingredients
Scale
- 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 (⅛ tsp) salt
- ½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 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, lemon zest, egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, approximately 20–25 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from heat and whisk in the cold cubed butter until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and let cool completely.
- Prepare cookie dough: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until well combined. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients until just mixed. Chill the dough for 1 hour.
- Shape and bake: Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Scoop the chilled dough into 1-inch balls and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Use a ½ tsp measuring spoon to press a shallow well in the center of each ball.
- Bake for approximately 10 minutes until the edges are lightly golden.
- Fill each center with about 1 tsp of lemon curd while the cookies are still warm. Optionally, dust them with powdered sugar before or after filling. Let the cookies cool fully on the baking sheet.
Notes
For a zestier treat, increase the amount of lemon curd filling slightly. Chilling your dough helps prevent spreading during baking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: lemon cookies, lemon curd, dessert, baking, sweet treats
