Lemon Curd Cookies
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Lemon curd cookies are a delicious little bite of sunshine. These cookies are perfect any occasion! Butter, sugar and lemon, meet up in to make awesome crispy lemony butter cookies. The best part is they are easy to make. No chilling is required, you can have sunshine in a cookie in under 30 minutes!
The bright flavor of lemon is showcased in this buttery lemon shortbread dough with lemon curd filling that’s topped with coarse sugar. This combination creates a perfect cookie that’s both sweet and tangy.
Whether you’re looking for an easy dessert recipe or something special for Easter or Mother’s Day, these lemon curd thumbprint cookies are the way to go!
Ingredients
Butter – Since I’m more of a casual cook I always use salted butter in my cookie recipes. You can use unsalted butter instead, just make sure to add 1/4 teaspoon of salt with the dry ingredients. Make sure you are using butter that has been left out at room temperature until softened.
Sugar – This recipe calls for regular table sugar, the kind that is white and granulated, not powdered. It also calls for coarse or raw sugar for adding some sparkle and a touch more sweetness.
Vanilla extract – As always, use the best vanilla you can afford. I think it makes a difference.
Lemon – You will need about 1 large or 2 medium fresh lemons for this recipe. Choose the brightest and least blemished lemons you can find.
Flour – I use all-purpose flour. Bleached or unbleached will work.
Lemon Curd – I buy my lemon curd from the store. I find it near the jams and jellies in small glass jars. If you want homemade lemon curd, one of my friends has an awesome homemade lemon curd recipe. You’ll need some additional lemons, butter, and sugar, plus some egg yolks.
Note: This recipe has a shortbread cookie base and does not use eggs.
Directions
- Preheat your oven and get ready for a lemon-filled treat! With lemon curd thumbprint cookies, you’ll be enjoying a delightful combination of sweet and tangy in every bite.
- In a large bowl, mix together softened butter and white sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Then add the vanilla and lemon zest and mix until everything is combined.
- Gradually add the flour to the mixture and mix just until incorporated.
- Using a heaping 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough, roll it into a ball before placing it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or lightly greased cookie sheet.
- Make an indent in the center of each cookie ball using either your thumb or the back of a rounded teaspoon measuring spoon.
- Fill with lemon curd, being careful not to overfill.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the bottom edges start to turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with coarse sugar while still hot.
- Allow to cool before removing from cookie sheets.
- Enjoy these lemon shortbread cookies filled with lemon curd!
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Pro Tips
- Don’t over-mix the cookie dough once the flour has been added, as this will make the cookies tough instead of tender.
- When your cookies are done baking and still hot from the oven, sprinkle them generously with coarse sugar for a sweet crunchy topping. You can also use powdered or confectioners sugar, but wait until they’ve completely cooled first so it doesn’t melt and make the tops gummy.
- If you find that your lemon thumbprint cookie dough is too crumbly to form into balls or add a thumbprint, try adding an additional tablespoon of softened butter; shortbread cookies tend to be dry and a bit extra butter won’t hurt!
Storing
Use parchment or wax paper between single layers of cookies to prevent the lemon curd filling from sticking to other cookies.
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 days before they start to go stale.
They can also be stored in a refrigerator using an airtight container for about 7 days.
These cookies will remain fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 months in a freezer. You can thaw them at room temperature or eat them frozen. I have a friend that swears these are the best treat to beat summer heat when eaten straight out of the freezer.
MORE COOKIE RECIPES
- Lemon Bars
- Italian Wedding Cookies
- Cinnamon Swirl Elephant Ears
- German Almond Cookies
- Sprinkle Cookies
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Lemon Curd Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest freshly zest, about 1 lemon
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Lemon curd
- 2 – 3 tablespoons raw sugar turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter and white sugar. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and lemon zest, and mix to combine.
- Add the flour and mix just until combined.
- Scoop 1 ½ tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. I use a #40 scoop.
- Place the cookie balls onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper, or lightly sprayed with cooking spray. You only need about 1/2 inch space between cookies.
- Make an indent in the center of each cookie ball, using the back of a rounded measuring teaspoon or your thumb.
- Fill the indent with lemon curd, being careful not to overfill.
- Place the filled cookies into the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or just until the bottom edges start to turn golden brown.
- While the cookies are still hot, sprinkle the cookies with the raw sugar.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the cookie sheet.
Notes
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- Do not overmix the cookie dough once the flour has been added. It will make your cookies tough instead of tender.
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- Do not overfill the thumbprint with too much filling. The mounds of lemon curd will flatten as it heats up and spread over the cookie if overfilled.
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- Sprinkle the top of the cookies with coarse sugar while they are still warm so the sugar sticks to the cookies.
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- If you don’t have any coarse, raw, or turbinado sugar you can use powdered sugar. Wait until the cookies have completely cooled before using powdered or confectioners sugar or it will melt and make the tops of your cookies gummy.
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- If your dough is too crumbly to form into balls or add a thumbprint you probably need a bit more butter. This recipe has more butter than most recipes because I was always struggling with crumbly dough. If you find using this cookie recipe with extra butter still leaves your cookie dough crumbly, try adding an additional tablespoon of softened butter. Don’t worry, shortbread cookies tend to be dry. A little extra butter may make them spread a bit more.
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- Storing – to store these cookies, place sheets of parchment or wax paper between layers of cookies and place into an airtight container. They will last for about 4 days at room temperature, up to 7 days in the refrigerator, and 3 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may vary based on exact ingredients used. For accuracy, consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
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Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller
Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller is a food journalist, CEO of Pear Tree Kitchen, and co-creator of Food Blogger Help. She also has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a registered nurse licensed in the State of Oklahoma. When she has free time between writing, blogging, and cooking, she can be found volunteering as an RN with the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps.
