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    Home » Dessert » Cookies

    Lemon Curd Cookies

    Published: Feb 14, 2023 · by Elizabeth Waterson · This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

    Jump to Recipe
    lemon curd cookies dusted in powdered sugar on a white plate on top of a stripped linen on a light surface with more lemons

    If you love lemon, then you’re going to love this lemon curd cookie recipe. Shortbread-style cookies have a dollop of lemon curd for an irresistible cookie.

    lemon curd cookies dusted in powdered sugar on a white plate on top of a stripped linen on a light surface with more lemons

    When I made these cookies I didn't expect to fall in love so quickly with these cookies. The lemon curd cookies melt in your mouth, they're not too sweet, and they're full of bright lemon flavor. The shortbread-style cookie has a lemon curd filling that makes for a delicious combo.

    This cookie dough recipe was developed from my brown butter cookies dipped in chocolate I added cornstarch to make a softer shortbread-style cookie and took out the chemical leavening agent to keep a cookie that didn't rise to keep the lemon curd in place while baking.

    lemon curd cookie half eaten next to more cookies on a light surface with lemons in the background

    Let's get to the recipe

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Can you double
    • More lemon recipes
    • Recipe Card
    • Recipe Ratings & Comments

    Ingredients

    • Unsalted Butter. The butter should be softened to cool room temperature, not fully room temperature. This will help it cream with the sugar.
    • Granulated Sugar. The sugar will cream with the butter to create tiny air pockets for baking.
    • Lemon. You'll just use the zest of the lemon to help infuse the lemon flavor into the dough. You can save the lemon juice for another recipe or some hot water with lemon juice, that is what I drink every morning.
    • Large Egg. The egg should be at room temperature so it evenly incorporates into the rest of the ingredients. You can do this quickly by placing the egg in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.
    • Pure Vanilla Extract. The little bit of vanilla extract warms the cookie dough.
    • Salt. The salt balances out the sweetness while also enhancing all of the other ingredients' flavor profiles.
    • All-Purpose Flour. You want to make sure to measure your flour as accurately as possible, too much or too little flour can drastically alter the cookie dough.

    Baking is a science and to really achieve the best results I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. This OXO Kitchen Scale is the one I use and is also the number one recommended kitchen scale by Cook's Illustrated. Think about it -what one person scoops into a "cup" is completely different from what someone else scoops!

    • Cornstarch. Adding some cornstarch to the cookie dough helps create a soft, tender cookie.
    • Lemon Curd. The star of the show you can use homemade lemon curd or store-bought lemon curd.
    • Confectioner's Sugar. Once the cookies have baked dust them in powdered sugar. f
    lemon curd cookies ingredients in small bowls on a light surface

    For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

    Instructions

    In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the sugar, butter, and lemon zest for a couple of minutes until you have a light fluffy mixture.

    hand mixer combining sugar, butter and lemon zest in a glass bowl on a light surface with a stripped linen

    Scrape the sides of the bowl then add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.

    egg and vanilla extract added to creamed butter in a glass bowl on a light surface with a stripped linen

    Add in the flour, salt, and cornstarch and mix until just combined, be careful not to over-mix the batter.

    dry ingredients added to wet ingredients in a glass bowl on a light surface with a stripped linen
    lemon cookie dough in a glass bowl on a light surface with a stripped linen

    Using a tablespoon scoop the dough into balls, and then using the back of a teaspoon or the handle of a wooden spoon or your thumb present indentation into the cookie dough, place them on the baking sheet lined with a silicone liner or parchment paper, two inches apart then add a half teaspoon dollop of lemon curd into each cavity, making sure not to overfill it too much.

    teaspoon pressing an indentation into cookie dough on a silpat lined baking sheet
    lemon curd added to thumbprint cookies on a silpat lined baking sheet

    Place the cookie sheets in the freezer and turn the oven on to 350F/180C. Let the cookies chill while the oven is preheating then cook the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes until just lightly golden brown on the sides.

    lemon curd cookies just baked cooling on a silpat lined baking sheet

    Let cool for five minutes before transferring from the baking tray to a wire rack to cool completely then dust in confectioners sugar. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. 

    lemon curd cookies piled up on a plate on top of a stripped linen next to some lemons on a light surface

    Can you double

    You can most certainly double the recipe or even triple it to make lots of cookies for a party! In the recipe card below you can just press the 2X button or the 3X button to double or triple the ingredient quantities. Keep in mind it will not adjust the amount in parentheses. I highly suggest using a scale to weigh your ingredients versus cups.

    Baking is a science and to really achieve the best results I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. This OXO Kitchen Scale is the one I use and is also the number one recommended kitchen scale by Cook's Illustrated. Think about it -what one person scoops into a "cup" is completely different from what someone else scoops!

    More lemon recipes

    One of the most simple recipes but yet so elegant and delicious is this lemon olive oil cake recipe.

    If you've got more lemon curd to use up then make this lemon curd cheesecake - seriously delicious!

    This lemon cream pie shocked my friends- they devoured it so quickly!!

    hand holding a lemon thumbprint cookie up to the camera

    ★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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    Print

    Recipe Card

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    lemon curd cookies dusted in powdered sugar on a white plate on top of a stripped linen on a light surface with more lemons

    Lemon Curd Cookies

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    If you love lemon, then you’re going to love this lemon curd cookie recipe. Shortbread-style cookies have a dollop of lemon curd for an irresistible cookie. 

    • Total Time: 41 minutes
    • Yield: 36-40 Cookies 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 8oz (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter, cooled to cool room temperature
    • 150 grams (¾ Cup) Granulated Sugar
    • 1 Medium Lemon, zested
    • 1 Large Egg, at room temperature
    • 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
    • ¼ Teaspoon Salt
    • 281 grams (2 ¼ Cups) All-Purpose Flour
    • 2 Teaspoons Cornstarch
    • 4oz-6oz (½-¾ Cup) Lemon Curd, homemade lemon curd or store-bought
    • Powdered Sugar, optional

    Instructions

    1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the sugar, butter, and lemon zest for a couple of minutes until you have a light fluffy mixture. Scrape the sides of the bowl then add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined. Add in the flour, salt, and cornstarch and mix until just combined, be careful not to overmix the batter.
    2. Using a tablespoon scoop the dough into balls, and then using the back of a teaspoon or the handle of a wooden spoon or your thumb present indentation into the cookie dough,  place them on the baking sheet lined with a silicone liner, two inches apart then add a half teaspoon dollop of lemon curd into each cavity, making sure not to overfill it too much.
    3. Place the cookie sheets in the freezer and turn the oven on to 350F/180C. Let the cookies chill while the oven is preheating then cook the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes until just lightly golden brown on the sides. Let cool for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to call completely then dust in confectioner sugars. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. 

    Equipment

    Norpro Stainless Steel Meatballer/Scoop, 35MM, (1 Tablespoon), Silver

    1 Tablespoon Scoop

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    kitchen aid cordless hand mixer

    Cordless Hand Mixer

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    kitchen aid stand mixer

    KitchenAid Stand Mixer 6 Quart

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    half sheet pans

    Half Sheet Pan

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    microplane zester

    Microplane Zester

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    silpat liner

    Silpat

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    oxo food scale

    OXO Kitchen Scale

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    • Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of a Baking Queen
    • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
    • Chill Time: 15 Minutes
    • Cook Time: 11 Minutes
    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: lemon curd thumbprint cookies, cookies with lemon curd,

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    Tag @confessionsofabakingqueen on Instagram and hashtag it #cbqbakes

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

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    lemon curd cookies dusted in powdered sugar on a white plate on top of a stripped linen on a light surface with more lemons
    Waterson, Elizabeth Cropped Size Photo CAke copy 2

    Hiya! I am Elizabeth Waterson, welcome to my treat-filled site. After spending 15 years in the restaurant industry and growing up baking, I wanted to share my love of baking with you all. My step-by-step tutorials will help you learn how to bake at home. Confessions of a Baking Queen (CBQ) has been featured in CBS LA, HuffPost Taste, BuzzFeed, Taste of Home, and more! Here you will find loads of sweet recipes with a few savory ones for good measure. Feel free to message me with any questions! Happy Baking! 

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