Lemon Curd Cookies Recipe

Easy Lemon Curd Cookies

If you’re a lemon dessert lover, these cookies with lemon curd are just what you need. They are a tasty, refreshing treat that anyone can enjoy throughout the year. 

They only need a few essential ingredients, and it is easy to make the cookies. If you want to try a new cookie recipe, these lemon curd thumbprint cookies are the ones you should try. 

They have a soft, fluffy texture and a strong lemon flavor. And each “thumbprint” is loaded with zesty lemon curd that complements the sugary cookie nicely.  

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

• It’s the perfect combo of sweet and tang. Unlike some other cookies, these cookies are not too sweet. The cookies have a delicate caster sugar flavor without being overly sugary and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The lemon curd, which tastes sweet and tangy, is the star of these cookies.
• It takes 30 minutes to make. A cookie that comes together that quickly is simply unbeatable. Try this recipe to make cookies filled with lemon curd that can be ready faster than you can say “cookie.”
• Lemon lovers will enjoy this dessert. This recipe for lemon cookies should be in your cookbook if you want a citrusy taste. This crumbly cookie topped with lemon curd is delicious. I’m sure you’ll find yourself baking them repeatedly.
• Budget-friendly. With only everyday ingredients needed, making this recipe won’t cost dearly. Also, you don’t need costly baking equipment to make these cookies. 

More lemony recipes

If you love sweets and desserts made from lemon, try these lemon shortbread cookies, lemon curd, lemon curd cake, and lemon raspberry cake.

Simple ingredients

We need seven items to make these lemon curd cookies. Every one of them is an ordinary ingredient in our everyday cooking that you get from any supermarket. 

• Lemon zest: Simply essential for making these cookies smell lemony.
• Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for optimal flavor. 
• Salted butter: Butter provides fat to the cookie, giving it that melt-in-your-mouth quality.
• Caster sugar: To make the dough sweeter and not grainy.
• Egg yolk: Egg yolks help keep the dough together and give it extra fat for a soft texture.
• All-purpose flour/ plain flour: All-purpose flour binds these cookies together.
• Lemon curd: You can use either store-bought or homemade lemon curd.

Equipment

• Stand mixer or handheld mixer.
• Cling film.
• Mixing bowl.
• Baking sheet.
• Parchment paper.
• A food processor (optional)

How To Make Lemon Curd Cookies

Make the cookie dough by mixing butter and sugar with a stand or handheld mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the sugar and butter mixture. Again, beat until all is combined well.

Fold in the all-purpose flour and stir until thoroughly mixed. You can use your hands, though the dough will be slightly sticky. 

Place the dough on a piece of cling film, then wrap it around. Keep the dough in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.

When ready to bake the cookies, line the baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 180℃/ 356℉ or at gas mark 4.

Roll a piece of dough the size of a cherry tomato into a small ball. Put the ball onto the prepared baking tray. Repeat until you finish all the dough. Make sure you place the dough balls well-spaced apart.

Gently press each ball with your thumb until you create an indentation. Don’t press too hard up to the bottom of the dough.

Bake the dough for about 20-25 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown. And the cookies are firm to the touch. Transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack and let the cookies cool completely.  

Once they are at room temperature, fill the cookies with ½ teaspoon of lemon curd. 

Substitutions and variations

• You can change the lemon zest and juice with lime zest and juice. Then, fill the thumbprint with lime curd instead.
• If you want something not-citrusy, you can omit the zest and juice. Instead, add two teaspoons of vanilla extract to the dough and fill the cookies with your favorite jam, such as strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry.
• For gluten-free options, you can use ready-made gluten-free all-purpose flour for cookies.

Storage

Make Ahead: You can make the unbaked cookie dough in advance. Please keep it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to five days. Also, you can freeze the dough for up to two months ahead of the baking time. When you need the cookies, thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight. Once the dough has thawed, you must not refreeze; it must be used and baked within two days.

Storage: Once you put lemon curd on top of the cookies, the texture of the cookies will go soft. So, if you plan to wait to eat the cookies, it’s better to top the curd on them later when you eat or serve them because you want to avoid soft and chewy lemon curd cookies. 

You can store the ready-baked cookies in an airtight container. They stay fresh and crispy for a few days. Top them with the curd before serving. 

Pro Tips 

• High quality: Try to choose the best quality lemon curd possible. Some cheaper store-bought lemon curd might have a strong artificial flavor that can ruin your cookies. Make your curd. You can use my easy lemon curd recipe.  
• More lemony flavor: If you love lemon and like a more intense lemony flavor in your cookies, rub the caster sugar and zest together to get the lemon’s fragrant oils out. Rubbing the zest with sugar will create lemony sugar and improve the lemon flavor in the cookies.
• Precision: Measure the ingredients using a kitchen scale and measuring spoons to achieve accuracy and good cookie results.
• Don’t overmix: If you mix it too much after adding the flour, the cookies go hard and tough.
• Chill: Avoid spreading too much in the oven by chilling the cookies in the refrigerator for some time before baking.
• Freeze the dough: You can freeze the dough for some other time to bake. When you do, make sure you thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight before you use it. Once it has thawed, you must not refreeze it, and you have to bake it within three days. 
• Don’t overbake: To achieve a decadent crumbly cookie, avoid overbaking. The bottom should be light golden brown, while the center should remain puffy and firm to the touch. After coming out of the oven, the cookies will keep baking.
• Cool the cookies: Don’t put the lemon curd when the cookies are still warm. Otherwise, the cookies will always stay soft and will not harden. 

FAQs

What is Lemon Curd?

Lemon curd is a sweet, tangy mixture of lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and butter. You can get a thick consistency by cooking the ingredients together. After cooling, the lemon curd thickens to a spreadable consistency, making it ideal for desserts and breads. Many fruits and juices, such as oranges, limes, strawberries, raspberries, mangoes, cranberries, etc., can be used to make curd.

What Can I Do With The Leftover Lemon Curd?

You can use the leftover lemon curd to make cheesecake, waffles, pancakes, cupcakes, scones, biscuits, yogurt, ice cream, and more! The possibilities are unlimited!

Why Does The Dough Need To Be Chilled?

Chilling the dough ensures extremely cold butter and lets the flour hydrate a little. Chilled dough prevents the lemon cookies from spreading too much and flattening out entirely.

Homemade Lemon Curd Cookies

The best cookies are usually those you made from scratch. That way, you won’t have to worry about any weird ingredients. These cookies with lemon curd are lovely, moist, and chewy. After trying one, you’ll want more!

I would like to hear if you tried and enjoyed this recipe, so please feel free to rate and comment below.

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5 from 2 votes

Lemon Curd Cookie Recipe

These homemade lemon curd cookies are delicious with crumbly cookies and sweet, tangy lemon curd. They are so light and melt in the mouth. With only five ingredients needed, this cookie recipe is a must-try.

Author: Devy Dar

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Sweets & Desserts

Cuisine: American, British, International

Servings: 2 dozens

Equipment

• Kitchen scale.
• Mixing bowl
• Stand mixer or handheld mixer.
• Cling film
• Baking trays
• Parchment paper

1x2x3x

Cook ModeKeep your screen on

Ingredients

• ▢ 9 ounces/ 255 grams salted butter
• ▢ 3 ounces/ 85 grams caster sugar superfine
• ▢ One large egg yolk
• ▢ One tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ Zest of 1 lemon
• ▢ 13 ounces/ 370 grams all-purpose flour

Instructions

• Place the butter and caster sugar in a mixing bowl and beat them until they pale in color. You can use a wooden spoon, a handheld mixer, or a stand mixer to do this.
• Then, add the egg yolk, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the butter mixture. Again, mix until all is combined well.
• Fold in the plain flour, cornstarch, and ground almonds and stir until thoroughly mixed. Cover the bowl with a cling film and keep the bowl in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
• When ready to bake, line the baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°f / 180℃ or at gas mark 4.
• Roll the dough the size of a cherry tomato into a small ball. Put the ball onto the lined baking sheet. Keep doing this until you finish all the dough. Make sure you place the dough balls well-spaced apart.
• Press each ball with your thumb until you create an indentation. Don’t press too hard up to the bottom of the dough.
• Bake the cookie dough for about 20-25 minutes until golden and firm outside.
• Once you take the cookies out of the oven, fill each with ½ teaspoon chilled lemon curd. Then, transfer them to a cooling rack.

Notes

• If you don’t have caster sugar, the best substitute is powdered sugar. Because it will melt quickly with the other ingredients, leaving no grainy texture to the dough.
• You can also use shop-bought bottled lemon juice if you don’t have fresh lemon.

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 113IU | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Disclaimer

Nutritional info in this recipe is only estimate using online calculator. You should refer to it as a guide only. Please verify with your own data if you seek an accurate info.