Buttery Lemon Curd Cookies Recipe
My Lemon Curd Cookies recipe is quick and easy. The shortbread cookie is soft and buttery, melting in your mouth when you take a bite. It pairs perfectly with the tart and creamy lemon curd filling.
You will quickly become obsessed with these Lemon Curd Cookies. Not only are they easy-to-make but they’re flawlessly delicious.
The cookie base is the perfect cross between shortbread and a soft sugar cookie. It has structure while still being buttery and soft. And the lemon curd filling is tart with the ideal amount of sweetness.
If you love lemon desserts, I suggest you try my Lemon and Poppy Seed Cookies, Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Cake and Glazed Lemon Brownies.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
These are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe. However, the measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- All Purpose Flour – Any all purpose flour will work
- Powdered Sugar – You don’t need to sift the powdered sugar for this recipe. However, if you see big clumps, try to break them apart before adding to the batter
- Salted Butter – Unsalted butter works too, however, if you use unsalted butter, make sure to add a pinch of salt to the batter
- Egg – Make sure you are using a large-sized egg
- Vanilla Extract – Vanilla paste would also work in the cookie batter
- Lemon Curd – Store-bought or my homemade lemon curd recipe will work!
Helpful Step-by-Step Process Photos
The full-detailed instructions are written out in the recipe card below. Use these images to help guide you as needed when following the directions.
Frequently Asked Questions
First, I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour yet. However, if I was going to, I would substitute the flour for gluten-free all purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio.
Yes, because of the lemon curd filling, these cookies have to be kept in the fridge. However, since they’re stored in the fridge, they will last longer too! Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
If you want to make these cookies ahead, you can make the lemon curd up to 1 week prior. However, I would only make the cookie base one day in advance. Next, when you want to assemble the cookies, dust them with powdered sugar and add the filling the day that you plan to enjoy them. This will achieve the best results without having to do all the baking in one day.
Buttery Lemon Curd Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Salted Butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Lemon Curd, (Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe)
Instructions
- First, if you haven't already, make the lemon curd (Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe) or you can use a store-bought/pre-made lemon curd.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Now, let's make the buttery cookie dough that is a perfect cross between a sugar cookie and shortbread cookie
- To a large mixing bowl, add the softened salted butter and powdered sugar. Mix using an electric hand mixer or use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add in the vanilla extract and egg until fully incorporated
- Lastly, add in the flour until just combined. The dough should come together easily and still be slightly sticky if you touch it with your finger.
- Use a 2 tbsp cookie scoop to portion the dough and roll it into a ball. Place each cookie evenly spread out on the prepared baking sheet. You will need to do more than one baking sheet to fit all the cookies
- Coat the back of a tablespoon with flour and gently press it into the dough ball to both flatten the dough and create a divot in the middle
- Once that has been done to each ball of dough, place the baking sheets in the freezer for 25 minutes or in the fridge for 1 hour
- When there is only about 10-15 minutes left of chilling time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
- Bake each tray separately for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set and bottom of cookies have started to brown. While the first tray is baking, keep the second tray in the fridge.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet then transfer to a cooling rack after about 15-20 minutes to cool completely
- Dust the cookies with powdered sugar and fill the center with the lemon curd. To fill the cookies, you can use a spoon or a piping bag. I prefer the piping bag method as it's more precise and typically looks better.
- Enjoy!