Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies
Soft, chewy, and extra lemon-y! These Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies are like your favorite lemon bar, only BETTER. Ready in about 35 minutes, full of lemon flavor, and require no refrigeration time. These cookies are the perfect treat to bake any time of year!
Servings: 14 cookies
Calories: 207kcal
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks room temperature
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter sliced, room temperature
Cookies
- 1⅝ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2½ Tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Coating
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- Combine sugar, egg yolks, and lemon juice in a small, heatproof glass bowl.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Place bowl over a pot of simmering water.
- Cook, stirring continually with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, until thickened, about 10 minutes. (If you have a thermometer, cook the curd to 170℉/77℃.)
- Remove from heat.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
- Stir in butter and lemon zest.
- Set aside to cool.
Cookies
- Heat oven to 350℉/177℃.
- Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest in a large bowl.
- Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine eggs, oil, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Whisk well.
- Pour over dry ingredients.
- Stir until combined.
- Use a medium (1½ Tablespoon) cookie scoop to portion dough.
- Roll dough into balls.
- Roll each ball in powdered sugar.
- Place 2-inches apart on prepared pans.
- Bake for 12 minutes, until cooked but still slightly soft on top.
- Remove from oven.
- Immediately use the back of a rounded 1½ teaspoon measuring spoon to make a rounded indentation within the center of each cookie.
- Fill each cookie with about 1½ teaspoons curd.
Notes
- Room temperature is about 70℉/21℃.
- Use an oven thermometer to ensure accurate cooking temperatures.
- You can use store-bought lemon curd.
- Store-bought lemon juice may be used for this recipe, but the flavor will not be as strong and may have a metallic flavor.
- When making the curd, the texture should be about pudding consistency. (It should coat the back of a spoon.) It takes anywhere from 10-25 minutes to thicken. Just be sure to use a heatproof GLASS bowl and place over a simmering (not boiling) pot of water.
- Don’t waste the egg whites from the curd! Use them to make our meringue cookies or save the rest for breakfast!
- Don’t skip lining your pan!
- Fresh juice is always better. While using store-bought is convenient, the flavor of fresh squeezed lemons is unmatched.
- You can use a rubber spatula to fold the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients to ensure you don’t overwork the dough. Mix until just blended together and you don’t see any flour. The dough is very stiff and may seem a bit dry, but once all the flour is incorporated, it will be fine!
- The cookie dough is a little sticky. Be sure to clean your hands often when rolling.
- Even when fully baked, these cookies should be pale. You do not need to brown them!
- Don’t skip coating them with powdered sugar.
- For the best results, sift the powdered sugar before you roll the cookies!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 182IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg