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Buttery soft and chewy sugar cookies are stuffed with a tart lemon curd for a burst of bright citrus flavour in these delicious lemon curd stuffed cookies. The cookies do take a bit more time than your average cookie because you need to make lemon curd, but it’s so worth it. Plus, these cookies stay soft for days, so you can slowly savour these cookies over the week.
Why you’ll love these cookies
- Subtle lemon flavour in the cookie itself to bring out the lemon curd.
- The lemon curd is bright, tart and smooth. It’s the best.
- The sugar cookies are soft, chewy and not too sweet.
- They store incredibly well, over 4 days of fresh soft cookie goodness!
- Bakery-style big.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Flour gives the cookies structure.
- Baking soda: Baking soda leavens the cookies.
- Table salt: Salt enhances the flavour of the cookies.
- Unsalted butter: Butter adds flavour, tenderness and richness to the cookies.
- Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar contains a bit of cornstarch, making these cookies extra soft and melt in your mouth.
- Egg: The egg binds the ingredients and adds richness.
- Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavour. Do not add more lemon juice as it will make the cookies too cakey. If you’d like a more intensely lemon flavoured cookie, try this recipe instead.
- Lemon zest: Make sure to rub the lemon zest into the sugar to release the lemon oils for a stronger lemon flavour.
- Lemon curd: You can use store-bought lemon curd if you’d like, but I highly recommend making lemon curd from scratch as written in the recipe. It takes minutes to make and is absolutely heavenly.
Variations
If you’d like to use a different type of curd to stuff the cookies, the cookies will be equally delicious. Try a raspberry, grapefruit or orange curd!
Equipment
When making the lemon curd, use a glass bowl rather than a metal bowl to avoid the metal imparting a metallic taste to the lemon curd.
Baking sheet colour can affect the cookies. If you use a dark coloured baking sheet, the cookies will bake and brown faster than if using a lighter coloured baking sheet, so keep a close eye on the cookies. These cookies go from chewy and soft to dry quickly, so as soon as they’re done, pull them out of the oven!
Make sure you have a kitchen scale for this recipe since most of the measurements are in grams. Using a kitchen scale ensures you get the same results I have! Learn about why I use a kitchen scale here. If you’d like to use measuring spoons and cups, you can use an online recipe converter to change the units to whatever you’re using.
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can freeze the cookies after baking in an airtight container, but I find that the process of freezing and defrosting makes the cookies considerably more soft and moist.
FAQ
You can freeze the shaped cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet, and transfer to an airtight container and freeze again once solid. You can also freeze the cookie dough in balls, and defrost and fill with lemon curd before baking. If you’re only making the cookies a couple days in advance, you can just make the cookie dough and the lemon curd and store in the fridge, then assemble and bake the cookies later.
The center of the cookie will be matte rather than wet and shiny. This isn’t really a cookie you can test doneness by touch with because the lemon curd filling will be very soft even when the cookie is done.
The lemon curd will have a ketchup-like texture and reach 160F. It will thicken as it cools.
Yes. Just scoop 1/2 tbsp of curd and wrap with 2 tbsp cookie dough instead. The bake time will be slightly shorter, so check on the cookies after baking for 8-10 minutes.
Let’s bake!
These lemon curd cookies aren’t the prettiest cookies, but they’re so delicious. The cookie is soft, buttery with a bit of lemon zest, and the lemon curd filling is intensely lemony and perfectly tart. If you love lemon, you’ll love these cookies!
When you make it, please tag me on Instagram @bakewhenitrains so I can swoon over your lemon curd cookies. Also, don’t forget to leave a comment and rating below. I’d love to hear your feedback!
With love,
Your baking friend Sherene ❤️
Lemon Curd Cookies
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 80 grams granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 95 grams lemon juice
- 60 grams butter
Lemon Cookies
- 300 grams all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 85 grams icing sugar
- 227 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- In a large glass bowl, rub lemon zest with sugar until sugar is fluffy and fragrant of lemon.
- Add eggs and lemon juice and whisk until combined.
- Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water (making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl) and whisk constantly until the curd reaches 160°F. The texture of the curd should be similar to ketchup as it will thicken as it cools.
- Strain the lemon curd into a medium bowl.
- Add butter and whisk until the butter has melted and incorporated into the curd.
- Wrap the lemon curd with plastic wrap, ensuring that the plastic wrap directly touches the surface of the curd to prevent the curd from forming a skin. Chill until cool.
- Scoop 1 tbsp (20 grams) scoops of curd onto a parchment lined baking sheet and chill until frozen solid, for around 2-3 hours.
Lemon Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, rub granulated sugar and lemon zest until the sugar is fluffy and fragrant.
- Add the icing sugar and butter, then cream until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and lemon juice and mix until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Chill the dough for 15 minutes to make the dough easier to handle.
- Scoop the dough into 4 tbsp balls and wrap the dough around each ball of frozen lemon curd.
- Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, leaving 3 inches (8cm) between each cookie.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the center of the cookies become matte and dry rather than wet and shiny.
Notes
Sugar cookie recipe adapted from Pretty Simple Sweet.
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