Lemon Curd Butter Cookies (Printable)

Buttery thumbprint cookies filled with tangy lemon curd, offering sweet and zesty perfection in every golden bite.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
02 - 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg yolk
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Filling

07 - 1/2 cup (120 g) lemon curd, store-bought or homemade

→ Optional Finishing

08 - Powdered sugar for dusting

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Beat in egg yolk and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually mix in flour and salt until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
06 - Using thumb or back of spoon, gently press an indentation into center of each ball.
07 - Fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of lemon curd.
08 - Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges just begin to turn golden.
09 - Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The lemon cuts through the rich butter dough so you never feel overwhelmed by sweetness
  • They look impressive but honestly take about fifteen minutes of active work
02 -
  • Chilling the dough for fifteen minutes prevents the thumbprints from spreading too much in the oven
  • If your dough cracks while making indentations try warming it slightly in your hands first
03 -
  • A small cookie scoop makes perfectly uniform dough balls that bake evenly
  • Warm your lemon curd slightly before filling cold cookies so it spreads easily

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