These lemon thumbprint cookies are a lemon lovers’ dream cookie! Take pleasure in candy, delicate lemon sugar cookies stuffed with lemon curd and drizzled with lemon icing. I prefer to make the lemon curd from scratch as a result of the flavour is superior (truthfully, it’s simply so good!), however be at liberty to make use of store-bought. As an alternative of lemon curd, you’ll be able to substitute raspberry, strawberry, or apricot preserves/jam.
A sunny burst of citrus is simply the factor to brighten up a grey winter day and add a pop of surprising taste to a vacation cookie tray. Among the many deep darkish flavors of chocolate and spice, like gingerbread cookies, Andes mint chocolate cookies, or chocolate ginger sparkle cookies, these lemon thumbprints shine like twinkly lights within the night time. 😉
A great deal of Lemon
These lemon thumbprints are flavored with actual lemon right through, from the cookie dough to the lemon curd filling to the icing on prime. Recent lemon juice and zest are key to all that taste.
There are 3 elements to those lemon thumbprint cookies:
- Buttery, vanilla bean-speckled lemon sugar cookie dough
- Creamy, tangy lemon curd (home made or store-bought)
- 2-ingredient lemon icing
Make the Home made Lemon Curd First
Have you ever made lemon curd earlier than? It’s scrumptious on so many recipes, like atop this lemon cheesecake or pavlova. You should use store-bought lemon curd in these cookies in a pinch, however I encourage you to strive making it from scratch—it’s surprisingly straightforward, takes simply 10 minutes on the range, and tastes so a lot better!
I’ve an entire separate web page devoted to home made lemon curd, with a video tutorial to assist. It’s simply 5 elements: egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter.
- Tip: I like to recommend making it forward of time, so it has loads of time to chill fully. It retains effectively within the fridge for as much as 10 days, so you can also make it effectively upfront of constructing these lemon thumbprint cookies.
You would additionally mess around with flavors and take a look at filling the lemon thumbprints with fruit jam, like I exploit in these peanut butter & jam thumbprint cookies.
Right here’s What You Want for These Lemon Thumbprint Cookies:
As a degree of reference, I primarily based this cookie dough off my recipe for butter cookies. Like a shortbread cookie, there’s no leavening agent, however—not like shortbread—there may be an egg, which makes the thumbprints much less crumbly. Seize these elements:
- Butter: Creamed butter makes up the bottom of those cookies.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the tart lemon within the dough, and we’ll
- Lemon Zest + Juice: Keep in mind to zest the lemon earlier than slicing it and juicing it—it’s lots more durable the opposite manner round!
- Egg: One egg offers softness and richness.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: You would use pure vanilla extract as a substitute, however I actually love the additional taste the vanilla bean within the paste offers these lemon thumbprints.
- Flour: All-purpose flour offers the dough construction.
- Cornstarch: A bit cornstarch makes for extra-soft cookies; it’s an ingredient in these delicate chocolate chip cookies, too.
- Salt: A bit salt balances the candy and amplifies the lemon and vanilla flavors.
Make the Lemon Cookie Dough & Chill
The dough comes collectively rapidly with an electrical mixer, which is required for creaming the butter and sugar collectively.
This creamy dough wants to sit back for a minimum of 3 hours earlier than it’s able to be rolled and formed.
The right way to Form & Fill Lemon Thumbprints
As soon as the dough has chilled, you’ll be able to form the cookies. Scoop the dough with a Tablespoon after which roll the dough into balls. Roll the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar earlier than inserting on a baking sheet.
Use your thumb to make an indentation within the middle of every cookie dough ball, then spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of lemon curd into every. Bake the cookies for about 12–13 minutes.
Non-obligatory Lemon Icing Is the Icing on the… Cookies
Whereas it’s solely elective, I like these cookies with a drizzle of icing on prime. It’s simply that little one thing further that makes them appear to be you acquire them from a elaborate bakery. Plus, it tastes improbable!
You want simply 2 elements: confectioners’ sugar and recent lemon juice. Whisk it collectively till clean, and drizzle it on the cooled cookies. I used a squeeze bottle to use this candy final touch, however you’ll be able to merely use a spoon or fork.
The icing units in about half-hour or so, after which you’ll be able to stack and retailer the cookies.
You want about 1/2 cup (140g) of lemon curd. If utilizing home made, I like to recommend making the entire recipe for home made lemon curd. You possibly can freeze the leftover lemon curd for as much as 3-6 months, or get pleasure from on yogurt, toast, waffles/pancakes, biscuits, and scones.
Sure, you’ll be able to completely skip the lemon curd. As an alternative, strive raspberry, apricot, or strawberry preserves/jam. Remember that the lemon taste received’t be as robust with out the lemon curd, so I like to recommend retaining the lemon icing on prime. (For that pop of lemon taste!)
If you would like much more lemon taste in your cookies, be at liberty so as to add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract to the cookie dough if you add the vanilla bean paste.
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
This recipe is a part of my annual cookie countdown referred to as Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the most important, most scrumptious occasion of the yr! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza web page together with:
and right here’s my video tutorial & information for the way to freeze cookie dough.
Lemon Thumbprints
Prep Time: 3 hours, 40 minutes (consists of chilling)
Prepare dinner Time: 13 minutes
Complete Time: 4 hours
Yield: 36-40 cookies
Class: Cookies
Technique: Baking
Delicacies: American
Description
Candy, delicate lemon thumbprints are stuffed with lemon curd and drizzled with lemon icing. As an alternative of home made lemon curd, you should use store-bought; or substitute raspberry, strawberry, or apricot preserves/jam. It is a very delicate and creamy butter cookie dough, so refrigerating it earlier than shaping is crucial. A fast chill after shaping because the oven preheats is useful, too.
Dough
Coating & Filling
Icing
Directions
- Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the flour, cornstarch, and salt till mixed. Put aside.
- In a big bowl utilizing a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and three/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar collectively on medium-high pace till creamed, about 1 minute. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, egg, and vanilla bean paste and beat on excessive pace till mixed, about 1 minute. The moist elements will look curdled, however will clean out if you add the dry elements. Scrape down the perimeters and up the underside of the bowl and beat once more as wanted to mix.
- Add the dry elements to the moist elements and blend on low pace till mixed. Dough will likely be very creamy. Cowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, and as much as 3 days. Chilling is crucial for this delicate dough.
- Line giant baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Make room within the fridge for baking sheets, so the form cookies can chill because the oven preheats in step 7.
- Form & coat the dough: Place granulated sugar in a small bowl. Scoop chilly dough (about 1 Tablespoon (18g) of dough every) and roll into balls. Roll every dough ball in granulated sugar and place 2 inches aside on lined baking sheets.
- Fill the cookies: Use your thumb to make an indentation within the middle of every cookie dough ball. Fill every with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon curd.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Place baking sheets with unbaked cookies within the fridge whereas the oven preheats. (Or switch all cookies to 1 baking sheet, or just a few plates, in case your fridge doesn’t have room. I like to recommend chilling the formed cookies for a couple of minutes, to stop over-spreading.)
- As soon as oven preheats, bake formed cookies for 12–13 minutes, or till edges seem set and are very frivolously starting to brown. Take away from the oven and permit cookies to chill on the baking sheet for five minutes, then switch to a wire rack to chill fully.
- Make the icing: In a small bowl, whisk collectively confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over cooled cookies. (You should use a spoon or fork for this, or a squeeze bottle.) Icing will set at room temperature after about half-hour, after which you’ll be able to stack, retailer, transport, and present the cookies.
- Cookies keep recent lined at room temperature for as much as 1 week.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You may make the cookie dough and chill it within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Unbaked formed cookie dough balls (that aren’t coated in sugar and stuffed with curd) freeze effectively as much as 3 months. Thaw for half-hour, after which coat in sugar, fastidiously indent and fill, after which bake. See this submit on the way to freeze cookie dough for extra data and a video tutorial. Baked and cooled cookies freeze effectively for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge or at room temperature.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Vanilla Bean Paste | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Sheets | Cooling Rack | Squeeze Bottle (elective for drizzling icing)
- Butter: The dough recipe requires 14 Tablespoons (200g) of butter, so not fairly 1 full cup. In testing, the cookies overspread when utilizing a full cup (2 sticks/226g) of butter.
- Vanilla: I like utilizing vanilla bean paste in these cookies as a result of it combines each extract AND vanilla bean seeds, and provides further taste. You possibly can, after all, use pure vanilla extract as a substitute. If you would like that further vanilla bean taste, be at liberty so as to add the seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean. (That is along with the liquid vanilla extract.)
- Lemon Curd: You want about 1/2 cup (140g) of lemon curd. I like to recommend making the entire recipe for home made lemon curd. You possibly can freeze the leftover lemon curd for as much as 3-6 months, or get pleasure from on yogurt, toast, waffles/pancakes, biscuits, and scones.
- As an alternative of Lemon Curd: As an alternative or lemon curd, strive raspberry, apricot, or strawberry preserves/jam. Remember that the lemon taste received’t be as robust with out the lemon curd, so I like to recommend retaining the lemon icing on prime. (For that pop of lemon taste!)
- You should definitely take a look at my prime 5 cookie baking ideas AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking instruments.
Key phrases: lemon thumbprints
