These Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies pack a delicious citrus punch! They are made with a thick sugar cookie dough to form the base, are filled with tart lemon curd, and are drizzled with powdered sugar icing to add a final pop of sweetness. Brighten your day by making these delicious, sweet, and tart cookies!
How to Make Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies
Lemon Curd
Lemon is one of my favorite flavors, and the more tart it is, the better. This lemon curd is sweet and super tart, which makes it the perfect contrast to the sugar cookie base and sweet powdered sugar icing. For these cookies, the lemon curd does need to be made ahead of time. It stores well in the fridge for about a week, so make it whenever you have a moment. To make the curd, simply whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Heat the lemon mixture over medium heat until it starts to thicken and bubble, which will take about 6-8 minutes. Make sure to whisk consistently while heating the lemon curd. This will help prevent any lumps from forming. Once the curd has thickened, whisk in the chunks of butter. Once fully combined, remove the curd from the heat and pour it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Press a piece of plastic wrap into the curd, making sure that it covers the entire surface. Chill the curd for at least four hours, or overnight.
Sugar Cookie Dough
The dough for these Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies is a thick sugar cookie dough. Using a thicker dough made with only baking powder instead of both baking powder and baking soda helps the cookies keep their shape in the oven so the lemon curd doesn’t go everywhere. First, cream together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. These cookies are a no-chill dough, so using room-temperature butter is key. Using softened or melted butter will cause the cookies to spread in the oven, so set yourself a reminder to take a stick of butter out of the fridge a few hours before baking! Next, stir in the egg, vanilla extract, salt, and baking powder. Once combined, add the flour and stir until a thick dough forms.
Scoop and roll the dough into balls, approximately 2 tablespoons of dough per ball. Place the cookie dough balls onto a lined baking sheet and slightly flatten the tops. Using your thumb or the back of a 1 tbsp measure, make an indent into each dough ball. Fill each indent with lemon curd, making sure not to overfill. If you overfill the cookies with curd, the curd will spill out during the baking process. I found it best to fill each indent fully but to not heap on extra curd over the lip of the indent. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden on the bottom and around the edges and set in the center. Transfer them to a cooling rack and make sure they are fully cool before icing.
Powdered Sugar Icing
This icing is completely optional, but I love the little boost of sweetness on top of the lemon curd that it brings. Plus, it only takes about a minute to make and requires just two ingredients. Simply mix together powdered sugar and milk. I prefer thicker icing with these cookies, so I try to use as little milk as possible. If you prefer thinner icing, simply add a bit more milk until it reaches the consistency that you like. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies, serve, and enjoy!
Storage
These Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies will store well in a covered container at room temperature for 3-4 days. If you’d like to store them for longer, freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container and simply bring them to room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy them. The cookies will keep well in the freezer for about 2 months.
I love that winter is citrus season because I need the bright flavors during colder, dreary days. These cookies really do bring a bit of sunshine with their sweet sugar cookie base, tart lemon curd filling, and creamy powdered sugar icing. Get the most out of your lemons this citrus season and make these Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies! If you made these, please let me know how you enjoyed them in the comments below.
Love lemon? Check out these other Sugar Dusted Sweets treats!
Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup lemon juice about 2-3 large lemons
- zest of 2 lemons
Sugar Cookie Dough
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (~1 g) salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 ¾ cups (230 g) all-purpose flour
Powdered Sugar Icing
- 1 cup (100 g) powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp (15-30 g) whole milk
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- In a small-sized saucepan, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until well combined.
- Heat the lemon mixture over medium heat until it begins to bubble and thicken, about 6-8 minutes. Whisk consistently.
- Whisk in the butter until well combined.
- Remove the lemon curd from the heat and pour it through a fine mesh sieve.
- Press a piece of plastic wrap into the top of the lemon curd and chill until set, about 4 hours.
Sugar Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined.
- Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, salt, and baking powder.
- Add the flour and mix until a thick dough forms.
- Scoop and roll the dough into balls, approximately 2 tbsp each. Place them onto a lined baking sheet and slightly flatten the tops.
- Using your thumb or the back of a 1 tbsp measure, make an indent into each dough ball. Fill each indent with lemon curd, making sure not to overfill.
- Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges and set in the center.
- Allow them to cool fully before icing.
Powdered Sugar Icing
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar and milk to form a thick icing. Use less milk for thicker icing; for thinner icing, use more milk.
- Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies. Enjoy!
Loved the recipe! What a great way to use the lemons I had in the fridge. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy you liked it!