Description
Delightful Lemon Thumbprint Cookies combine zesty citrus with buttery sweetness, creating a perfect balance of tangy and rich flavors. Crumbly, golden cookies with bright lemon curd centers will make your dessert tray shine with Mediterranean charm.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Base Ingredients:
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Lemon Filling Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) lemon curd
Finishing Ingredient:
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Prepare workspace by heating oven to 350°F and lining baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whip butter and sugar in electric mixer until pale and airy, approximately 3 minutes.
- Incorporate vanilla extract and freshly grated lemon zest into creamed mixture, blending thoroughly.
- Slowly fold in flour and salt, mixing until cohesive dough forms without overmixing.
- Shape dough into uniform 1-inch spheres using gentle rolling technique.
- Arrange cookie spheres on prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
- Create gentle indentations in cookie centers using fingertip or back of a small spoon, ensuring consistent depth.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes until edges appear slightly golden but centers remain soft.
- Remove from oven and immediately reinforce thumb impressions if they have flattened during baking.
- Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack.
- Once completely cooled, generously fill center wells with vibrant lemon curd.
- Serve at room temperature, storing any remaining cookies in sealed container.
Notes
- Use room temperature butter for smooth, even mixing that creates a silky dough texture.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before shaping to prevent spreading and maintain clean cookie edges.
- Make a gentle thumb indent with a measuring spoon for uniform, perfectly shaped wells in each cookie.
- Replace lemon curd with low-sugar jam for a diabetic-friendly version or swap with dairy-free alternatives for vegan diets.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 133 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 21 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1.2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg