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Sarah

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

Buttery lemon-zest shortbread cookies filled with bright lemon curd and finished with an icing drizzle. A citrus favorite for any holiday tray.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chill Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 12 minutes
Servings: 20 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 100
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup lemon curd
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tsp water

Method
 

  1. Cream butter, sugar, and lemon zest until pale and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
  2. Beat in egg, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
  3. Whisk flour, cornstarch, and salt; mix into wet ingredients until just combined.
  4. Chill dough 20-30 minutes.
  5. Roll into 1-tablespoon balls and press a deep well into each.
  6. Chill shaped cookies 15 minutes more.
  7. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 11-13 minutes, until edges are just barely golden.
  8. Cool completely, then fill each well with 1/2 tsp lemon curd.
  9. Whisk powdered sugar and water into a thin icing; drizzle over cookies and let set 10 minutes.

Notes

  • The second chill, after indenting, is what keeps the wells from puffing closed in the oven — don't skip it.
  • If the icing runs right off the spoon instead of holding a thin ribbon, whisk in a little more powdered sugar.
  • Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients and will vary with brands and portion size.