These viral Lemon Curd Cookies, featuring a rich shortbread base filled with tangy lemon curd and topped with a delightful vanilla-almond glaze, boast crisp edges and a soft center-- a lemon lover's dream treat!
LEMON CURD: If making homemade lemon curd, prepare at least one day in advance. See Note 2.
COOKIES: In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the room-temperature (NOT melted or softened at all) butter and sugar. Beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides as needed. Add the vanilla extract, cornstarch, and salt and mix until combined. Add flour to the bowl. Beat together at low speed, scraping bowl as needed, until all ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix the dough.
CHILLCOOKIES: Shape the cookies into small balls -- the size of 1 tablespoon (use a tablespoon measuring spoon to form and measure balls) and then roll the cookie dough balls in the 1/3 cup granulated sugar until generously coated. Next, gently indent the center of each cookie dough ball with your finger. Place these cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat or parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (or freeze for 30 minutes). Remove from the fridge and add completely chilled and thickened lemon curd to fill (but not overfill) the centers of all the cookies. Return the cookies to the fridge for 10 more minutes.
BAKE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until very lightly browned under-neath and the tops are no longer glossy. Slightly underbake for soft and delicious shortbread cookies.
COOLCOOKIES: Remove cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. (Add heavy whipping cream or milk until you've reached your desired consistency; I like the glaze on the thicker side, but you may want to add a bit more cream or milk.)
GLAZE: Drizzle the glaze over the cookies (either drizzle with a spoon or transfer the glaze to a plastic bag and cut off the tip to pipe). Allow the glaze to set. Cookies are best enjoyed within 3-4 days; store in an airtight container at room temperature.
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Notes
Note 1:Flour: This is the measurement that differs most person to person--if you have a food scale I highly recommend using it for this measurement. 315 grams of flour is perfect for these cookies!Note 2: Lemon curd: Grab store-bought lemon curd or make your own (nothing beats homemade -- this is the BEST Lemon Curd ever!) If making homemade, it needs to chill at least 8 hours before using in these cookies. If you do opt to make the homemade lemon curd, you'll have quite a bit leftover as we only use about 1/2 cup in these cookies. Read the post on the lemon curd recipe for lots of ideas how to use up leftovers!