Butter Cookies with Lemon Curd Filling are just too stinking cute…my photography doesn’t do them justice. These cuties are not just cute, they also happen to be very tasty!
I love the retro look of these cookies and they are perfect for spring/summer parties or bridal/baby showers!
Tips for making butter cookies
If you are looking for a shortcut for this recipe then, use ready-made lemon curd. Sometimes the store bought options are way too tart and leave your mouth feeling weird. I found a brand that is linked here that tastes amazing. It tastes like the best lemon meringue pie! Of course, if you would like to make your own this recipe is delicious.
Working with raw butter cookie dough requires a gentle touch. This dough just can’t be manhandled into submission because that will get you nowhere! Although it feels like you may need a huge amount of flour to roll out the dough, it really only takes a dusting. Just add a dusting of flour as you need it. After cutting the shapes use a small metal spatula to slide under each cookie which helps to transfer them in one piece. This is only needed if the dough sticks to the parchment paper. Chilling the dough is the key to success! I usually leave the dough in the fridge overnight mostly for convenience. It really just needs to be chilled through which shouldn’t take more than 2 hours. If it seems rock hard straight out of the fridge then lay it out for 15 minutes or so until it’s manageable.
Good quality butter is key for any butter cookie recipe. Low-quality butter usually will not have enough fat content which results in a cookie that spreads all over the pan. When you put the cookies into the oven they look perfect. And these should look the same when they come out of the oven except, with slightly browned edges.
When mixing the dough go ahead and whip the butter and sugar for a couple of minutes. It should be light in color and very light. The rest of the ingredients should be mixed in just until incorporated for that melt in your mouth texture!
I used scalloped edge cookie cutters for this recipe. I linked to a similar set. The largest cutter works great for the flower and the smallest for the center. I use these a lot for different things!
Butter Cookies with Lemon Curd Filling
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup lemon curd
- 1/2 cup 10x sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Stir the flour and salt together.
- Add butter and sugar to the bowl of a mixer. Blend until light and fluffy. At least 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg yolk, flour, and vanilla to the mixer bowl and blend just until everything comes together. The dough will be shaggy and soft.
- Pour out onto plastic wrap and form into a ball. Wrap and store in the fridge until chilled through(1-2 hours) or overnight. Allow dough to rest about 15 mins. if it is too stiff to work with.
- Divide the dough into two sections. Lightly dust a large piece of parchment paper with flour and roll the dough, being careful not to roll it out too thin-about 1/4″ thick. Use additional dustings of flour as needed during the rolling process.
- Cut the individual flowers and centers. If the dough sticks to the paper slide a small flat spatula under each flower to release and move to a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Roll and cut the second section of dough. If this one has gotten too soft, return to the fridge or freezer for a few minutes. If you have a lot of leftover dough, form it into a ball and continue rolling. Refrigerate if needed.
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or just until the edges are lightly browned. I usually don’t do this but, rotate the pans once if needed for even browning.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the pan and then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- When cookies are cool place 1/2 tbsp. of lemon curd onto the bottom section of each cookie. Dust the tops with 10x sugar and carefully position over the cookie bottoms allowing the lemon curd to ooze into the flower center.
- I have linked above to a ready-made lemon curd that is delicious and to a recipe
Notes
Favorite Springtime Recipes