by Allie 14 Comments
Here’s a buttery shortbread Lemon Curd Easy Thumbprint Cookie Recipe for cheerful springtime baking! Buttery shortbread cookies nest dollops of delicious puckery sweet and tangy lemon curd.
If you love lemon curd like I do, this is a fun, easy cookie to make! Lemon curd is always a treat, but especially in spring and summer. A tray of these cookies is so pretty at wedding and baby showers.
Make your own curd filling with my easy recipe, or save time and use store bought to make these festive cookies quickly.
It’s been a rough few weeks around here and if some of you have wondered if I’ve been MIA – the answer is a resounding YES! I’m still feeling a bit MIA, but baking these beautiful springy cookies is helping me find ground again.
If you follow along here you know we’ve been doing a kitchen remodel. It’s coming along but we’ve had some long waits for re-ordered cabinets and cabinet doors. The first set was the wrong size. The second set was the wrong size. (Need I say more?)
I’m not necessarily chomping at the bit to finish. In the grand world scheme these days, kitchen cabinet doors are at the bottom of the totem pole. But I was really hoping the kitchen would be finished by Easter.
That didn’t happen. So I couldn’t share the before and after pictures last weekend like I was hoping. Maybe this coming weekend. We’ve also had some serious illness at the house during all of this construction, which has been tough. First there was the stomach virus that visited. Womp womp.
And then Jacob (17) has been pretty sick. After a false negative test two weeks ago, it was discovered he does indeed have mono after all. And with some of the other diagnoses possibilities we were facing, mono is welcome. Though it hasn’t been much fun for Jacob.
Mono can have pretty serious complications and I think he’s gotten every one. It’s taking time to heal and he’s learning patience, among other things. It’s tough for a mama to watch.
So let’s talk cookies!!! These were so easy to make and were a beautiful addition to my Easter dessert table. I mixed up the dough in my KitchenAid stand mixer, then chilled it for an hour.
Use a small cookie scoop to get even dough portions. Then roll those cookie dough scoops in for even, round dough balls.
Use a chapstick tube to make the indentations in the dough. You can also use a cork wine stopper or even a 1/2 teaspoon measure. I don’t suggest your thumb (as the recipe name would suggest) because thumbs aren’t necessarily round.
Then bake for eight minutes at 375°. When the cookies come out of the oven, use the chapstick tube again to deepen the indentations. (So these cookies can hold even more delicious lemon curd!)
After the cookies cool on a rack, fill with delicious lemon curd using a pastry bag. (A small baby spoon works too.)
- Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Wrap the dough tightly and chill for an hour before baking.
- Use a small cookie scoop for even dough portions.
- Use a chapstick tube (or other round object like a 1/2 teaspoon measure or cork wine stopper) to make even indentations in your dough balls before baking.
- Use the tube again after they come out of the oven to deepen the indentations so they can hold lots of delicious lemon curd!
- Once cool, use a pastry bag for even filling with lemon curd. Or a small spoon works too. (I like to use a baby spoon.)
- Easily make the cookie shells ahead and freeze. Right before you need them, fill with lemon curd. Yum!
- Use store bought lemon curd to save time, or my easy lemon curd recipe here.
Enjoy these scrumptious cookies!
Print Recipe
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time8 minutes mins
Total Time18 minutes mins
Cuisine: cookie
Servings: 36 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup lemon curd store bought or homemade
- Homemade recipe here: https://www.throughherlookingglass.com/easy-classic-lemon-curd/
Instructions
In a medium size bowl, with an electric stand or hand mixer, cream butter.
Add white sugar until combined.
Mix in egg yolks and vanilla until combined.
Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine salt, baking powder and flour.
Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, mixing until just combined.
Cover dough tightly and chill for one hour.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Use small cookie scoop to get even dough portions.
Roll cookies into balls and place 2" apart on baking sheet.
Use your thumb, a 1/2 teaspoon measure, a cork stopper or even a tube of chapstick to make even indentations into the middle of each dough ball.
Bake for 8 minutes and check.
(When they are barely beginning to brown on the edges, they are done!)
Remove from the oven.
While still hot, make the indentations again with your instrument of choice.
(The thumb does not work so well on hot cookies!)
Place cookies on a rack to cool.
When completely cool, use a piping bag to fill cookies with lemon curd. Or use a spoon.
Use store bought or homemade lemon curd.
Homemade recipe here: https://www.throughherlookingglass.com/easy-classic-lemon-curd/
Serve immediately and refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
These are a great cookie to freeze ahead. Make the cookie shells, then freeze in an airtight container. Just before serving, fill with lemon curd.
You may also like: Lemon Whipped Cream w/Lemon Curd
