These soft, buttery lemon curd Linzer cookies are filled with homemade lemon curd and come together quickly—about 25 minutes active prep—and can be made ahead. The almond-based cookie dough is tender and lightly scented with lemon zest; the curd is silky and tangy from fresh lemon juice and zest. Dust the cookie tops with confectioners’ sugar, sandwich with lemon curd, and enjoy.
I like swapping the inner cutout for different seasons—heart shapes for Valentine’s or a bunny head for spring and Easter make these cookies extra cute.
The cookie base is a Linzer-style dough made with almond flour (ground almonds) and confectioners’ sugar. Chill the dough briefly before rolling and cutting; this helps the cookies keep their shape.
Fresh, Zingy Lemons
- Lemons: fresh juice and zest for the curd, plus a little zest in the cookie dough for brightness.
- Butter: unsalted, room temperature—European-style butter works well for a richer flavor.
- Salt: kosher salt is used in both curd and dough; see notes if using fine salt.
- Ground almonds: use almond flour or finely ground almonds for the Linzer base.
How to make this recipe
Step 1 — Make the lemon curd: In a small, non-reactive saucepan, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar until it releases its oils and the sugar looks slightly yellow.
Step 2: Whisk in the egg yolks and whole egg until blended and slightly thickened.
Step 3: Add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Heat the mixture over medium-low, whisking constantly until it thickens and becomes glossy. It should coat the back of a spoon and leave a clear trail when you run your finger through it. Remove from heat.
Step 4: Whisk in cold butter a piece at a time, allowing each piece to melt before adding the next. Stir in vanilla.
Step 5: Transfer the curd to a bowl (preferably glass or ceramic), press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. The curd keeps up to 5 days.
Step 6 — Make the cookies: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream room-temperature butter and confectioners’ sugar until pale and fluffy.
Step 7: Whisk the all-purpose flour, ground almonds, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Step 8: Add the egg to the butter mixture and mix briefly. Add lemon zest and vanilla. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 9: Divide the dough in two, form discs, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Step 10: When chilled, roll dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8-inch thick. Cut shapes with a Linzer cutter; half the cookies should have cutouts. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes until just turning golden. Cool completely.
Dust the cutout tops with confectioners’ sugar, spoon about 1 teaspoon lemon curd onto each full cookie, then sandwich with a dusted cutout. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Recipe Tips
- Weigh ingredients in grams when possible; metric measurements give the most consistent results in baking.
- Let cookies cool completely before dusting with confectioners’ sugar and assembling.
- Bring eggs and butter to room temperature (pull them out 1–2 hours before baking) for even mixing.
- Wash lemons before grating the zest to remove any wax or residue.
- Make the lemon curd a day ahead for best texture and flavor development.
Try these cookie recipes next!
Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cookies-
Soft and Chewy Strawberry Sugar Cookies
-
Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar
-
Peanut Butter Oatmeal M&M Cookies
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Recipe
Lemon Curd Cookies
Ella Gilbert
Equipment
- Linzer cookie cutters
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 75 grams (6 tbsp) sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 85 ml (6 tbsp) lemon juice
- 56 grams (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cookies
- 72 grams (3/4 cup) ground almonds
- 240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 120 grams (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 226 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
Make Lemon Curd
- In a medium, non-reactive saucepan, whisk together sugar and lemon zest until the sugar takes on the zest’s oils.
- Add the egg yolks and whole egg; whisk until pale and thick, about 1–2 minutes.
- Stir in lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-low, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick and glossy and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
- Whisk in butter a piece at a time until smooth, then stir in vanilla.
- Transfer to a non-metal bowl, press plastic wrap onto the surface, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate up to 5 days.
Make Cookies
- Beat butter and confectioners’ sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for about 3 minutes until creamy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, ground almonds, and salt; set aside.
- Add the egg to the butter mixture, then mix in lemon zest and vanilla until combined.
- With mixer on low, gradually add dry ingredients until just combined with no streaks of flour.
- Divide dough into two discs, wrap, and chill at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- When ready, let dough sit 5 minutes at room temperature, preheat oven to 350°F (174°C), and line baking sheets.
- Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness, cut shapes with a Linzer cutter—half plain, half with cutouts. Reroll scraps. You should get about 36–40 sandwich cookies depending on cutter size.
- Bake 10–12 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely.
- Dust cutout tops with confectioners’ sugar. Spoon about 1 teaspoon lemon curd onto each plain cookie and sandwich with a dusted cutout. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
Notes
These recipes are developed and tested using metric weights. Conversions to US cups are provided but metric measurements are recommended for consistent results.
Room temperature: Pull eggs and butter out about 1–2 hours before starting so ingredients are at room temperature.
Salt: If you don’t have kosher salt, halve the amount called for; 1 tsp kosher salt ≈ 1/2 tsp fine salt.
Butter: European-style butter yields a creamier, richer texture.
Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Make ahead: Lemon curd can be made up to 5 days ahead; cookie dough can be made up to 2 days ahead.
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.