Simple Lemon Curd Linzer Cookies

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It’s hard to beat the combination of tart, zesty lemon and sweet, buttery cookie. Turning these cookie sandwiches into linzer cookies with a simple cut of dough and a dusting of powdered sugar is all it takes to make two simple things one beautiful thing.

How To Make Lemon Curd Linzer Cookies

Make the Sugar Cookie Dough

I used my Vanilla Bean Base Ratio #1 recipe for these cookies. It can be found here.

Preheat oven to 400 Farenheit.

Cream butter, sugar, kosher salt, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl before adding the eggs and vanilla bean paste. Mix until well combined and the mixture is homogenized. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the brown once again.

In a separate bowl, weigh the flour and whisk in the baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on low until combined. Scrape down the sides and make sure there is no flour gathering at the base of the bowl.

Roll the dough to 1/4″ between two sheets of parchment, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Cut the Cookies

Using a 2 1/4″ round circle cutter, cut the dough into about 48 circles. Place cut cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet at least an inch apart. Using a small cutter, cut out the center of half of the cookies.

Freeze cookies for five minutes before baking. This is optional, but it helps prevent spreading in the oven.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly golden.

Let the cookies cool on the pan for about ten minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Lemon Curd

This recipe is based on Dorie Greenspan’s citrus curd.

Whisk together the sugar, kosher salt, lemon zest, and eggs in a saucepan. Whisk in the corn syrup and lemon juice before adding the butter. Cook for 6-8 minutes until thick and the temperature reaches 170 Farenheit. Stir in vanilla bean paste.

Transfer the curd to a heat proof bowl and cover the top with cling film. Refrigerate and allow to cool completely before using.

Lemon curd will last in the refrigerator for about a week and in the freezer for about a year.

Assemble the Cookies

Group together the cookies with the shapes cut from the center and dust powdered sugar over them. I prefer dusting them before assembling, because no powdered sugar gets inside the filling.

Spoon a small amount of the cooled lemon curd over the base cookie. Place the powdered sugar cookie on top.

Store the assembled cookies in the refrigerator.

A Note About Salt

I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt in all of my recipes. It should be assumed when reading the word ‘salt’ on this website that I mean Diamond Crystal Kosher salt (unless I say otherwise). If you do not have this salt, and you want to use table salt, use only half the amount called for. Regular table salt is much finer than Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, so a teaspoon of each would not actually yield the same amount of salt. A teaspoon of regular table salt vs. kosher will give a much saltier taste in the recipe. It’s no big deal, just make sure to use half of what the recipe calls for. Although, if you can get your hands on some Diamond Crystal, I totally recommend it.

A Note About Measurements

I bake using weight measurements rather than volume measurements, with the exception of teaspoons or tablespoons in small amounts of things like baking powder or salt. I prefer to weigh my ingredients in grams because it is the most accurate way to measure ingredients. Using cup measurements can vary from cup to cup, making it impossible for everyone to have accurate measurements. Weighing out ingredients using grams is accurate and also much easier. Trust me, a scale will change your baking life.

Have You Made This Recipe & Loved It?

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