Lemon Curd Filled Heart Cookies

Did you save any leftover lemon curd from the Lemon Bar Cookie Cups? or...do you have some in your refrigerator that you want to do something with but aren't sure what? Would a buttery, melt in your mouth cookie stuffed with lemon curd do the trick? Yes, I think so. If you want to make these a day ahead and pop them in the refrigerator you can do that, or you can pop them in for 5 minutes then bake. 

I did recommend you don't eat all of the lemon curd left from yesterday, and this recipe is why. It's worth not shoveling the fresh and delicious lemon curd in your mouth (like I wanted too). Keep in mind as you're cutting these with cookie cutters that anything above the 3" heart might be to big and may crumble because the cookies are slightly delicate but that adds to their melt in your mouth quality.

Lemon Curd Filled Heart Cookies
Makes about 30 - 2” rounds or 16 - 3” wide hearts

Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of 2 lemons
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt

- Lemon curd

- Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the butter until fluffy and pale. Add the sugar in 3 additions, beating on low for 2 minutes after each addition. Beat the egg yolk, vanilla, and zest into the butter mixture until well blended.
2. Sift the flour and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon just until blended.
3. Scrape the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape into disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (I just stuck them in the freezer for 15 minutes).
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Roll dough to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Using round cookie cutters (I used a small one of about 2 inches - don't forget the cookies grow when baked) cut out dough and place on cookie sheets. Drop as large of a blob of lemon curd as you can while still being able to cover the bottom cookie with a top cookie, on 1/2 of the cookies. Cover the lemon curd and bottom cookies with the remaining cookies and press to seal. You will have to stretch the top cookie a little bit, just make sure there is a good seal.
6. Refrigerate unbaked cookies for 5 minutes.
7. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn brown. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

Printable recipe


Adapted from Yummy Mummy