These are buttery lemon shortbread cookies with sweet and tangy lemon curd filling in the centre. These sunshine beauties are sweet and tangy, perfect for sunny days. The best part is that No-Chilling is required, Just roll the dough into balls, flatten a bit, then press with the back of a spoon and bake them. No mess and no fuss. They will become your next favourite cookies 😜

This recipe is super simple with a few simple ingredients and ready to eat in 30 minutes.

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INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE THESE COOKIES!

These cookies are very easy to make and you’ll need basic pantry ingredients.

• Unsalted butter: It's the best you can add to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
• Plain Flour/All-purpose flour: Make sure to measure it correctly. The best way to measure all-purpose flour is by using a digital scale. If you don’t have then spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
• Egg yolk: Should be at room temperature. It is used to make the dough soft and helps it to combine.
• Corn flour/ Corn starch: It is added to make cookies crumbly with a tender texture.
• Lemon zest: It is added to get a strong lemon flavour in these shortbread cookies.

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• White granulated sugar: It’s better to use white granulated sugar here.
• Lemon Curd: Homemade lemon curd is the best to use but you can use store-bought instead. I used homemade lemon curd. You can get the recipe link here!

HOW TO MAKE LEMON CURD COOKIES

Step 1: In a medium bowl, sift together flour, corn flour and salt. Whisk them to mix well and set them aside.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, add softened unsalted butter, sugar, and cream together at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Step 3: Add in the egg yolk and vanilla extract, then beat again until fully incorporated.

Step 4: Add in the dry ingredients, and continue to beat on low until just combined. First, the mixture will be crumbly then using your hands, fold the crumbly mixture into a dough ball. Now the dough is ready. Don’t over-mix it.

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Step 5: Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Preheat the Fan oven to 155C/311F (For a conventional oven: 175C/347F).

Step 6: Scoop up about 2 tbsp of dough and roll it into a ball. Slightly flatten a bit. Lightly flour the back of a 1 tbsp measuring spoon and use it to press each ball down to make a deep dent in the middle. Repeat the same with the remaining balls. You should get about 8 balls from this dough.

Step 7: Bake these unfilled cookies in a preheated fan oven for 15-20 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are nicely golden brown, the tops are still pale in colour and the edges are set. Rotate the pan halfway through baking, for evenly baking. Don’t overbake them because you want soft shortbread cookies, just melt in your mouth.

Step 8: Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes then transfer on a wire rack to cool completely (about 5-10 minutes).

Step 9: Lightly dust the edges of the cookies with icing sugar then fill up the centre with a tsp of lemon curd just before serving and enjoy as a teatime snack with a cup of tea or coffee.

PRO TIPS TO GET PERFECT COOKIES

• It is better to use homemade lemon curd to get the best taste.
• Measure your flour accurately. The best way to measure plain flour/all-purpose flour is by using a digital scale. If you don’t have then spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
• Lightly flour the back of a spoon while making an indentation in the centre of the cookies to prevent the dough ball from sticking.
• Use unsalted and softened butter! Unsalted butter is the best to add as you can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
• I always bake cookies first then fill up them with lemon curd as it maintains its bright yellow colour and intense flavour.

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FAQ

Should I chill the dough?

No, the best part is that the dough does not need to be chilled before baking. It won’t spread too much in the oven. 

Can I use store-bought lemon curd?

Yes, you can, but it is better to use homemade lemon curd. It is far better than store-bought.

How to store these cookies!

Store your lemon curd and unfilled cookies in the fridge and fill up the cookies before serving because filled cookies are harder to store.

Keep unfilled cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and fill the lemon curd just before serving.

If you want to store filled cookies in the fridge, store them for 4-5 days. Keep in mind, don’t stack them to avoid sticking.

You can freeze them for up to 2 months. It’s better to freeze them unfilled so they will not stick together in a freezer-safe airtight container or a zip-lock bag. Thaw them in the fridge overnight or for a good amount of time before use.

I hope that you'll try this recipe and you'll love them as much as my family and I do! If you make this recipe then be sure to tag @kaotickrunch on Instagram. We'd love to see your creations!

Happy baking and eating! 😊