Lemon Curd Linzer Cookies are a tasty mix of buttery cookies and zesty lemon filling. These scrumptious cookies aren’t just super cute—they’re easy to make, too! They’re the perfect lemon dessert for spring and summer, offering a delicious alternative to lemon bars with just the right level of sweetness. Whether you’re serving them at a celebration or gifting them to someone special, they’re sure to brighten any day.
The cookie tops are lightly dusted with confectioner’s sugar, adding a sweet finish before they’re filled with lemon curd. This delicate touch brings a bit of elegance while balancing the buttery cookies with the bright, tangy filling.
These beautiful sandwich cookies might be the prettiest ones you’ll serve, especially on dessert platters, and they taste even better when made ahead—making them a great choice for gatherings and celebrations.
The lemon curd is truly the star of these cookies! It’s incredibly easy to make and packed with deep, vibrant flavor. If you’ve never made lemon curd before, you’re about to get totally hooked.
Lemon Curd Linzer Cookies can be made in any shape—from a simple round cutter to hearts, flowers, or stars. I love making heart-shaped ones for Valentine’s Day and round cookies with flower cutouts for Easter. No matter the shape, they’re always a hit!
RECIPE TIPS
Before you dive into the Linzer cookie recipe, here are some helpful tips you’ll want to keep in mind!
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you start.
- Skip the bottled lemon juice—freshly squeezed lemon juice makes all the difference.
- The easiest way to make these cookies is to use a Linzer Cookie Cutter cutter set, which comes with small interchangeable shapes that fit into the round cutter.
- Rolling out excess dough helps you get even more cookies.
- Don’t overbake these cookies. They shouldn’t brown—take them out of the oven when the edges are just lightly golden.
- Dust your cookies before sandwiching them together to avoid covering the curd window.
- I recommend using a kitchen scale and measuring your ingredients in grams, as it’s the most accurate way to bake. However, you also have the option to use US customary measurements in the recipe card.
INGREDIENTS FOR LEMON CURD LINZER COOKIES
- All-purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results.
- Lemons: You’ll need lemons zest and lemon juice in this recipe.
- Butter: Good quality real unsalted butter will give the best results.
- Sugar: You can also use caster sugar, which will help create a finer texture and make the cookies even more delicate.
- Large egg yolks: Using an egg yolk helps make these cookies a little more rich in flavor.
- Sour cream: Will make cookie moist and rich.
- Powdered sugar: This is used to make the cookies look even more decorative on top.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON CURD
Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1 inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer.
Place the egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt into a small heatproof glass bowl. Set the bowl on top of the saucepan (it should be large enough to fit on top without touching the water).
Using a silicone whisk, whisk until the mixture is completely blended, then continue whisking as the curd cooks. Whiskand cook until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. If the curd isn’t thickening, increase the heat and whisk constantly. Take the bowl off the heat and whisk the butter into the curd. The butter will melt from the heat of the curd as you whisk.
Pour the curd into a clean jar and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface, making sure it touches the top to prevent a skin from forming. Let it chill completely, then transfer it to the fridge. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Yield: The number of cookies you ultimately end up with will depend upon the size of the cookie cutter you use. Thinner dough and smaller cutters will result in more cookies, while thicker dough or larger shapes will result in fewer.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON CURD LINZER COOKIES
You’ll find the full printable recipe with exact measurements and instructions at the bottom of the page. But first, let’s walk through the steps together so you feel confident before you start baking.
Add butter, granulated sugar, egg yolk, sour cream, and salt. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together, tossing and kneading from the sides to the middle and from bottom to top, until shiny dough forms, about 5–7 minutes. Divide in two and wrap in plastic wrap, forming 2 round discs, and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
When ready to cut out the cookies, remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll out the cookie dough to 1/4-inch thick on a floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Cut out your cookies using a Linzer cookie cutter. Half of your cookies should have a shape cut out, and the other half will be plain. The cookies don’t need that much space between them, as they will not spread much in the oven.
Repeat with the second dough disk. Re-roll the dough scraps and keep cutting out more cookies until you use up all the dough. Depending on the size of your cookie cutter, you should have 22-24 sandwich cookies.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden and the edges are set. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies rest for a few minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack until they have cooled completely to room temperature.
Transfer the cut-out window cookies back to the baking sheet and use a fine mesh strainer to dust them with powdered sugar. Then spread a dollop of cooled lemon curd on the base cookies and gently place a window cookie on top to form cute little Linzer cookie sandwiches. And enjoy!
FILLINGS FOR LEMON LINZER COOKIES FILLING
I love lemon curd in these cookies, but if you’d rather skip making it, you can easily substitute it with apricot jam, orange jam, or any of your favorite jams, or even use hazelnuts and fill them with Nutella or strawberry jam, like I did in these Raspberry Coconut Linzer Cookies.
STORING
STORE: Store Linzer cookies in an airtight container with layers of parchment paper between them in the refrigerator. Since the cookies are filled with lemon curd, they should be kept in the fridge to maintain their freshness. When stored properly, they can last for up to 5 days.
FREEZE: You can freeze finished cookies for up to 2 months, but make sure they’re stored in a freezer-proof airtight container or freezer bag. Let them thaw in the fridge before enjoying.
FAQs
What should I do if my lemon curd is too runny?
If your lemon curd is runny, it may not have thickened enough during cooking. Make sure it was cooked over low heat until it coats the back of a spoon. Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours or overnight, as it will thicken as it cools. If needed, you can cook it a bit longer to help it set.
Why does my lemon curd taste metallic?
Lemon curd may have a metallic aftertaste if you cook it in a metal double boiler. If you cook acidic curds like this one directly in the pot, you risk that the curd gets a metallic taste. This can also happen if you use a stainless steel whisk; thus, I recommend using a silicone one. Use a non-metal double boiler or the much cheaper glass bowl option.
MORE COOKIE RECIPES
- Almond Sand Dollar Cookies
- Orange Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Kolachkes
- Polish Chrusciki Angle Wings
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Happy Baking! -A
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
LEMON CURD LINZER COOKIES
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Citrus zester
- Whisk and a heat-proof spatula
- Parchment paper
- Plastic Wrap
- Linzer cookie cutter kit
Ingredients
- 120 g unsalted butter cold
- 220 g all-purposed flour
- 40 g confectioners' sugar
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon sour cream 14% or 18%
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Lemon Curd
- 4 large egg yolks room temperature
- 140 g granulated sugar
- 80 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 90 g unsalted butter softened to room temperature and cut into 6 pieces
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, egg yolk, sour cream, and salt.Using your hands or a pastry cutter, begin by tossing the ingredients together, then knead the mixture by working from the sides to the center and from the bottom to the top until a smooth dough forms, about 5–7 minutes.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions, gently flatten into round discs, and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Chill the discs in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to cut out the cookies, remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, before you try to roll it.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out the cookie dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin. Sprinkle more flour on the dough and rolling pin as needed if the dough becomes too sticky.
- Cut out the cookies using a 2-inch round Linzer cookie cutter. Then, use a smaller cutter to cut out the centers of half of the cookies (half of the cookies should have a shape cut out in the center, while the other half should remain plain).
- Use an offset spatula to transfer the cookies to the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Repeat with the second dough disc. Re-roll the dough scraps and continue cutting out more cookies until all the dough is used.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden and the edges are set. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies rest for a few minutes. Then, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- Transfer the cut-out window cookies back to the baking sheet and use a fine mesh strainer to dust them with powdered sugar.Next, spread a dollop of cooled lemon curd on the base cookies and gently place a window cookie on top to form Linzer cookie sandwiches. Enjoy!
Make the Lemon Curd:
- Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1 inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer.
- Place the egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt into a small heatproof glass bowl. Set the bowl on top of the saucepan (it should be large enough to fit on top without touching the water).
- Using a silicone whisk, whisk until the mixture is completely blended, then continue whisking as the curd cooks. Whisk and cook until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. If the curd isn't thickening, increase the heat and whisk constantly. Take the bowl off the heat and whisk the butter into the curd. The butter will melt from the heat of the curd as you whisk.
- Pour the curd into a clean jar and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface, making sure it touches the top to prevent a skin from forming. Let it chill completely, then transfer to the fridge. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Notes
You’ll want an even number of tops and bottoms so you can sandwich them together evenly. Because lemon curd needs to be refrigerated, store your Lemon Curd Linzer Cookies in the fridge.
Assembled cookies can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–5 days. Note: the cookies will soften over time.