Lemon Curd Sugar Cookie Sandwiches

By peridot728

This Lemon Curd Sugar Cookie Sandwich recipe is so refreshing and perfect for summer! This has to be one of the best uses for lemon curd. These sandwich cookies are so easy to make; they are "swig cookies" and require no chilling or rolling out.

Ingredients

• 12-16 12-16 cookie sandwiches
• 1 1 batch 1 batch homemade lemon curd
• 1/2 1/2 cup 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
• 6 6 tablespoons 6 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use light olive oil)
• 1/2 1/2 cup 2 + 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 6 6 tablespoons 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1 egg 1 egg
• 2 2 and 3/4 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/4 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
• 1/2 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 1/4 cup 1/4 cup white sugar, for smashing cookies
• strawberries, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Start by making homemade lemon curd (RECIPE BELOW). It's not hard but you do have to make it ahead of time so that it has time to chill.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy.

Add the vegetable oil, white sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla, and egg, and beat until fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Add the flour to the bowl, but don't mix it in. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the baking soda, cream of tarter, and salt. Stir it in with a small spoon, then beat the flour mixture in until just combined. The dough is on the drier side.

Using your hands or a cookie scoop, form the dough into balls a little larger than 1 tablespoon. Line them up on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. (you don't need to grease it).

In a shallow bowl, add 1/4 cup sugar. Get your fingers wet and rub them on the bottom of a glass. Dip the glass into the sugar, then smash each cookie. Dip in sugar and make sure the glass is coated with sugar for every cookie. You want them to be flat, but not so flat that they bake crispy. I like the dough to be a tiny bit less than half an inch thick. See photos.

Bake in the preheated oven for 6-8 minutes. Take them out when they are not quite brown on the edges, and still a little shiny on top (just a liiiittle bit).

Let cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Once the cookies are completely cool and the lemon curd is thoroughly chilled, spread some lemon curd on the top of one cookie, then top with another cookie. Or if you prefer, you can just spread the lemon curd on top of each cookie. These are really good with strawberries on top, too!

Recipe Notes:
Here is the recipe for the lemon curd used in these cookies, and here is the cookie recipe.

The Best Lemon Curd
Serves Makes about 2 and 1/4 cups

1+ tablespoons lemon zest, optional*
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (3-4 large lemons)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs + 4 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), chopped**

In a small saucepan, stir together lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Set over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl beat together 3 eggs and 4 egg yolks. Whisk it very well.

When the liquid on the stove is ready, slowly pour some of it into the bowl with the eggs, whisking constantly. I usually pour in about half, but you can do more or less. This is called tempering the eggs.

Return the pot to the stove and add the rest of the eggs while stirring. If you don't stir you may curdle your eggs.

Continue to whisk pretty constantly over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. When you drag your whisk over the top of the mixture, it should leave marks.

Pour the curd through a mesh strainer into a new bowl (or the same one, washed). Unless you are an expert curd maker, you will probably have a few solid egg pieces in there, which is totally okay! Just strain them out.

Stir the chopped butter into the lemon curd until it's completely melted. This is a good time for a large spoonful of hot lemon curd.

Press a square of plastic wrap directly on top of the lemon curd. If you just cover the bowl, you will get a film on your curd.

Refrigerate until cold, about 2-4 hours. It will thicken up some as it cools.
Transfer to a tupperware. Keeps for 1-2 weeks.

Recipe Notes
*The lemon zest adds great flavor and will make it more tangy. If texture is more important to you than flavor and you are looking for a super creamy lemon curd, then leave it out.

**I've seen similar recipes that call for up to 8 tablespoons of butter. Go for it! I think it tastes great with 4 tablespoons, but I'm not one to turn down extra butter...