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One of the best spring flavor combinations - lavender and lemon - is here on the blog today with my super cute, spring flower themed lavender lemon curd linzer cookies. Tart, sweet and silky lemon curd sandwiched between buttery, tender, and crumbly lavender lemon shortbread cookies are a must bake this season.
Lavender Lemon Linzer Cookies
Dried culinary lavender is what gives these lavender lemon linzer cookies their lavender flavor. Processing the lavender in the food processor with the flour, lemon zest and salt finely chops up the lavender and disperses it throughout the flour mixture. The lemon and lavender are well balanced so that you get flavors from both that are lovely, sweet and fragrant, not soapy and pungent.
As when making any kind of shortbread, a light hand is required when mixing and cutting out the cookies. When beating the butter and the sugar, beat just until well combined. Avoid beating too much air into the mixture as it can cause the cookies to spread. Beat in the flour mixture just until combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it before rolling it out.
Roll and cut out the dough using a flower cookie cutter. I like to roll the dough out on a non stick baking mat. Typically I will place a piece of parchment over the dough and roll it out that way so that there isn't any dough sticking to the rolling pin. This method also prevents too much reworking of the dough, keeping the cookies tender and light. Bake the cookies until they are beginning to lightly brown around the edges.
Lemon Curd
Every baker should have a go to lemon curd recipe in their recipe collection and this one is my mine. This curd is silky, and tart with the right amount of sweetness. And, no metallic taste that can sometimes accompany citrus curds.
Working the lemon zest into the sugar maximizes and intensifies the lemon flavor of the curd. Mix the zest into the sugar until it is grainy, moist and very fragrant. Cook the lemon sugar, egg, egg yolks, lemon juice and salt until thickened. Strain the curd to get discard the zest and any curdled egg. Whisk in butter to help thicken the curd and give it a silkier texture. Chill the curd completely before using.
Assembling the Cookies
Dust the cooled cookies with the center cut out with a light dusting of powdered sugar. On the solid cut out cookies, place a 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons of lemon curd in the center. I like to load my cookies with as much curd as I know won't be squish out of the cookies when a bite is taken. Place the powdered sugar dusted cookies on top and push down gently until the curd reaches the edge of the cookie.
If you make my lavender lemon curd linzer cookies, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your bakes and creations.
Enjoy!
Ash xx
For more lemon recipes, check out these posts:
Lemon Jasmine Blueberry Scones
Meyer Lemon Ginger Tart with Toasted Honey Meringue
Lavender Lemon Shortbread Bars
Recipe
Lavender Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Flower cookie cutters I used a 3" cutter
- Round cookie cutters I used a 1" cutter
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Lavender Lemon Cookies
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon culinary lavender
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- confectioners sugar, for dusting on top of cookies
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- Combine the sugar and lemon zest into a bowl. Rub the mix between your hands to release the oils of the zest.½ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- Add the egg and egg yolks to the sugar mixture and whisk to combine thoroughly.3 large egg yolks, 1 large egg
- Add the lemon juice and whisk to combine.⅓ cup lemon juice
- Pour the mixture into a medium sauce pan, and place over a medium low heat. Add the salt and butter. Whisk continuously to keep the mixture moving so your eggs don't scramble.⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- Cook the curd until thick and just beginning to bubble, or until an instant read thermometer reaches 170F.
- Take the curd off of the heat and strain into a container using a fine mesh sieve and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate curd for at least 2 hours or up to a week.
Lavender Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- In a food processor, pulse together the flour, lavender, lemon zest and salt until well blended. You want the lavender to be dispersed and chopped up a bit.2 ¼ cups all purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon culinary lavender, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter, powdered sugar and vanilla and beat together on medium speed until creamy and combined.1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.
- Turn the dough out onto some plastic wrap. Press the dough together, forming a disc shape, about an inch in height. Wrap the dough with the plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Dust your work surface with flour. Roll out cookie dough to about ¼ inch thick.
- Using a 3" flower shaped cutter, cut out flower shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. You should have 24 cookies.
- Place the cookies 2" apart on the baking sheets.
- Place the cookies into the refrigerator to chill for an additional 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350F while the cookies are chilling.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to turn a light golden brown.
- Let cool completely on the cookie sheets or on a cooling rack.
- Place the cookies with the holes in them on a cookie sheet and sift a light dusting of powdered sugar over the top.confectioners sugar, for dusting on top of cookies
- Spread 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons of lemon curd on each whole cookie. Carefully top each with a sugar dusted cookie and press down gently until the curd reaches the edge of the cookies.
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