Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies

Teresa Ambra

Have I got a fabulous cookie for you today. Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies. I’ve wanted to make a version of these cookies for years. 🙂 These mouthwatering cookies are absolutely terrific. They have just the right bite from the Lemon Curd to go with all the sweetness from the vanilla glaze icing over top. Yum.

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These awesome cookies almost didn’t happen. I started with a recipe on Pinterest and it was a DISASTER! The cookies flattened out on the cookie sheet and didn’t hold their shape. Against my better judgment (and my husband’s) we went with the recipe as it stated and even chilled the dough twice. To no avail. I was bummed. At that point, I should have added another cup of flour and chilled the dough in the freezer before baking. However,…..

You won’t find me being one of those “anonymous” commenters on blogs that tell you how rotten a recipe turned out. (Yes, I’ve had it happen to me plenty of times, even when people substitute ingredients or don’t follow the recipe). 🙁 But as a general rule, once I have a disaster like this, I rarely go back to that blog. Not unless I’ve already made several delicious recipes and they have a proven track record. While I wanted to complain to the blogger who put out that recipe, I held my tongue (and comments). Instead, I went to work to make a version of Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies I could live with.

I decided to go back to my version of Thumbprint Cookies and went with that. Mine turned out terrific. So I made up a batch with blueberry jam, peach jam and a pumpkin pecan butter. All turned out so wonderfully. I have to admit that the pumpkin and lemon curd were my favorites.

I was planning on including these cookies with my annual baking this year. Since the first batch didn’t turn out, I had to exclude the “bombs.” I started over on Tuesday. I had so many calls for my Thumbprint Cookies. So I made up four batches and gave one to my son (to take to his office). I gave one to my daughter-in-law (to do the same). I made one for the freezer and then I made up a small container for one of the husband’s of a gal John works with. He loves these cookies so I wanted to make sure he got some.

These are not the easiest cookies to make. I crunch the dough (crumbs) in my hands. After one crunch with my right hand I move the dough to the left hand and crunch with that hand. I crunch the dough about 50 times total (and pretty fast) before the dough is pliable enough. By that time, all the ingredients are adhering together and I can crunch the dough into a ball. If you have carpal tunnel syndrome or extremely weak fingers, then you need to look for a different recipe. If you’re not ambidextrous when you start, you will be by the time you finish this recipe. 🙂

For a single batch it takes me about 15-20 minutes to “roll” or crunch the dough (crumbs) into balls. The rest is pretty easy. If the dough crumbles when you try to make a thumbprint in the tops, simply pick up the dough and rework it about 15 more times. It should come together and not crumble when you try to put your thumb into the balls. Spoon very small one-quarter teaspoonfuls of lemon curd into the thumbprint cavity; bake, and then glaze when cool. Yummy. These are delightful.

If you want to delight your family and friends, give these Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies a try this holiday season. But don’t say I didn’t warn you! These cookies are addictive. 🙂

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Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies are awesome.

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

If you enjoy lemon in desserts, you’ll love these cookies.

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Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies are drool-worthy!

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

In case you didn’t believe me, here’s the disastrous first batch before I started over. Pretty ugly.

Here’s what I did.

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I used these ingredients for the cookies. Please note these cookies use NO eggs.

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

Soften butter. Add sugar, salt and vanilla.

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Cream with an electric mixer until smooth.

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Add UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour. Bleached flour toughens baked goods.

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

Stir with a heavy metal spoon until well combined. You can also do this on a very low speed of your mixer, but you will have to re-chill the dough a second time before baking. Chill dough one hour.

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Grab a handful of cookie crumbs.

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Scrunch hard with your fingers and hands alternating each scrunch between each hand. It will take about 50 crunches before the dough is malleable enough to work into a ball shape. I shaped the dough into golf ball-sized balls.

This is the hardest part. If you have weak hands you’ll need to try another recipe.

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Scrunch dough into balls and place on greased cookie sheets.

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Place a thumbprint into each ball of dough. If the dough crumbles or falls apart, rework it another 15 times or so until the dough is pliable. It should not crumble apart when you press with your thumb if you’ve worked the dough enough.

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Place about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of Lemon Curd into each thumbprint.

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done. Allow cookies to cool before placing on cooling racks.

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

I used these ingredients for the icing.

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

Whisk ingredients to combine.

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Fill a zip-lock bag with icing (this was three batches). Cut off a small corner to pipe icing over top of cookies.

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Remove cookies to cooling racks. Pipe icing over top. Allow icing to set about 15 minutes before serving.

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Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies are terrific for Christmas Cookie Exchanges.

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

Every bite is irresistible.

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies are good down to the last bite.

Here’s the recipe.

LEMON CURD THUMBPRINT COOKIES

(My own concoction)

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies

Teresa Ambra
Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies are absolutely mouthwatering. These cookies are made with Lemon Curd and glazed with a thick vanilla & powdered sugar icing. They're terrific for holiday parties and Christmas Cookie Exchanges. These drool-worthy cookies will have you swooning!
No ratings yet
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Cookies, Brownies and Bars, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24
Calories 182 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 18x26" cookie sheet pan
  • 1 large mixing bowl
  • 1 electric mixer
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 spatula
  • 2 wire cooling racks
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • 1 small mixing bowl
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 zip lock bag WITHOUT the "stand and fill" bottom

Ingredients
  

COOKIES:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
  • 1/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 cup Dickinson's Lemon Curd

VANILLA GLAZE:

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp. 2% milk (or as needed to make of spreading consistency)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions
 

COOKIES:

  • Soften butter.
  • Add granulated sugar, vanilla and salt and mix with an electric mixer until well mixed; this may take 4-5 minutes.
  • Add in flour and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
  • Mixture will be dry and crumbly.
  • Refrigerate dough at least one hour.
  • Roll dough into balls and place on greased cookie sheets; this may take about a minute for each cookie). (See notes below).
  • Use your thumb or forefinger to make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
  • Spoon about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of lemon curd into each indentation.
  • Bake at 350° for about 15-20 minutes or until done.
  • Rotate pans half way through cooking time.
  • After cookies cool completely, glaze with powdered sugar icing.

VANILLA GLAZE:

  • Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
  • Place cookies on cooling racks.
  • Spoon glaze into a Zip-Lock bag.
  • Cut off a tiny corner and pipe icing to glaze cookies.
  • Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.
  • Allow icing to set before serving.

Notes

NOTE: You cannot skip the step to chill the dough before rolling into balls and baking, or cookies will not hold their shape while baking.
 
NOTE: It takes about 50 crunches swapping from hand to hand to get the dough worked so that all the ingredients cling together. I crunch with one hand, then put the dough into the other and continue to alternate hands every crunch until the dough becomes pliable. I try to make the balls about the size of golf balls.
 
NOTE: If you make an indentation in the dough and the cookie starts to crumble, just rework it in your hands another 15-20 times until the dough is more pliable. Then redo the indentation so you can add the jam.
 
NOTE: This is not a recipe for anyone with carpal tunnel syndrome or weak hands. You will need really strong fingers and hands to work the dough so that it adheres together and can take the shape of a ball.
 
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 36mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 238IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg
Keyword cookie, dessert, lemon
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies are the perfect treats for the holiday season. Everyone loves these. 🙂

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

If you plan to share these cookies with others, watch them disappear.

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies are festive, beautiful, elegant and terrific for holiday parties.

You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!

Blueberry Thumbprint Cookies

Blueberry Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these festive & beautiful #Christmas #cookies will have you salivating after the first bite. Perfect for #holiday parties like Christmas & #NewYearsDay. #dessert #blueberries #cookies #HolidayDessert #BlueberryDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen

Four Berry Thumbprint Cookies

Four Berry Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen
Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these delectable #thumbprintcookies are terrific for the #holidays & #Christmas #baking. #LemonCurd gives them a little bite & the vanilla icing on top makes them sweetly heavenly. #cookies #dessert #lemon #LemonDessert #HolidayDessert #ChristmasDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange #ChristmasCookie

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies

Teresa Ambra
Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies are absolutely mouthwatering. These cookies are made with Lemon Curd and glazed with a thick vanilla & powdered sugar icing. They’re terrific for holiday parties and Christmas Cookie Exchanges. These drool-worthy cookies will have you swooning!
No ratings yet
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Cookies, Brownies and Bars, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24
Calories 182 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 18×26" cookie sheet pan
  • 1 large mixing bowl
  • 1 electric mixer
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 spatula
  • 2 wire cooling racks
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • 1 small mixing bowl
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 zip lock bag WITHOUT the "stand and fill" bottom

Ingredients
  

COOKIES:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
  • 1/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 cup Dickinson’s Lemon Curd

VANILLA GLAZE:

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp. 2% milk (or as needed to make of spreading consistency)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions
 

COOKIES:

  • Soften butter.
  • Add granulated sugar, vanilla and salt and mix with an electric mixer until well mixed; this may take 4-5 minutes.
  • Add in flour and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
  • Mixture will be dry and crumbly.
  • Refrigerate dough at least one hour.
  • Roll dough into balls and place on greased cookie sheets; this may take about a minute for each cookie). (See notes below).
  • Use your thumb or forefinger to make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
  • Spoon about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of lemon curd into each indentation.
  • Bake at 350° for about 15-20 minutes or until done.
  • Rotate pans half way through cooking time.
  • After cookies cool completely, glaze with powdered sugar icing.

VANILLA GLAZE:

  • Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
  • Place cookies on cooling racks.
  • Spoon glaze into a Zip-Lock bag.
  • Cut off a tiny corner and pipe icing to glaze cookies.
  • Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.
  • Allow icing to set before serving.

Notes

NOTE: You cannot skip the step to chill the dough before rolling into balls and baking, or cookies will not hold their shape while baking.
 
NOTE: It takes about 50 crunches swapping from hand to hand to get the dough worked so that all the ingredients cling together. I crunch with one hand, then put the dough into the other and continue to alternate hands every crunch until the dough becomes pliable. I try to make the balls about the size of golf balls.
 
NOTE: If you make an indentation in the dough and the cookie starts to crumble, just rework it in your hands another 15-20 times until the dough is more pliable. Then redo the indentation so you can add the jam.
 
NOTE: This is not a recipe for anyone with carpal tunnel syndrome or weak hands. You will need really strong fingers and hands to work the dough so that it adheres together and can take the shape of a ball.
 
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 36mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 238IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg
Keyword cookie, dessert, lemon
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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