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side view close up shot of lemon thumbprint cookies garnished with lemon slices
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4.60 from 10 votes

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

These Lemon Thumbprint Cookies are the perfect holiday cookies. Cookie dough balls are coated in walnuts then filled with lemon curd. This citrusy twist on an old fashioned cookie is incredibly delicious!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lemon thumbprint cookies, thumbprint cookies
Servings: 36
Calories: 96kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoon butter (1 stick) unsalted, at room temperature
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • zest of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg white beaten
  • 4 ounce pecans ground
  • ¼ cup lemon curd
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Place the ground pecans in a shallow plate.
  • Add the butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract to the bowl of your mixer, and beat on medium using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs, salt and continue beating until fully incorporated. 
  • Add the flour and continue mixing on low until fully incorporated.
  • Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, then roll them through the egg white, then through the ground pecans. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an 2 inches in between them. Using your thumb press little wells into the center of each cookie, sometimes I also use the bottom of a cork screw.
  • Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the sheets for about 5 minutes after which you can transfer them to a wire rack to allow them to cool completely.
  • Place a small dollop of the lemon curd into the center of each cookie. 

Notes

  1. You can use any type of buts that you like best in this recipe.
  2. The nuts can be left out entirely. Just skip the egg white and pecan part in step 5.
  3. Store leftovers cookies in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to a week.
  4. To freeze them, store them in an airtight container for up to a month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 94IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg