It’s finally starting to feel like springtime here in MN, so I had to celebrate with some lemon cookies. I had some store-bought lemon curd and thought about making lemon curd cookies. I decided to balance out the tart curd with an Earl Grey tea cookie base and add more depth to the cookie. The end result is a light, almost fluffy and lightly sweet cookie with pools of tart lemon curd.
I created this Earl Grey cookie lemon cookie based off of my coffee cookie recipe. I subbed out the coffee for brewed and loose leaf earl grey and added some lemon zest. I also swapped the brown and granulated sugar measurements to create a slightly lighter crumb. For half of the cookies, I added swirls of marshmallow fluff into the dough along with the lemon curd. Both versions are amazing, but I would say the marshmallow creates a fluffier cookie while also taking over some of the lemon flavor. If you prefer a strong lemon flavor, I recommend leaving the fluff out.
Tips:
- To get extra lemon flavor, massage the lemon zest with the sugar before adding any remaining ingredients.
- Add the lemon curd in small batches, to ensure even distribution of the curd in all the cookies! I start with about 1-2 Tbsp first, then add in another layer or two as I scoop the cookies. Swirl the lemon curd through the dough with a butter knife before scooping.
- When scooping the dough, try to get most of the lemon curd towards the top of the cookie. This will ensure the curd doesn’t burn while baking.
- Chill this dough in the freezer overnight! The lemon curd adds extra moisture to these cookies, so its important to freeze that curd as much as possible before baking. This should help prevent spreading.
- If the dough still spreads while baking, use a circular cookie cutter and swirl in around the cookie right after removing it from the oven. This allows for circular and cohesive sizes while also thickening any overly spread cookies.
Earl Grey Cookies with Lemon Curd Swirl
Recipe by
Servings
18
Prep time
20 minutes + overnight chill
Cooking time
15 minutes
Earl Grey cookies with Lemon Curd Swirls are light and full of bright lemon flavor, balanced with the sweet notes of Earl grey tea. The tea is added into the dough in two ways, allowing for deeper flavor. Add swirls of marshmallow fluff to make these into Earl grey lemon pie cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup butter, melted
- 1/2 Cup tightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp strong brewed Earl grey tea (2 tea bags)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 21/2 Cups flour
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp Earl Grey tea leaves (1-2 tea bags)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 Cup lemon curd + 2 Tbsp, separated.
- 1/4 Cup marshmallow fluff, optional
Directions
- Prep Tea: In a small saucepan, heat water until simmering. Add in the earl grey and steep for 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Add your sugars and lemon zest to a medium or large mixing bowl. Massage the zest into the sugar. Add in the melted butter, mixing until the color has lightened slightly. Add in the egg, yolk, brewed tea, and vanilla extract. Mix just until fully combined.
- Sift and Add Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour and cornstarch into a small bowl. Add in tea grounds, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir until the flour is completely incorporated, scraping the side of the bowl often.
- Add Lemon and Scoop Dough: Using a 1/2 Tbsp measuring spoon, scoop out 1-2 Tbsp of lemon curd and optionally, add the marshmallow fluff in the same manner. Use a spoon to stick the curd onto the dough and then swirl it through the dough with a knife. Scoop out dough into 2 Tbsp size scoops. Add more swirls of lemon curd as needed, using about 4 Tbsp in total (1/4 Cup)
- Chill Dough: Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment lined sheet, cover, and freeze overnight (or at least 3 hours).
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the cookies at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown and the bottoms are golden.
- Cool: After removing the cookies from the oven, add more swirls of lemon curd. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Let cookies cool at least 10 minutes before eating. Cool completely before storing.
- Store: You can store these cookies at room temperature for about 4 days, or in the fridge for a week. You can keep unbaked dough in the freezer for up to three months.
Notes
1. When scooping the dough, try to get most of the lemon curd towards the top of the cookie. This will ensure the curd doesn’t burn while baking.
2. If the dough still spreads while baking, use a circular cookie cutter and swirl in around the cookie right after removing it from the oven. This allows for circular and cohesive sizes while also thickening any overly spread cookies.
The Whisking Tree 
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