Lemon Lime Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

By Chef Eddy Van Damme

Prep Time:

20m - 25m

Bake/Cook Time:

12m

Yield:

24 cookies

Plan for:

Chill dough for 30 minutes

For an irresistible cookie, these buttery, wonderful crumbly shortbread cookies are infused with your choice of lemon or lime and filled with our fabulous lemon lime curd. Lemon Lime Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies are the perfect spring or summer treat.

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Products Used

Extra Fine Granulated Pure Cane Sugar Bag

Confectioners Powdered Sugar Poly Bag

Ingredients

Lemon Lime Shortbread Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, soft
1/2 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Imperial Sugar Confectioners Powdered Sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Zest of 2 lemons or limes, no white bitter pith

Lemon Lime Curd

1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh, not bottled)
1/4 cup lime juice, fresh
1 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft but NOT melted

Cookie Icing

2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons corn syrup (optional)
1 cup Imperial Sugar Confectioners Powdered Sugar
1/2 pint blueberries, optional (for decoration)

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

Sift flour and baking soda together and set aside.
Cream butter until smooth, add sugars and cream further. Add egg, salt, vanilla, and zest of lemons or limes and mix until creamy.
Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until just combined.
Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes or until it is no longer too sticky to roll in balls.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cookie sheets with silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
Take one tablespoon amounts of dough and shape into balls.
Place on prepared cookie sheets. Press your thumb into center of cookie to make a deep indention.
Bake until very light golden, about 12 minutes and allow to cool.
To prepare curd, use a non-reactive saucepan and bring lemon juice, lime juice, and about half of sugar to a boil.
In a separate bowl whisk eggs for 2 minutes until well combined and then quickly whisk in remaining sugar. Pour about half of boiled juice mixture into beaten eggs and whisk rapidly.
Pour egg mixture into saucepan and whisk vigorously to a boil. Keep whisking constantly until thick bubbles form. Remove from heat and set aside. Do not add soft butter yet.
Once mixture feels barely lukewarm (130°F) add half of the soft butter using a rubber spatula. Stir until dissolved. Add remaining butter and mix until butter is dissolved. If butter was a touch too cold, it will not properly dissolve. If so, place bowl in a microwave oven for about 5 seconds and then stir for several minutes. Only if absolutely needed return it to a microwave oven. Do not overheat mixture as butter will melt, clarify, and lose its ability to thicken curd properly.
Set bowl into another bowl filled with ice cubes and do not stir it any longer. Let it sit until it is completely cold.
Meanwhile prepare cookie icing by combining ingredients in a bowl using a rubber spatula.
Place icing in a piping bag and pipe petals in a sunflower design onto cookies.
Spoon or pipe curd into cookies. Top with a blueberry if desired.