Here’s a vibrant and tropical treat: Coconut Lemon Curd Cookies — soft, chewy coconut cookies with a sweet-tart lemon curd center. They’re perfect for spring and summer (or when you just need a little sunshine in dessert form!).
🍋 Coconut Lemon Curd Cookies
🍪 Cookie Dough Ingredients:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
🍋 Lemon Curd (or use store-bought):
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2–3 lemons)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
🧑🍳 Instructions:
1. Make the lemon curd (if homemade):
- In a heatproof bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest.
- Place over a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler method) and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 10–12 minutes).
- Remove from heat and stir in butter until smooth.
- Let cool, then refrigerate until set (can be made a day ahead).
2. Make the cookie dough:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla; mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture.
- Stir in shredded coconut until evenly distributed.
3. Shape and fill:
- Scoop dough into 1.5-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
- Use the back of a spoon or your thumb to gently press an indent in the center of each cookie.
- Fill each indentation with about ½ teaspoon of lemon curd.
4. Bake:
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until edges are golden and centers are set.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
🌴 Tips:
- Don’t overfill with lemon curd or it may spill during baking.
- Want extra coconut flavor? Toast some coconut and sprinkle on top after baking.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.