Lemon Sandwich Cookies With Curd (Printer-friendly)
Zesty lemon cookies filled with tangy curd—plant-based and gluten-free.
# What You’ll Need:
→ For the Lemon Cookies
01 - 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
02 - 1/2 cup almond flour
03 - 1/3 cup coconut oil, solid
04 - 1/2 cup cane sugar
05 - Zest of 2 lemons
06 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
08 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 3 tablespoons unsweetened plant-based milk
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ For the Vegan Lemon Curd
12 - 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
13 - Zest of 1 lemon
14 - 1/3 cup cane sugar
15 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
16 - 1/2 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
17 - Pinch of turmeric for color, optional
18 - 1 tablespoon vegan butter or coconut oil
19 - Pinch of sea salt
# How-To Guide:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, combine gluten-free flour, almond flour, sugar, lemon zest, sea salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
03 - Add solid coconut oil and mix with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together plant-based milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir until a soft dough forms.
05 - Roll dough into 24 small balls, about 1 tablespoon each. Place on prepared baking sheets and gently flatten to about 1/4-inch thickness.
06 - Bake for 10–12 minutes, until edges are just beginning to turn golden. Cool completely on wire racks.
07 - In a saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, zest, sugar, and cornstarch. Add coconut milk and optional turmeric.
08 - Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles, about 4–6 minutes.
09 - Remove from heat. Stir in vegan butter or coconut oil and a pinch of salt until smooth. Let cool to room temperature; it will thicken further as it cools.
10 - Spoon or pipe about 1 tablespoon of lemon curd onto the flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies to form sandwiches. Chill for 10–15 minutes to set, if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- That moment when you bite through crisp cookie into tangy, creamy curd
- They look fancy but are actually surprisingly forgiving to make
02 -
- Overworking the dough makes tough cookies, so mix just until combined
- The curd needs to cool completely before assembling or your cookies will get soggy
03 -
- Microplane your zest directly into the sugar and mix with your fingers to infuse the sugar with lemon oils
- Room temperature ingredients combine more easily, so set everything out about 20 minutes before baking