Lemon Raspberry Curd Cookies

Have you ever made raspberry curd before? It is absolutely delicious, especially when baked into cookies and my Lemon Raspberry Curd Cookies taste like a soft and tender version of those classic Peak Freans Fruit Creme cookies with the jam in the middle (but without the "creme"). These buttery cookies have a wonderful tender crumb with slightly crisp edges. The raspberry curd in the middle bakes right into the cookie dough to set up nicely for storing and it adds the most lovely tart and sweet fruity flavor to complement the buttery cookie. These cookies store well and are pleasing to everyone. What's not to love? If you like this idea of curd in cookies, check out my Lemon Curd Cookies too.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Fresh or frozen berries - you can use fresh or frozen raspberries to make the curd recipe since they will be cooked down and measured before preparing the curd.
• Tart raspberry flavor - this curd center is perfectly tart and not too sweet. It is so delicious.
• Tender buttery cookie - the cookie dough is simple to make and the results are a soft and tender butter cookie with slightly crisp edges.
• Not too sweet - there's just the right amount of sugar to make this recipe taste great and pair with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee.

INGREDIENTS FOR RASPBERRY CURD COOKIES

Here are a few notes about the ingredients. For the full ingredient list with measurements, see the recipe card at the very bottom of this post.

• All purpose flour - unbleached all-purpose flour works great for most cookie doughs.
• Unsalted butter - this recipe uses pure unsalted butter for a creamy flavor and tender texture. You can also use salted butter and then reduce the added salt.
• Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar tenderizes these cookies and doesn't interfere with the bright lemon flavor. There's also not too much sugar so that these cookies aren't too sweet and helps prevent them from spreading too much with the filling.
• Eggs - one large egg will set these cookies to a soft texture.
• Lemon zest - the cookie dough requires only lemon zest and no juice. Use up to a full tablespoon from 1 large lemon or two small lemons if you prefer lots of lemon flavor.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is an excellent back note to berries. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Yogurt - use thick full fat yogurt like Greek yogurt for best results and be sure to level it off. Too much will cause the cookies to spread excessively. If you don't have Greek yogurt where you live, read down below in my FAQ section for my substitution recommendations.
• Raspberry curd - I use my fresh raspberry curd recipe that is so delicious with the perfect sweet and tart flavor and beautiful bright pink color. You can make it up to a week in advance.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Make the raspberry curd. Follow the step-by-step instructions here to make my Fresh Raspberry Curd recipe. Remove from the heat and pour the finished raspberry curd into a bowl or heat-proof container and cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film. Make sure that the plastic wrap/cling film is in direct contact with the surface of the raspberry curd - this will prevent skin from forming. I like to use a mason jar to store it. Allow it to cool completely to room temperature, then chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until completely set. (You can also prepare the raspberry curd a day or two in advance and keep it in the fridge until needed.)
• STEP 2). Make the cookie dough. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Combine soft butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg until evenly incorporated. Mix in yogurt. Add the flour mixture and fold it in by hand with a spatula until it is just combined.
• STEP 3). Chill the dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
• STEP 4). Roll the dough in sugar. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop up portions of dough and roll into smooth balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and then roll in powdered sugar until evenly coated. Place dough balls onto cookie sheets leaving at least 3 inches of space between them as they spread quite a bit.
• STEP 5). Fill cookie dough with curd. Use a round ½-teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indent into the center of each dough ball. When you press the indent into the dough balls for filling with raspberry curd, use one hand to gently press it together to keep it from cracking as you press the spoon in to make the indent. If it cracks, simply press and shape it back together with your fingers. Fill the indent with a heaped teaspoon of raspberry curd.
• STEP 6). Bake for 12-14 minutes until just lightly golden around the edges and the raspberry curd looks matte and set.

EXPERT TIPS FOR RASPBERRY CURD COOKIES

• Measure out the raspberry sauce accurately for the curd. Since berries contain different levels of moisture depending on where they are grown and the season and how long they were frozen, it's important to measure the amount of raspberry sauce that you get after to pass it through the strainer. This will help ensure you get the right consistency in the final product.
• Cook over gentle heat. Overcooking will cause egg proteins to bond too tightly, squeezing water out from between them and giving them a rubbery, lumpy texture. It's best to cook over gentle heat and have patience as hard as it is.
• Stir constantly. Those pesky egg proteins are very sensitive to heat and will curdle the second you walk away from them so be sure to stir constantly.
• Strain the curd. Pass the hot curd through a sieve for the smoothest texture and to remove any accidental bits of cooked egg if you are concerned (it happens to the best of us).
• Chill the dough sufficiently. The step for chilling the cookie dough is important to control spreading since we want the cookies to still hold the raspberry filling. Chilling allows time for the flour in the dough to absorb moisture so that it doesn't spread excessively.

RECIPE FAQ:

STORING & FREEZING

If you love lemon, check out my other lemon recipes:

More raspberry recipes

Looking for more delicious recipes with raspberries? Try these:

Baking with curds

Here are some recipes that use curd:

Video

Raspberry Curd Cookies

Christina Marsigliese

These tender buttery cookies are not too sweet with a tart and sweet raspberry curd filling. They are simply perfect with a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon. What a treat for guests stopping by!

4.34 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Chill Time 2 hours hrs

Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients

  

1 x recipe for Fresh Raspberry Curd

Cookie dough:

• 1 ⅓ cups plus 1 tbsp (200g) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
• ⅔ cup (135g) granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) full fat Greek yogurt
• icing sugar for rolling

Instructions

 

• Prepare the Fresh Raspberry Curd as per the instructions here. Let chill until completely set. You can make this up to 1 week in advance and store in the fridge.
• Make the cookie dough. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
• Combine soft butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg until evenly incorporated. Mix in yogurt. Add the flour mixture and fold it in by hand with a spatula until it is just combined.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Use a small cookie scoop to scoop up portions of dough and roll into smooth balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and then roll in powdered sugar until evenly coated. Place dough balls onto cookie sheets leaving at least 3 inches of space between them as they spread a bit.
• Fill cookie dough with curd. Use a round ½-teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indent into the center of each dough ball. When you press the indent into the dough balls for filling with raspberry curd, use one hand to gently press it together to keep it from cracking as you press the spoon in to make the indent. If it cracks, simply press and shape it back together with your fingers. Fill the indent with a heaped teaspoon of raspberry curd.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes until just lightly golden around the edges and the raspberry curd looks matte and set.
• Let cookies cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them individually to a wire rack to cool completely.