Lemon Sandwich Cookies are soft, tender, almost cake-like cookies sandwiched with a zingy lemon icing filling. They’re bursting with bright, sweet, creamy lemon flavor!
These cookies are a lemon lover’s dream!
This is a recipe I posted back in 2010, I’ve updated it for a better user experience. I adapted it from a recipe I found in Gourmet Magazine all those years ago.
Recipes like my Lemon Custard Pie and Lemon Ice Cream are great for when you want a fresh lemony dessert that everyone will love. I love lemon desserts, and this is one of my Dessert Recipes you’ll want in your recipe box!
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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.
When to serve these
Serve these cookies for an afternoon tea or Easter celebration; you could even cut them into little flower shapes.
They’re great for a baby shower or bridal shower. Try cutting them into hearts with a heart shaped cookie cutter.
You can serve them whenever you’re having a lemon craving!
Can these be made ahead?
The cookie dough can be made 2 days ahead and stored airtight in refrigerator.
The cookies can be made ahead and kept on the counter in an airtight container for up to 3 days (if they last that long!).
The lemon cream filling for the cookies can be made one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate the filling; bring it to room temperature before using. But I would recommend making it after the cookies are done cooling, as it’s softer and creamier when it is first made. This will make it easier to spread on the cookies.
What size cookies should I make?
The cookies can be cut into different sizes depending on what size cookie cutter you have. Heck, they can even be cut into different shapes like hearts, flowers, stars, etc.
For this batch, I made round cookies with 1-inch rounds, and with 1.5-inch rounds. I’ve make 2.5-inch round cookies in the past as well.
I adore the little bite sized one-inch cookies! They were so fun and so easy to eat. Maybe too easy to eat. Just pop one in my mouth each time I walked past them! LOL
You’ll want to adjust the baking time depending on the size of the cookie. 2-inch round cookies will take about 12 minutes to bake. 1-inch cookies about 5 minutes.
Also, the thickness of the cookie will make the baking time vary. A thicker cookie will take longer to bake than a thinner one. Aim for scant 3/8-inch thick cookies. Also, a thicker cookie will be softer and more cakey, while a thinner cookie will be crispier.
Creamy lemon filling
That creamy lemon filling is amazing! And if you’re like me, you may tend to be heavy handed with the icing. If that’s the case, you may want to double the batch of icing.
I’ve found that especially if I bake a batch of these in the smaller 1-inch round size, I tend to use more filling.
You can switch up the look and taste of these cookies by adding a teaspoon of raspberry jam in the sandwich instead of or along with the lemon icing. It’s a great hint if you do run out of the lemon filling.
How to make these cookies
These cookies take a little bit of time, but are so worth it! That delicious lemon flavor is amazing. So to help, here are some pictures of the process.
Cookies
Zest the lemons. I like these rasp graters for zesting. I have a link below for Amazon if you need to get one.
Boil lemon juice and lemon peel in small saucepan until mixture is reduced. Pour into small bowl and cool.
Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. I like sifting in a strainer. Again, I have a link below for these.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.
Add the eggs in, and beat in the lemon juice mixture.
Mix the dry ingredients into the dough. Cover dough and chill until firm, at least 4 hours. You can form it into a disk before refrigerating it if you want. I usually don’t really bother (I’m lazy!).
Roll out the dough. You can see some of the tools I use for rolling and cutting out dough. I have a marble surface I work on. I love the dough scraper for getting under the dough if it sticks a bit. And, I have an old wooden rolling pin.
You can re-roll the scraps after cutting out the shapes. Just keep in mind that the dough will absorb a little more flour with each re-rolling (and thus get a little drier), so try to get as many cut outs as possible from each roll out.
Here are the baked cookies after coming out of the oven. The ones on the left are the 1-inch bite sized cookies. And the ones on the right are 1.5-inch rounds.
Filling
Allow the cookies to cool before frosting them.
Make the lemony filling by mixing the lemon peel with a little salt, then beating in the lemon extract, juice, butter, and powdered sugar.
Assemble
Spread the filling on flat side of 1 cookie. I like to use an offset spatula to frost them. Then, top with another cookie, with the flat side down.
Kitchen tools you may need
Note: these are affiliate links
Marble work surface
Round cookie cutters
heart shaped cookie cutters
Cute edible star sprinkles
parchment paper
silpat
dough scraper (I like that this one has measurements on it too)
mixing bowls
citrus squeezer
peel grater (rasp)
measuring spoons and cups
hand mixer
stand mixer
small pot
strainer for sifting
rolling pin
cookie sheets (I highly recommend these insulated ones without sides. They allow more air movement for better evenly baked cookies, and the cookies don’t burn as easily.)
offset spatula
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Lemon Sandwich Cookies Recipe
Lemon Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
COOKIES
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
- 3 & 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine grain salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 & ½ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
FILLING
- 1 & ½ tablespoons finely grated lemon peel
- 1/8 teaspoon fine grain salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For cookies
- Boil lemon juice and lemon peel in small saucepan until mixture is reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 4 to 5 minutes. Pour into small bowl and cool.
- Sift flour, salt, and baking soda into medium bowl, and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat softened butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar to butter, and beat until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in yolks. Beat in lemon juice mixture and lemon extract. Add dry ingredients and stir to blend well. Cover dough and chill until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days; store airtight in refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Roll out 1/3 of dough on lightly floured surface to scant 3/8-inch thickness. Using 1 to 2.5 inch round cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden at edges, about 5-12 minutes. Let cookies cool 5 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
For filling
- Using back of spoon, mash lemon peel and salt to paste in medium bowl. Add lemon extract and lemon juice, and mix to combine. Add butter, and using an electric mixer, beat until fluffy. Add sugar in batches, beating well after each addition.
For sandwiches
- Spread about 2 teaspoons filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Top with another cookie, flat side down. Repeat to make more sandwich cookies.
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks for linking at our virtual cookie swap! Looks delicious! My Mom LOVES Lemon – I should bake these for her 🙂
You have the best neighbors. I love a lemon cookie, I have to try this recipe.