I’m back with ANOTHER lemon dessert!

I know, I know. It’s not for everyone, but they are DEFINITELY for me. And since Mother’s Day is this weekend, I thought: TREAT YO’SELF.

These Lemon Poppy Seed Thumbprint Cookies are incredible. They bake up flaky and buttery and soft and are filled with homemade lemon curd that is so bright and delicious. The combination of flavors and textures can’t be beat.

Thumbprint cookies are notorious for being finicky with a dough that is difficult to work with. I will say, it has taken me a few tries to get this dough right, and while they still crack a teensy bit, they more than make up for it with the taste and texture.

I will say this: follow the instructions in the recipe exactly. I have worked hard on testing these so that you won’t run into too-crumbly cookies. And before anyone asks, no you can’t swap out any of the ingredients. These have to be made just as they are written. Trust me.

These make for the perfect spring dessert – light and bright, cheery, sweet and tart. They are just delicious.

Ingredients You Need for These Lemon Poppy Seed Thumbprint Cookies:

Fresh lemons – we need both the zest and juice
Granulated sugar
Eggs
Unsalted butter
Lemon extract
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Cornstarch
Kosher salt
Poppy seeds

How to Make these Lemon Poppy Seed Thumbprint Cookies:

Start with the Lemon Curd:

Homemade is best here for both texture and flavor purposes, but a store-bought curd will work in a pinch. Try to find a good one, if you can!
To make the curd, add the lemon zest and juice to a medium saucepan. Add the sugar and set the pan over medium heat.
Stirring frequently, bring the mixture to a simmer and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Reduce the heat to low, making sure the mixture is below a simmer, and whisk in the butter and eggs. It’s very important to not let the mixture simmer, or you might curdle the eggs.
Stir almost constantly, keeping the mixture below a simmer, until it thickens.
Strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pushing the plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the lemon curd, and then cool completely. I like to keep the lemon curd in the fridge until it’s time to fill the cookies.

For the Cookie Dough:

Cream the butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth.
Add in the lemon zest, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and egg yolks. Mix to combine.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and poppy seeds.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until the dough comes together. If it’s a little crumbly, just press the dough with your hands until it comes together.
Using a 1-tablespoon scoop, scoop out balls of the dough and roll them smooth between your hands.
Roll the dough balls through granulated sugar and then transfer them to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Using the back of a ½-teaspoon measuring spoon, gently press a divot into the center of each cookie. If the edges crack apart, just gently press them back together with your fingers.
Once all the cookies have been pressed and formed, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer for 20 minutes. This is an important step to ensure the cookies keep that “thumbprint” shape – don’t skip it!
Remove the cookies from the freezer and transfer straight to a 375°F oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges and set.

Fill the Cookies:

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the tray.
Once they are cooled, fill the cookies with the lemon curd, using roughly 1 teaspoon for each cookie.
Allow them to set completely before storing – for me this took about 30 minutes of sitting at room temperature.

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Mother’s Day or not, I could eat these by the plateful. They are a lemon lover’s dream cookie!