Lemon Cracked Cookies with Lemon Cream

Ingredients

• 150 g White sugar (Granulated sugar)
• 2 c. à soupe Lemon zest (Zest of 2 lemons)
• 80 ml Fresh lemon juice (Juice of 2 lemons)
• 2 unités Egg yolks
• 2 unités Whole eggs
• 100 g Cold butter (Unsalted butter, diced)
• 100 g Unsalted butter (for dough) (Melted and cooled butter)
• 120 g Brown sugar (Brown cane sugar)
• 2 c. à café Lemon zest (for dough) (Additional zest)
• 30 ml Lemon juice (for dough) (Lemon juice)
• 1 c. à café Vanilla extract (Pure extract)
• 250 g All-purpose flour (Sifted flour)
• 1 c. à café Baking powder (Leavening powder)
• 0.5 c. à café Salt (Fine salt)
• 150 g Powdered sugar (For rolling the balls)

Instructions

1. Sugar the lemon for the cream

   In a bowl, mix the white sugar with the lemon zest. Rub between your fingers for 2 minutes to flavor the sugar.

   Time: PT2M

2. Cook the lemon cream

   Transfer the scented sugar to a saucepan. Add the lemon juice, egg yolks and whole eggs. Whisk until homogeneous then heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened (about 5 minutes).

   Time: PT5M

3. Incorporate the cold butter

   Remove the saucepan from the heat, let cool to ~40 °C (about 5 minutes). Add the cold diced butter and blend with an immersion blender until you obtain a smooth, creamy cream.

   Time: PT7M

4. Cream rest

   Pour the cream into a bowl, cover with cling film in contact and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

   Time: PT3H

5. Melt the butter for the dough

   Melt 100 g of unsalted butter in the microwave (about 1 minute) then let it warm slightly.

   Time: PT1M

6. Sugar the lemon for the dough

   In another bowl, mix the brown sugar with the lemon zest. Rub for 2 minutes.

   Time: PT2M

7. Mix the wet ingredients

   Add the melted butter, whole eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract to the sugar‑zest mixture. Whisk until you obtain a homogeneous dough.

   Time: PT2M

8. Incorporate the dry ingredients

   Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold them into the dough using a spatula or silicone scraper until you obtain a creamy dough.

   Time: PT2M

9. Dough rest

   Form a ball with the dough, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

   Time: PT2H

10. Shape the cookies

    Divide the dough into 29 g portions (about 20 balls). Roll each ball between your palms, then generously coat with powdered sugar.

    Time: PT10M

11. Form the well

    Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spaced apart. Using a small spoon, dig a small well in the centre of each cookie.

    Time: PT5M

12. Fill with lemon cream

    Take the cream out of the refrigerator, stir to achieve a supple texture and place a spoonful of cream into each well.

    Time: PT5M

13. Quick freeze

    Place the sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes so the cream sets before baking.

    Time: PT15M

14. Bake

    Preheat the oven to 185 °C fan‑forced. Bake the cookies 10‑12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden.

    Time: PT12M

    Temperature: 185°C

15. Cooling and serving

    Let the cookies cool completely on a rack before handling. Store in the refrigerator.

    Time: PT10M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

120

Protein

2 g

Carbohydrates

15 g

Fat

6 g

Fiber

0.5 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of White sugar: cane sugar
• Instead of Lemon zest: candied lemon zest
• Instead of Fresh lemon juice: bottled lemon juice
• Instead of Cold butter: margarine
• Instead of Unsalted butter (for dough): vegetable oil
• Instead of Brown sugar: white sugar
• Instead of Vanilla extract: vanilla powder
• Instead of All-purpose flour: whole wheat flour
• Instead of Powdered sugar: icing sugar

Equipment Needed

• Mixing bowl
• Saucepan
• Immersion blender
• Microwave (optional)
• Kitchen scale
• Whisk
• Silicone spatula
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Parisian spoon
• Oven
• Freezer (optional)
• Cooling rack (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Thicken the cream without letting it burn
• Cool the cream to ~40 °C before adding the butter
• Observe the resting time for butter and dough in the refrigerator
• Dig a well deep enough for the filling
• Do not exceed 12 minutes of baking to avoid the cookies hardening

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use untreated organic lemons for a more aromatic zest.
• For an even more intense flavor, add a drizzle of candied zest to the cream.
• Lightly dust with extra powdered sugar after baking for a sparkling finish.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the cookies in an airtight container for 5 days.

Freezer: Cookies freeze up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature.

Room temperature: Consume within the day if kept at room temperature.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Lemon cream can be prepared 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated.
• The dough can be refrigerated up to 24 hours before shaping.
• Baked cookies keep well in the refrigerator, but are best the same day.