Vegan Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Curd
These vegan shortbread cookies with lemon curd will melt in your mouth! They're delicate, buttery, and easy to make with a few wholesome, simple ingredients. The contrast between the crisp texture of the cookie and the luscious, tart lemon curd is drool-worthy.
Equipment
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Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon gluten free flour
- 1 ½ tablespoon vegan butter
Shortbread Cookies
- 1 cup vegan butter softened
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ⅔ cup gluten free all purpose flour reserve 1.5 tablespoon for the lemon curd
- ½ cup powdered sugar optional for dusting
Instructions
- Read the ingredient notes. Prepare and measure all ingredients before beginning.
Lemon Curd
- Add all of the ingredients to a small pot on the stove top on medium high heat. Whisk the mixture constantly until it begins to thicken. This will take 5-10 minutes and should coat the back of a spoon.½ cup coconut milk, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoon lemon zest, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon gluten free flour, 1 ½ tablespoon vegan butter
- Carefully pour the lemon curd into a heat-proof jar. Put the curd into the refrigerator to thicken while you make the cookies.
Shortbread Cookies
- Add the softened vegan butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until the butter is smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl.1 cup vegan butter
- Add the coconut sugar to the butter. Beat for about 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Then, beat in the vanilla on low.½ cup coconut sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in the gluten free flour on low gradually until a dough forms. The dough should be crumbly but stick together when handled.3 ⅔ cup gluten free all purpose flour
- Stop the mixer and form the dough into a sphere with your hands. Place the dough ball back in the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Dust a clean surface with flour and place the dough ball on it. Lightly dust it with flour and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to ⅛ inch thick.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out about 24 cookies. Use a small round cookie cutter or piping tip to cut the center out of half of them. Gather the scraps and roll them out as needed, continuing to flour your surface.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to the lined baking sheets, placing them about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 13-16 minutes until the edges are set and light golden brown.
- Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on it for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
Assembly
- Fill a piping bag with the lemon curd and pipe about 1 tablespoon into the middle of the cookies with the center intact. Place the remaining cookies on top, dust with powdered sugar, and serve.½ cup powdered sugar
Notes
Coconut Milk: Use coconut milk with any fat content. I personally used lite.
Flour: Make sure to measure your flour correctly using the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and swipe the excess flour back into the flour bag with a butter knife.
Make ahead: Prepare the dough and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Store it in the freezer for up to a month or in the refrigerator for up to a week. When you're ready to bake, simply thaw the dough for an hour in the fridge, make the lemon curd, and follow the remaining instructions.
Counter: Store the filled vegan shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Unfilled cookies will keep longer, up to 1 week.
Refrigerator: Only store the unused lemon curd in the refrigerator, not the cookies. The lemon curd can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Store the cookies (filled or unfilled) in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let them thaw for about an hour on the counter before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 191kcalCarbohydrates: 29.4gProtein: 1.3gFat: 7.6gSaturated Fat: 2.6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.8gMonounsaturated Fat: 2.7gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 69.7mgPotassium: 74.5mgFiber: 0.7gSugar: 10.7gVitamin A: 0IUVitamin C: 1.7mgCalcium: 1.8mgIron: 0.2mg
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