Lemon & Poppyseed Shortbread Cookies with Homemade Lemon Curd
Looking for a sweet and zesty cookie that’s perfect for spring or Mother’s Day? These Lemon & Poppyseed Shortbread Cookies made with our Vanilla Shortbread Baking Mix are buttery, soft, and filled with the most delicious homemade lemon curd.
The fresh pop of lemon and subtle crunch of poppyseeds pair so perfectly together—and the lemon curd adds that extra something special to take them to the next level.
How to Make Lemon & Poppyseed Shortbread Cookies
You’ll need:
- 1 x Bake it by Giovannellis Vanilla Shortbread Cookies Baking Mix
- 2 tsp poppyseeds
- 2 egg yolks (as per mix instructions)
- Lemon curd (see below for full recipe, you can use store bought if you like)
Step-by-Step Instructions:
🍋 Make your lemon curd the day before so it can set in time. (Full recipe below!)
🍋 Prepare your Bake it by Giovannellis Shortbread Cookies Baking Mix as per the instructions. When adding your egg yolks, also add 2 tsp of poppyseeds.
🍋 Roll into balls you can make them whatever size you like. I made mine slightly smaller than a golf ball and got around 14 cookies.
🍋 Use your thumb or the back of a spoon to make a little dent in the centre of each cookie.
🍋 Place onto a lined baking tray and pop into the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours this is so our cookies hold their shape.
🍋 Preheat your oven to 175°C. Bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes, depending on their size.
🍋 Once out of the oven, you can gently press the centre again to deepen the dent if needed.
🍋 Let the cookies cool completely before adding the lemon curd. Once cool, spoon about 1 tsp of lemon curd into the centre of each cookie.
Store in the fridge due to the curd filling. And enjoy!
How to Make Homemade Lemon Curd Full Recipe
This silky smooth lemon curd is the perfect match for our shortbread cookies. It’s also great on toast, scones, or layered into cakes.
Ingredients:
- 40g unsalted butter (salted is also fine if it's all you have)
- 100g lemon juice (approx. 2 lemons)
- 115g caster sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 tsp lemon zest (about 1–1.5 lemons)
Instructions:
- Zest and juice your lemons. Try to only zest the outer peel, avoiding the white pith which can be bitter.
- Measure out all your ingredients before starting.
- In a small saucepan, add lemon juice, zest and butter over low heat. Slowly melt and warm through. We don't want this to overheat or be boiling it needs to slowly heat and melt
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar for a few minutes until pale and light. Only add the eggs and sugar as you are ready to mix don't leave them sitting, this is because sugar and eggs sitting together can start to affect the eggs so simply add when your ready and whisk away
- Slowly add the warm lemon butter mixture into the eggs a little at a time, whisking constantly. We do this so the eggs don’t cook or curdle as you are slowly adding in the heat and slowly warming them up.
- Once combined, return the whole mixture to the saucepan and continue to whisk over low heat. Don’t walk away, it needs to be stirred constantly.
- After about 5 minutes, the mixture will suddenly thicken. Keep whisking until it reaches a custard-like consistency. You may feel like it isn't doing anything for a while and all of a sudden you will notice it thicken.
- Pour the curd into a bowl and cover it with cling wrap, pushing the wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming. I always do this with my custards and curds etc I learnt to do this in my patisserie course in Italy so have always done it this way.
- Refrigerate overnight to cool and set. Once it cools and thickens it can be stored in a airtight container in the fridge. It is delicious on these cookies or in a tart but even on some toast for a different breakfast
It will last in the fridge for 7–14 days if stored properly. You’ll have more than enough for your cookies and some extra to enjoy later!
✨ Tap here to get your Shortbread Cookie Baking Mix and start baking at home!
Baking Creations As Chosen by You – Week 12
This bake was created as part of our As Chosen by You community series. Every Sunday our Instagram fam votes on the next creation—and this week, lemon and poppyseed was the winner! Follow us on Instagram @bakeitbygiovannellis to get involved and see what we’re baking nex
