½cupsoftened butter, at room temperature(113 grams)
1large egg
1large egg yolk
3tablespoonslemon juice
1teaspoonvanilla extract
2 ¼cupsall-purpose flour(303 grams)
½teaspoonbaking powder
¼teaspoonsalt
½cuppowdered sugar(60 grams)
Strawberry curd
8ouncessliced strawberries
1tablespoonwater
1large egg
1large egg yolk
½cupgranulated sugar(100 grams)
1tablespooncornstarch
1tablespoonlemon juice
3tablespoonscold butter, cut into small chunks(42 grams)
Instructions
Prepare cookie dough. Rub ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar with lemon zest to extract the oil. Combine sugar with zest and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add egg and egg yolk, mixing until well combined. Add lemon juice and vanilla, mixing well.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring until combined. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and fold just until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.
Meanwhile, prepare strawberry curd. Combine sliced strawberries and water in a medium sauce pot. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to cook until strawberries softened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and puree strawberries until smooth. Strain puree, discarding seeds.
Whisk egg, egg yolk, and sugar in a heat safe bowl. Whisk together cornstarch and lemon juice in a small bowl until cornstarch dissolves. Add cornstarch mixture to egg mixture.
Slowly add strawberry puree to egg mixture, whisking constantly while adding puree. Pour strawberry mixture back into the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Continue to simmer until curd thickens. Remove from heat and add butter, stirring until melted. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface of the curd. Let cool completely.
Place remaining ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar in a shallow bowl and powdered sugar in another shallow bowl. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and portion cookies, about 2 tablespoons per cookie. Roll into balls and repeat with remaining dough. Roll each cookie dough in granulated sugar then in the powdered sugar, generously coating them. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, placing them 2 inches apart.
Press the cookies down halfwfay with a half tablespoon measuring spoon to make an indent in the center. Fill the indent with 1 teaspoon of strawberry curd. Chill cookies in the refridgerator while oven preheats.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the cookies one tray at a time for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are set and the cookies have developed a little color on the bottom. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
You can prepare the strawberry curd up to 3 days in advance.If fresh strawberries are not available, you can use frozen.This recipe makes extra strawberry curd. You can double or triple the recipe for the cookie dough if you want to use up all the curd.