Meyer Lemon Sable Cookies with Lemon Curd and Toasted Italian Meringue Buttercream

Crisp, buttery Meyer lemon sable cookies sandwiched with tangy Meyer lemon curd and toasted Italian meringue buttercream. Lots of lemony goodness in these delicious lemon sandwich cookies. They're a sandwich cookie version of a lemon meringue pie.

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Why these cookies are so good:

• Chock full of lemon - lemon cookies with a lemon glaze and lemon curd in the filling
• Toasted Italian meringue buttercream - you get to play with a kitchen torch
• They're super cute in the shape of lemons.
• When life gives you lemons - make lemon sable cookies

Ingredients:

• Meyer lemons - yes you can use any kind of lemon, I happen to have a Meyer lemon tree so that is what I use
• Flour - use all purpose
• Corn Starch - adds to that melt in your mouth texture
• Confectioners Sugar - I prefer this over granulated sugar for shortbread cookies
• Vanilla sugar - I use this in place of vanilla extract
• Egg yolks - just the yolks from large eggs, save the whites for the buttercream
• Butter - I use unsalted here
• Heavy Cream - to soften the dough slightly
• Kosher salt - Diamond brand is my go to, use less if using Morton as it is a saltier salt

See recipe for exact amounts.

Lemon cookies require a lemon shaped cookie cutter. I got this cutter in a set with a few other fruit shaped cookie cutters. They are all so cute.

To make the lemon cookies:

Mix the dough in a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand mixer then divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic and chill for an hour or so.

Roll out thinly between two pieces of wax paper or parchment then cut out the shapes but don't remove the shapes yet, freeze the cut out shapes for a few min ( slide the wax or parchment paper onto a baking sheet and place in freezer). This helps them not only keep their shape while baking but make it a lot easuer to transfer to a parchment lined baking tray.

You could also cut them out on the parchment, carefully remove the dough around the cutouts and freeze that way. Slide the cookies an inch or so apart from each other then bake.

Pro Tip:

Do not use flour when rolling out the cookies. This will add more flour to the cookies resulting in a floury, less tasty cookie. More bland and more crumbly. And we don't want that.

Make the glaze:

Make the glaze while the cookies are baking. Take them out of the oven at the 9 minute mark. Glaze the cookies quickly (I use a thin pastry brush) then pop the tray back into the oven for the last minute or until the edges are starting to turn a little golden. This way the glaze melts and will harden upon cooling and will have a nice sheen to it. And it won't smudge.

You could stop here and eat the lemon sable cookies as is. Which is totally fine since they are so delicious as is. OR you can be extra like I am and sandwich with torched Italian meringue buttercream and lemon curd.

Make the torched Italian meringue buttercream:

This is a fun one. You torch the meringue once it is whipped to stiff peaks. Torch it lightly by moving the torch back and forth over the meringue as you go, only a few seconds a at a time, mix and torch again. Repeat as many times as you like. Do this BEFORE adding the butter. Once the buttercream is done it is time to assemble the cookies.

Meyer lemon curd:

I use my Meyer lemon curd for this recipe. It makes a lot but it freezes really well and you can use the curd for a variety of recipes:

• Filling for my Meyer Lemon Crumb Muffins
• Topping for a Pavlova
• Filling for cookies
• Spread it on toast or pastry like a croissant and more

Make the lemon sandwich cookies:

• Pipe an oval of the torched Italian merinuge butterceram around the bottom of one of the cookies ( the non glazed side)
• Fill with a half a teasopoon or so of lemon curd ( I made my meyer lemon curd for these)
• Top with another glazed lemon sable cookie ( glazed side up) and repeat.
• You may have leftover buttercream. It freezer well in a deli container. Thaw at room temperature and mix with a stand mixer or hand mixer to make light and fluffy again before using

What are sable cookies:

French sable (sablé) cookies are similar to English shortbread, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth tender with the addition of egg yolks in the dough. The egg yolks make the dough even more tender and delicate. Perfect for a lemon cookie.

Equipment needed:

• Baking sheets
• Parchment Paper
• Stand Mixer or bowl with hand mixer
• Food Scale
• Cooling Racks
• Pastry Brush
• Kitchen Torch - great for Creme Brûlée too

Some more sweet Meyer lemon recipes to try:

Some savory Meyer lemon recipes to also try:

Meyer Lemon Sable Cookies - with Meyer lemon curd and torched Italian meringue buttercream recipe

Shanna

Makes 25 sandwich cookies - can make just the cookies or go all out and sandwich with Meyer lemon curd and the torched Italian Meringue buttercream.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Cooling and sandwiching 1 hour hr

Total Time 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• For the lemon sable cookies:
• 300 g All purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons

  Corn starch


  (20 g)
• ⅛ teaspoon

  Kosher salt


• 100 g Confectioners sugar
• 1 packet vanilla sugar (9g)
• 2 large egg yolks (reserve the whites for the buttercream)
• 3 Tablespoons Meyer lemon zest
• 2 Tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons

  heavy cream
175 g unsalted butter,

  softened to cool room temperature
• Glaze:
• 100 g confectioners sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
• Pinch kosher salt
• Italian meringue butter cream:
• 2 large egg whites 100g
• ¼ teaspoons cream of tartar
• 160 g granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 200 g butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 50-80 g Meyer Lemon Curd (linked in blog post and instructions)

Instructions

 

• If you want you make these as sandwich cookies make the Meyer Lemon Curd the day before so it has time to set up and chill. Times are approximate for prep, baking, making the buttercream and assembly.
• Sift the flour, corn starch, confectioners sugar and salt into a medium bowl.
• In a larger bowl or stand mixer, cream the softened butter then add the vanilla sugar, egg yolks and the lemon zest and mix until combined.
Add in the flour mixture and mix again until combined. Do not overmix.
• Form a ball with the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/180° c and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3-5 mm between 2 sheets of parchment paper or wax paper (the dough sticks slightly) then cut out the shapes with a cookie cutter.
• Pro Tip - Chill the dough in the freezer for just a few minutes when rolled out then again after cutting out shapes so they lift out easier due to being a sticky dough and so they don’t spread when baking.
• Arrange the cut out cookies on the prepared pan, put in the oven and bake them for 10 minutes.

  (You will glaze them at 9 minute then bake for another minute)
• While they are baking make the lemon glaze by whisking together the confectioners sugar, lemon juice and salt until smooth and no lumps are left.
• Take the tray out of the oven and quickly glaze the cookies with brushing on the lemon glaze. Pop them back in the oven for another minute.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute or two, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• While they are cooling make the buttercream then finish making the sandwich cookies.
• Make the lemon Italian meringue butter cream:
• Whip egg whites, cream of tartar and 60 g sugar on low until foamy - keep mixer running on low
• Mix 100 g sugar with 50 g water in sauce pan and bring to boil after sugar dissolves, stirring until the sugar is dissolved
• Heat to 240 Deg F. Using a clip on candy thermometer
• The egg whites should be at soft peaks by the time the sugar syrup reaches 240 F. Carefully pour the sugar syrup into the mixer avoiding the whisk and sides of the bowl as best as you can
• Whip until the bowl is cool. See below if torching the meringue. Do this before adding the butter.
• Switch to paddle attachment. Add in soft butter one tablespoon at a time. Add in vanilla. Mix until smooth and thick.
• Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small open star tip and pipe a circle onto one half of the bottom of a cookie, fill center with a teaspoon of lemon curd. Sandwich together with another lemon cookie. Keep chilled and bring to room temp before serving.

Notes

Toast the meringue in stages before adding the butter. Stop the mixer and toast with a kitchen torch. Keep the torch about 6 or so inches away and move around as you torch in little bursts. You don’t want to concentrate on any one area for more than a split second.

Mix on low to break up the pieces of torched meringue. Repeat 3-4 more times until there are lots of little bits of toasted meringue. Add in the butter and remaining ingredients as instructed above.