These balmy lemon thyme cookies with lemon curd will pair perfectly with a large pitcher of lemon verbena ice tea at your summer gathering! The classic 1950s thumbprint cookie recipe is made with chopped nuts, but for these, I omit the nuts, and roll in sugar instead, letting the lemon thyme flavor shine!
The filling is what makes this cookie exciting, and the possibilities are endless! For these chewy lemon thyme cookies, I made a delicious, creamy lemon curd out of coconut cream and lemon zest, and monk fruit!
What is Lemon Thyme Used For?
Lemon thyme is an aromatic herb in the mint family, and it smells and tastes just like lemon! It’s traditionally used in France in the popular Herbes de Provence, and used as a bouquet garnis to flavor soups and stocks. Lemon thyme is rich in vitamin C, iron, and B-complex. It also contains thymol and limonene which gives the lemon flavor.
I grow this on my balcony in partials sun, and strip the leaves to add to sauces, soups, and salads, and of course cookies! It’s the very last ingredient I add in so it doesn’t lose any flavor. The sprigs also make a lovely garnish to any dish!
Does it Make the Cookies Taste Like Lemon?
Yes it does! You can even add more lemon by simply squeezing half a meyer lemon to the dough if you think it isn’t enough. I chop the lemon thyme just before baking the cookies so it keeps the aromatic lemon flavor fresh!
Almond Flour Verses All Purpose Flour
I tested both. The almond flour yeilded a chewier cookie and didn’t flatten as much as the regular flour did. First use an electric mixer to cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and blend until fluffy. Sift the flour well and whisk in the chopped lemon thyme.
The Filling...
You can use whatever summer jam or jelly you’d like for these cookies. I love the new lemon curd I whipped up with monk fruit! Some other variations that pair well…
- Apricot jam
- Peach and ginger jam
- Mint jelly
- Strawberry chia jam
Because I wanted to test out a new vegan lemon curd recipe, I researched a basic lemon curd recipe and decided to omit the real butter all together. All you need is a can of coconut cream and some meyer lemons. They are sweeter! Then I used monk fruit sweetener as a sugar substitute and it worked out really well!
Some Classic Baking Tips From Vintage Cookbooks!
- Use a baking sheet, with no rims or edges. If you don’t have one, flip over a baking pan. This allow heat to evenly circulate around the cookies.
Place the baking sheet directly in the middle of the oven. Arrange oven racks if needed. This also helps with heat circulation and evenly baked cookies!
Don’t overmix when adding the flour.
Always grease the sheet and even parchment paper with butter or a cooking spray to ensure no sticking.
Once you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately transfer to cooling rack!
Lemon Thyme Thumbprint Cookies with Lemon Curd
These soft and chewy lemon thyme thumbprint cookies are a hit at tea time on a summer afternoon. A creamy warm lemon curd makes the perfect summer filling!
- Prep Time10 min
- Cook Time14 min
- Total Time24 min
- Yield12-15
Cookies
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup Bob’s all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh lemon thyme
Lemon Curd
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 1/2 cup Monk Fruit sweetener
- 1/4 cup meyer lemons squeezed
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot
- Pinch of salt
For the cookies
Preparing the spices
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix softened butter with sugar and egg yolk. Add in vanilla. Use an electric mixer and beat until fluffy about three minutes.
In another bowl, sift flour and mix with salt and finely chopped lemon thyme.
Stir all together with a spatula to combine, but don’t overmix.Chill dough for 30 minutes to make it easier to roll.
Roll into a ball the size of a walnut, and roll around in regular granulated sugar for a sweet taste. Press your thumb or the back of a wooden spoon into the ball. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and bake for for 12-14 minutes
Fill with lemon curd and garnish with a little sprig of fresh lemon thyme. Serve on a vintage mirror tray!
Lemon curd
For the lemon curd, combine all ingredients in a medium sized saucepan and whisk together on low to medium heat about three minutes until thickened. Take off the heat and let cool before filling cookies.
