MEYER LEMON SHORTBREAD COOKIES

​makes 20 sandwich cookies
 
from Emily Luchetti and SAVEUR
 
For the Lemon Curd-
 ¼ cup sugar
1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks
¼ cup Meyer lemon juice (zest the lemons first to use in the shortbread)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ tablespoon chilled unsalted butter
 
In a small non-reactive saucepan, whisk together the sugar, egg, and egg yolks until smooth. Add the lemon juice and salt, and cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the curd begins to thicken and bubbles start to break the surface. Remove from the heat and whisk the butter into the curd until smooth. Strain the curd through a fine mesh strainer set over a heatproof bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate the lemon curd until completely chilled, at least 2 hours.
 
For the Shortbread Cookies-
 
(these are very tender; I’ve added rice flour in addition to the all-purpose flour for a more traditional shortbread; if you don’t have rice flour, use 1⅓ cups of all-purpose; I’ve also added the vanilla bean which pairs well with the sweetness of the Meyer lemons)
 
​6 tablespoons sugar
finely grated zest of 2 Meyer lemons
1  vanilla bean, split, beans scraped with the tip of a small paring knife
1 cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup rice flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces
 
Use your fingers to combine the sugar with the lemon zest and vanilla bean seeds.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flours with the kosher salt then add the butter pieces and the sugar mixture. Beat on medium-low speed until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper and shape it into a disc. Dust the top of the dough with a bit of flour, and roll the dough out to a ¼” thickness. Use a 1¾” cookie cutter to cut out approximately 40 circles, rerolling the scraps once. Place the cookies on parchment lined baking sheets and refrigerate the cookies for at least an hour before baking.
 
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Bake the cookies until lightly golden, about 16-18 minutes (depending on your oven) being sure to rotate the cookie sheets halfway through. Transfer the baking sheets to a rack and let the cookies cool completely before filling them. Sandwich the cooled cookies with one teaspoon of lemon curd. The cookies can be chilled for an hour before serving.