English Lemon-curd Cookies

Total Time: 42 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup pecans, finely ground
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup lemon juice, and zest
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 egg yolks
• confectioners' sugar

Recipe

• 1 dough: combine flour, salt and baking powder in bowl.
• 2 beat butter and sugar in large bowl until creamy.
• 3 beat in egg, lemon extract and vanilla until fluffy.
• 4 stir in flour mixture and pecans.
• 5 divide dough in half; shape into disks.
• 6 wrap in plastic wrap.
• 7 refrigerate 1 hour.
• 8 heat oven to 350 degrees.
• 9 on lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll half of dough 1/8 inch thick.
• 10 with floured 3-inch fluted round cookie cutter, cut out dough.
• 11 place, 1 inch apart, on ungreased baking sheets.
• 12 with floured 1 ½-inch round cookie cutter, cut out centers from half the cookies.
• 13 reroll centers and trimmings.
• 14 repeat with other half of dough.
• 15 bake in 350 degree oven 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
• 16 cool on racks.
• 17 store at room temperature or freeze.
• 18 curd:
• 19 micro wave method: using the ingredients called for here and cook as directed in lemon curd (stove top or microwave method) lime or orange curd.
• 20 or.
• 21 combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, rind and butter in saucepan.
• 22 place pan in skillet half filled with simmering water over medium-low heat.
• 23 whisk in yolks; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened enough to coat spoon, 5 minutes (temperature should read 160 degrees); do not boil.
• 24 pour into small bowl; cover surface directly with plastic wrap.
• 25 refrigerate to chill, 2 hours.
• 26 sprinkle confectioners' sugar on cookies with cut-out centers.
• 27 spread 1 tablespoon curd over each cookie without cut-out center; top with sugared cookie, pressing lightly to form sandwich.