1-Gathering and Prepping: First off, heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line those baking trays with parchment paper to avoid any sticky messes. Measure out all your ingredients ahead of time; it’s a game-changer for smooth sailing. From the directions, combine granulated sugar and lemon zest for the curd, then mix in lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks, and kosher salt cook it on medium heat while whisking until it thickens, stir in chilled unsalted butter and vanilla extract, and pop it in the fridge.

2-Mixing and Baking: Next, cream unsalted butter at room temperature with granulated sugar until it’s light and fluffy that’s how you get that tender dough. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well, and for egg-free options, aquafaba works great. In another bowl, blend flour, salt, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice, then fold it into the wet mix. Scoop the dough onto your trays, space them out, and bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges turn golden. While that’s going, whip up the meringue by beating egg whites and powdered sugar to stiff peaks for vegan swaps, use aquafaba here too.

3-Finishing Touches: Once the cookies cool a bit, add a generous layer of meringue on top and shape those peaks for a fancy look. Pop them back in the oven for 5 minutes under the broiler to golden up the tips. Let them cool fully to keep that crisp texture, just like in the directions where you bake the dough balls for 10 to 12 minutes, make an indentation, add the curd, and bake a little more. For more lemon ideas, check out this silky lemon cream treat on our site.