chewy lemon cookies with a twist! stuffed with zesty lemon frangipane for a fresh, tangy, and melt-in-your-mouth surprise that lemon lovers will absolutely love!
Soft & Chewy Zesty Lemon Cookies with Lemon-Flavoured Frangipane
These Zesty Lemon Cookies are the ultimate summer baking treat! Bursting with bright, citrusy flavour, these soft and chewy cookies are perfect for spring and summer desserts. Each bite hides a surprise lemon frangipane filling, adding a deliciously creamy, nutty twist that elevates the classic lemon cookie. Light, tangy, and melt-in-your-mouth, these cookies are ideal for afternoon tea, picnics, or sunny weekend baking. If you love lemon desserts and want a cookie that screams summer, this lemon frangipane cookie recipe is a must-bake!
If you love lemon and fancy a easy no bake recipe instead, check out this lemon meringue rocky road!
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter– I use unsalted butter for these chocolate chip cookies, Unsalted butter gives you full control over the salt content in your cookie dough! It creates a rich, buttery base and Using room-temperature butter helps cream it smoothly with sugar, giving your cookies a perfectly soft and chewy structure.
- caster sugar– Caster sugar adds sweetness and helps achieve slightly crispy edges, giving that classic bakery-style cookie finish. You can use a mix of caster sugar and light brown sugar if you’d prefer. light brown sugar will add a slight caramel flavour!
- Egg- Eggs provide structure, stability, and moisture. They help bind the ingredients together and contribute to that soft and rich interior that makes cookies irresistible. This recipe uses one large egg and 1 egg yolk for the perfect consistency. I like to add an extra egg yolk as it makes the cookies richer, softer and chewier cookie!
- Golden Syrup- A game-changer for the perfect cookie texture! Golden syrup keeps the cookies moist and adds a light chewiness. It helps bind the ingredients while enhancing the overall flavour. If you’re looking for gooey, soft-centred cookies, golden syrup is a must.
- Lemon extract– Essential for that zesty lemon flavour.
- Plain flour– I use plain flour for these cookies then add my raising agents. this is also known as all purpose flour!
- Cornflour– Adding cornflour makes the texture even better so don’t skip this! it is also known as corn starch! if you don’t have access to this, don’t worry you can still make delicious cookies! just add 20g more plain flour!
- Raising Agents– I use baking powder and bicarb for these cookies. Baking powder helps to make the cookies rise, and maintain a risen structure. Bicarb reacts with the sugar which gives the cookies rise and softness without being cakey!
- White Chocolate-I used chopped up white chocolate in these cookies as i love a chunky pool of chocolate in my cookies. but also because supermarket own brand chocolate is a lot cheaper than chunks or chips. a 100g bar is 50p here in the uK, chocolate chips are around £1.50 for 100g! so i make my own chunks by chopping up the chocolate!
- Frangipane filling – A simple mix of butter, sugar, almond flour, and egg to create that gooey almond centre.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- Soft & Chewy– Enjoy the perfect cookie texture with slightly crisp edges and a melt-in-your-mouth centre.
- Double Lemon Flavour– Zesty lemon cookie dough combined with a tangy lemon frangipane filling makes this a lemon lover’s dream.
- Impressive Treat– Ideal for afternoon tea, picnics, or edible gifts, these cookies look as good as they taste.
- Perfect for Summer– Lemon is a staple flavour in the warmer months, making these cookies the ultimate summer dessert.
- Frangipane Filling– Adds a moist, rich, and buttery lemon surprise in every bite, taking your lemon cookie recipe to the next level.
Variations
- Add poppy seeds for a lemon poppy seed twist.
- Try adding some freeze dried raspberries, lemon and raspberry works amazingly together!
- Make it gluten-free by using your Favourite Gluten Free flour blend.
- Want extra zing? Add a lemon glaze after baking!
Tips & Tricks
- Chill the dough– Chilling helps control spreading and creates a better texture.
- Use a good quality lemon extract– It’s key for achieving that zesty taste.
- Don’t over-bake– These cookies are best when they stay soft and chewy in the centre.
- Mixing– You only need to mix the butter and sugar until combined, I wouldn’t recommend mixing it until it is light and fluffy!
Frequently asked questions
Can i use other chocolate?
Yes! Feel free to swap milk chocolate for dark, white, or even a mix of all three for triple chocolate cookies.
Do i have to use golden syrup?
I’d Absolutely try adding golden syrup to your cookies! Golden syrup adds chewiness, but you can substitute it with honey or maple syrup if needed.
How do i store these cookies?
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.
How do i get perfect shaped cookies?
Cookie rings! I love using cookie rings, they’re so easy to use. You simply swirl the cookie ring around the baked cookie to shape it perfectly circle! or you could bake the cookies in the cookie ring too! these are the cookie rings i use!
Recommended Equipment/ Ingredients
I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this! Thank you for supporting biteofthebakes!
Pin It
want more easy, delicious baking recipes? Save this post to Pinterest and subscribe to the blog so you never miss a new delicious bake! (click on the photo).
Save this recipe for later and share with fellow lemon lovers!
Loved this lemon cookie recipe? Don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating below! Share your cookie creations with me on Instagram @biteofthebakes or use the hashtag #biteofthebakes I’d love to see them!
Share your bake with our community over on Facebook!
Don’t want to miss a delicious dessert recipe? Subscribe here to get notified when a new recipe comes to the blog!
Recommended
Lemon Frangipane Stuffed Cookies
Ingredients
Lemon Cookies
- 120g Unsalted Butter
- 200g Caster Sugar
- 1 Medium Egg (50g).
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 260g Plain Flour
- 20g Cornflour
- 15g Golden Syrup
- 200g White Chocolate (Chips or Chopped).
- Zest of One Lemon
Lemon Frangipane
- 180g Ground Almond
- 120g Light Brown Sugar
- 25g Unsalted Butter
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp Lemon Flavouring/Extract
Instructions
Making The Filling
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together your ground almonds, sugar, egg, melted butter and lemon extract until combined. Chill in the fridge while you make your cookie dough.
Making The Cookie Dough
- I use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and caster sugar together until combined. This will take 1-2 minutes in an electric mixer (I use speed 3).
- Add the dry ingredients (Baking Powder, Salt, Bicarb, Plain Flour, Cornflour and Chocolate) into the bowl and mix for 30 seconds.
- Add in your egg, egg yolk, lemon flavouring and golden syrup into the mixture and mix until a cookie dough is formed (the dough will start coming away from the bowl which means it is ready!)
- Divide the dough into cookie balls, I weighed the dough out to make each cookie 110g-120g each!
- Portion the filling into 8 equal portions.
- Using your thumb, press a hole into the middle of your cookies and add a portion of frangipane filling and wrap the cookie dough around until it covers the filling completely!
- Place them on a lined baking tray, or into a container lined with baking paper. Chill them in the fridge for 10-20 minutes.
- While your dough is chilling, pre-heat your oven to gas mark 5/190c.
- Once chilled and your oven is pre-heated, place the cookie balls onto lined baking trays, leaving space (at least 2") between them to spread slightly. I fit 6 cookies onto my tray but you could bake your cookies in batches!
- Bake for 14 minutes, remove from the oven and leave the cookies to cool on the baking tray completely before moving. Your cookies will continue to cook once removed from the oven which makes the best gooey, soft and chewy cookies!
- Once cooled, decorate with icing and lemon zest (optional) then eat!
Notes
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you start baking.
- You can use milk, dark or white chocolate chips or a chopped up chocolate bar (which is what i do) for the cookies.
- Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.
- some of my favourite ingredients i use here in the UK. Plain Flour, Caster Sugar and Golden Syrup.