Description
These Italian Lemon Cookies are soft and fragrant olive oil cookies infused with fresh lemon zest, filled with tangy lemon curd, and dipped in a fragrant lemon basil syrup. Featuring a vibrant combination of zesty lemon, aromatic basil, and rich olive oil, these cookies are shaped like lemons and bring a delightful touch of Italian-inspired elegance to any dessert table or celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 lemons (zested)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup olive oil (extra virgin for more flavor or light for less flavor)
- 3 tablespoons milk (whole milk or milk of your choice)
- 3 cups all purpose flour (360g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Lemon Basil Syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
- 5 sprigs fresh basil (optional)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 lemons (juice and zest)
- ¼ cup limoncello (optional)
- Yellow food coloring (as needed)
- Green food coloring (as needed)
Fillings and Decorations
- 1 cup lemon curd
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for coating the cookies)
- 12 fresh basil leaves (for the lemon "leaves")
Instructions
- Prepare the cookie dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar with the lemon zest until fragrant. Add in the eggs, olive oil, milk, and vanilla extract, whisking until smooth and well combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently until a smooth dough forms. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to handle and shape.
- Shape the cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it into small balls. Shape each ball into a lemon shape by gently pinching one end to form a tapered tip.
- Coat the cookies: Roll each shaped cookie in granulated sugar to create a sparkling outer texture. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them apart.
- Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until they are lightly golden and set but still soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the lemon basil syrup: In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, basil sprigs, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest, and limoncello if using. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until slightly thickened and infused with basil aroma. Add yellow and green food coloring as needed to resemble a lemon and leaves for visual effect. Remove from heat and cool.
- Fill the cookies: Once cooled, carefully slice each cookie horizontally and spoon or pipe a generous amount of lemon curd into the center, then sandwich back together.
- Dip in syrup and decorate: Dip each filled cookie into the lemon basil syrup briefly to coat, then place on a rack to allow excess syrup to drip off. Garnish each cookie with a fresh basil leaf to mimic the lemon leaves for an elegant finish.
- Serve and enjoy: Let the syrup set slightly before serving these vibrant, flavorful Italian lemon cookies as a perfect dessert or celebration treat.
Notes
- Use extra virgin olive oil for a more robust flavor or light olive oil for a milder taste.
- If lemon curd is not available, homemade or store-bought lemon jam can be used as an alternative filling.
- The lemon basil syrup enhances both flavor and appearance—do not skip it for the authentic experience.
- Chilling the dough helps with shaping the cookies and prevents spreading during baking.
- The cookies are best served within two days for optimum freshness or can be stored airtight for up to 3 days.
- For a non-alcoholic version, omit the limoncello from the syrup.
- Adjust food coloring carefully to achieve natural-looking lemon and leaf colors.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 465 kcal
- Sugar: 56 g
- Sodium: 192 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.04 g
- Carbohydrates: 83 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 28 mg
