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Lemon Blueberry Layered Cookies Recipe

★★★★★

4.6 from 96 reviews
  • Author: Hugo
  • Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes (including chilling time)
  • Yield: Approximately 24 cookies (2-inch size) 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Lemon Blueberry Cookies combine the tart brightness of lemon with the sweet, juicy flavor of blueberries in a beautifully layered, colorful cookie. These cookies feature a unique technique of layering lemon-flavored dough with different intensities of blueberry sauce, resulting in a vibrant and flavorful treat that is perfect for springtime or any occasion. The use of a blueberry reduction sauce gives depth to the blueberry flavor while maintaining a tender and buttery cookie base.

Ingredients

Scale

Blueberry Reduction

  • 1 cup blueberries (150g)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
  • 1 pinch citric acid (optional)

Cookie Dough

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (225g), room temperature
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar (150g)
  • 1 large egg, divided
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1½ tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon)
  • 3⅓ cup all-purpose flour (420g), sifted
  • Blue/purple food coloring (as needed)

Instructions

  1. Do Ahead: Remove butter from the refrigerator the night before or a few hours before baking to allow it to reach room temperature. Prepare the blueberry reduction a few days ahead and refrigerate until use.
  2. Make the Blueberry Reduction: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, granulated sugar, and optional citric acid. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Blend the mixture using a blender or immersion blender. Strain through a sieve back into the saucepan.
  3. Cook the Blueberry Sauce: Return the saucepan to low boil and simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
  4. Mix Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the room temperature unsalted butter and powdered sugar on low speed until fully combined.
  5. Add Eggs and Flavorings: Mix in the egg yolk and half of the egg white, reserving the rest of the egg white for later. Add vanilla extract, kosher salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest, mixing to combine thoroughly.
  6. Incorporate Flour: Add the sifted flour in thirds, mixing after each addition just until combined to form a dough.
  7. Divide and Color Dough: Divide the dough evenly into four balls. One ball remains plain lemon dough. To the first ball, knead in two tablespoons of blueberry sauce and blue/purple food coloring to create the darkest layer. To the second, knead in one and a half tablespoons of blueberry sauce with food coloring for a medium-dark layer. To the third ball, knead in half to one tablespoon of blueberry sauce with food coloring for a lighter blueberry layer.
  8. Chill Dough: Wrap each dough ball tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to firm up.
  9. Roll Out Dough Layers: Roll each chilled dough ball out to ⅛-inch thickness between sheets of parchment paper or thin plastic sheets.
  10. Prepare Egg White ‘Glue’: Mix a small splash of the reserved egg white with water to create an adhesive for assembling dough layers.
  11. Assemble Cookie Layers: Starting with the plain lemon dough, brush a thin layer of the egg white glue on top. Layer the next lightest blueberry dough on top, brush with glue, then add the next darker blueberry dough, brush with glue, and finish with the darkest blueberry dough layer. Press gently to smooth and remove air bubbles.
  12. Cut Cookies: Use a 2-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter (or shape of your choice) to punch out cookies from the layered dough stack.
  13. Prepare for Baking: Place cookies 1 inch apart on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Freeze the tray for about 10 minutes until the cookies are solid.
  14. Bake Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake cookies for 7 minutes, then remove the tray and let them rest for 5 minutes. Return tray to the oven, turn the oven off, and allow cookies to finish baking in the residual heat for 20 minutes. This baking method helps preserve vibrant colors.
  15. Cool: Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely before serving or storing.

Notes

  • Allowing the butter to come to room temperature is crucial for smooth dough.
  • The blueberry reduction can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to several days.
  • Use gloves when handling blueberry-colored dough to avoid staining your hands.
  • Freezing the cookies before baking helps preserve their shape and vibrant colors.
  • The unique baking method with residual oven heat prevents overbaking and retains color intensity.
  • Adjust the amount of blueberry sauce and food coloring to achieve desired dough colors.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: lemon blueberry cookies, layered cookies, blueberry reduction, lemon zest cookies, colorful cookies, spring cookies

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Find it online: https://flavorsbyhugo.com/lemon-blueberry-layered-cookies-recipe/