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Home » Desserts » Cookies & Bars » Italian Lemon Stuffed Cookies

Italian Lemon Stuffed Cookies

By: Rosemary Published: June 7, 2022 Updated on: June 7, 2022

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If you love the taste of lemons then this Italian Lemon Stuffed Cookie is for you. A simple dough is stuffed with a delicious Italian pastry cream then baked. So good you can’t stop at one. A dusting of powdered sugar or a lemon glaze makes them dessert worthy!

Stuffed cookies on a wooden board.

I should probably have started a Lemon blog rather than a Bread Blog with all the lemon recipes I seem to post! These cookies are based on a favourite store bought cookie that is sold in Italy. Where they are known as Biscotti Grisbi.

Table of Contents

  • Table of contents
  • Recipe Ingredients
      • Lemon Pastry Cream
      • Cookie Dough
      • Lemon Glaze
  • How to make them
      • Never Miss a Recipe!
  • How to keep cookies from spreading
  • How long does cookie dough last in the fridge?
  • Can the dough be made by hand?
  • Substitute for Pastry cream
  • How to store them
  • More Italian Cookie Recipes
  • Italian Lemon Stuffed Cookies
    • Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 1x2x3x
      • LEMON PASTRY CREAM
      • COOKIE DOUGH
      • EXTRAS
      • LEMON GLAZE
    • Instructions 
      • LEMON PASTRY CREAM
      • COOKIE DOUGH
      • LEMON GLAZE
    • Notes
    • Nutrition

Table of contents

  • How to make them
  • Can the dough be made by hand?
  • How to store them
  • More Italian Cookie Recipes

Recipe Ingredients

Lemon Pastry Cream

  • Milk – I use 2% or whole milk
  • Cream – be sure to use heavy, whole or whipping cream, it should have at least 30% fat
  • Lemon Peel
  • Egg Yolk – Room temperature – be sure to remove from the fridge about an hour before using, a little more if your house is cool or cold.
  • Sugar – granulated sugar or even fine sugar
  • Flour – all purpose
  • Vanilla

Cookie Dough

  • Flour – all purpose with at least 11% protein
  • Baking soda
  • Powdered sugar – or also known as icing or confectioners sugar or you can even make your own Powdered Sugar.
  • Salt – a pinch if you use unsalted butter then add 1/4 teaspoon
  • Lemon zest
  • Egg yolks – room temperature
  • Butter – soft

Lemon Glaze

  • Powdered sugar
  • Cream – for this you can use whole cream or half and half
  • Lemon juice

How to make them

Start by making the Lemon Pastry Cream

In a medium pot, heat the milk, cream and lemon rind, until very hot but do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool to warm.

In a medium pot add yolks and sugar, whisk together until combined, then add the flour and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Place the pot back on the stove, and pour into the pot the warm milk/cream mixture through a sieve this is to remove the lemon rind. Whisk the cream continuously until thickened.

yolks in a pot and milk and cream in a pot

Remove from heat and let cool for about 15 minutes. Then move to a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 1-2 hours.

the thickened cream and cooling in a white bowl

While the pastry cream is in the fridge, make the cookie dough. In a mixing bowl or food processor whisk together the flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and zest, then add the yolks and butter.

whisked dry ingredients in a food processor and the egg yolks & butter added

Pulse or mix with the flat beaters to form a compact dough. Move the dough to a flat surface and form into a soft dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

forming the dough in a food processor and a dough ball on plastic wrap
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    Roll the dough on a lightly floured flat surface to a 1/8″ thickness, cut out with medium round cookie cutters, place a teaspoon of pastry cream in the middle and cover with another round dough cut out, gently make a slight dome with the top round, so that it doesn’t flatten the cream.

    rolling out the dough. cut into circles with pastry cream on top and covered with a dough circle

    Seal the edges with wet fingers, if you prefer you can seal it first with the tongs of a fork, then again with wet fingers. Bake and when cool dust with powdered sugar or a lemon glaze.

    Unglazed lemon cookies on a board.

    How to keep cookies from spreading

    To keep your cookies from spreading be sure to use a higher protein flour with at least 11% protein. Refrigerate your cookie dough for at least an hour, and refrigerate the formed cookies while the oven is pre-heating.

    How long does cookie dough last in the fridge?

    Cookie dough will last up to 3 days wrapped well in plastic wrap in the fridge. Some will insist that It is also a good idea to refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 12-24 hours before baking, this creates a more flavourful cookie.

    Can the dough be made by hand?

    The dough can be made by hand and in a stand up mixer. If making by hand, whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the middle and add the yolks and butter, mix together with a fork, then move to a lightly floured flat surface and gently knead the dough to form a soft compact dough.

    Substitute for Pastry cream

    If you wish you could also stuff the cookies with Nutella, a Chocolate Cream, a Pistachio Cream or even your favourite jam. Make sure they are chilled and firm before spooning onto the cookie.

    4 cookies on a wooden board.

    How to store them

    The cookies should be stored in an airtight container, they can be kept at room temperature for a day, or refrigerate for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen in a freezer safe container, with parchment paper between the layers. They will keep for up to 6 months.

    More Italian Cookie Recipes

    • Amaretti Cookies
    • Canestrelli
    • Italian Butter Cookies
    • Italian Lemon Cookies

    This dough is known as a pasta frolla which is quite versatile. Also used in a Crostata or even made into Cookies for Christmas. So if you love lemon and cookies as much as we do, I hope you give these Italian Lemon Stuffed Cookies a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

    A stuffed cookie cut in half.
    Stuffed cookies on a wooden board.

    Italian Lemon Stuffed Cookies

    Rosemary Molloy
    If you love the taste of lemons then this Italian Lemon Stuffed Cookie is for you. A simple dough filled with a delicious Italian pastry cream then baked.
    5 from 21 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 13 mins
    Chilling Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs 13 mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 10 cookies
    Calories 240 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    LEMON PASTRY CREAM

    • ½ cup milk (I used 2%)
    • ½ cup whole/heavy cream
    • peel from 1-2 lemons (no white)
    • 2 large egg yolks
    • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 ½ tablespoons all purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla

    COOKIE DOUGH

    • 1½ cups + 3 tablespoons all purpose flour (210 grams total)
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ cup + 2 ½ tablespoons powdered/icing sugar (78 grams total)
    • 1 pinch salt
    • zest from ½ lemon
    • 2 large egg yolks
    • ½ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons butter (cold) (133 grams total)

    EXTRAS

    • 3-4 tablespoons powdered/icing sugar

    LEMON GLAZE

    • ½ cup powdered/icing sugar (sifted)
    • ½ tablespoon whole/whipping cream
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

    Instructions
     

    LEMON PASTRY CREAM

    • In a medium pot, heat the milk, cream and lemon rind on medium/low heat, until very hot but do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool to warm.  
      In a medium pot add the yolks and sugar, whisk together until combined, then add the flour and vanilla, whisk again until smooth. Place the pot back on the stove on medium/low heat, and pour the warm milk/cream mixture through a sieve to remove the lemon rind (discard). Whisk continuously until thick. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 15 minutes. Then move to a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap (make sure the plastic is touching the cream) and refrigerate for approximately 1-2 hours.

    COOKIE DOUGH

    • While the pastry cream is in the fridge, make the cookie dough. In a mixing bowl or food processor whisk together the flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and zest, then add the yolks and butter. Pulse or mix with the flat beaters to form a compact dough. Move the dough to a flat surface and form into a dough ball. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for approximately 45-60 minutes.
    • Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
    • Remove the dough and pastry cream from the fridge. Roll the dough on a lightly floured flat surface to a 1/8" thickness (or a little thicker if you prefer), make 20 cut outs with a medium round cookie cutter (about 3 inches/7cm).
      Give the pastry cream a stir, then place a heaping teaspoonful of it in the middle of 10 of the dough circles and cover each one with another round (gently make a slight dome), and place on top of the cream, the dome helps to not flatten the cream while baking.
      Seal the edges with wet fingers, if you prefer you can seal it first with the tongs of a fork, then again with wet fingers. Place on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet, then move to a wire rack, when cool dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with the lemon glaze. Enjoy!

    LEMON GLAZE

    • In a small bowl mix together the powdered sugar, cream and lemon juice. Add more powdered sugar or lemon juice depending on desired thickness.

    Notes

    The dough can be made by hand and in a stand up mixer. If making by hand, whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the middle and add the yolks and butter, mix together with a fork, then move to a lightly floured flat surface and gently knead the dough to form a soft compact dough.
    If you wish you could also stuff the cookies with Nutella, a Chocolate Cream, a Pistachio Cream or even your favourite jam. Make sure they are chilled and firm before spooning onto the cookie.
    The cookies should be stored in an airtight container, they can be kept at room temperature for a day, or refrigerate for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen in a freezer safe container, with parchment paper between the layers. They will keep for up to 6 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 2gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 152mgPotassium: 38mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 702IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Italian cookies, Italian stuffed cookies, stuffed cookies, stuffed lemon cookies
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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      1. Nancy Lee says

        June 24, 2022 at 9:42 am

        5 stars
        These biscuits were absolutely wonderful – my Italian class gobbled them up!! Just a few comments – I had al ot of the lemon pastry cream left over and the recipe says it makes 10 cookies and I made 24, so I may have done some thing wrong. In any case, they were delicious and I will make them again, adjusting the amounts next time.
        Thank you,
        Nancy

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          June 24, 2022 at 4:52 pm

          Hi Nancy, thanks so glad everyone enjoyed them. Thank you for letting me know about the amount. Take care.

          Reply
      2. Bara says

        April 9, 2022 at 10:08 pm

        Můžu se zeptat jaká smetana se používá do sušenek?Děkuji Bára Cesalova

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          April 10, 2022 at 8:53 am

          Ahoj Báro, použila jsem smetanu na šlehání tučnou, celozrnnou nebo šlehačku, měla by mít alespoň 30% tuku. Doufám, že to pomůže. Hi Bara, I used google translate so I don’t know how well it worked, but I used whole/heavy or whipping cream, as long as it has 30% fat content.

          Reply
      3. Melissa Wendland says

        February 15, 2021 at 2:05 am

        5 stars
        How, what, wow! These are soooo good. Absolute perfection. Thank you for this creation!

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          February 15, 2021 at 8:53 am

          Hi Melissa, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed them. Have a great week!

          Reply
      4. Daniel says

        November 26, 2020 at 1:52 pm

        How long can you refrigerate or freeze the pastry cream before making the cookie dough?

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          November 26, 2020 at 5:24 pm

          Hi Daniel pastry cream will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge covered, I wouldn’t freeze it because the cream could separate.

          Reply
      5. Ellen says

        November 19, 2020 at 2:31 am

        Can’t wait to try! You don’t need to refrigerate baked cookies, do you?

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          November 19, 2020 at 12:20 pm

          Hi Ellen they can be kept at room temperature in an air tight container for a day more than that they should be refrigerated because of the pastry cream. 🙂

          Reply
      6. Ines says

        November 18, 2020 at 8:44 pm

        5 stars
        When you cut out your circles, what is the measurement of the circle? Are the circles 2 or 3 inches across?

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          November 18, 2020 at 8:48 pm

          Hi Ines, I used one that was 2 inches but if you prefer larger than you can use the 3 inch circle. Let me know how it goes.

          Reply
      7. Andrew says

        November 13, 2020 at 8:09 pm

        5 stars
        I need help w/this recipe. I made them & they flattened out absorbing most of the cream. The cream was perfect. The cookies were delicious, but not as pictured. The cookies were cut at 3″. I looked up what a “medium” cutter size was. I mostly make cakes or drop cookies, specializing in cheesecake. I used the right amount of cream and made slight domes to cover. I sealed the edges. However, I think my mistake was baking them too long, approximately 16 minutes. Are they supposed to be browned on the bottom or edges? How do I know when they are done? Is there any other way I could have messed up the recipe from the description above? I had no cream left and a tiny amount of cookie dough. I used a pastry cutter with measurements to make sure it was exactly 1/8″ thick. I used little flour to roll it out. Though I did learn to roll it out before refrigerating since I had a boulder to work with right out of the frig. Any thoughts would be welcomed. Thanks

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          November 14, 2020 at 7:11 pm

          Hi Andrew, yes I think they were over baked and a higher protein flour is good to use on cut out cookies, anything about 12% would work. Most all purpose flours are over 12%. They should be more golden then browned. I hope that helps. Let me know.

          Reply
      8. Pat McLaughlin says

        November 12, 2020 at 11:23 am

        These cookies were very good. I had a few issues with the recipe. Please add the word “CUPS” to the flour instructions. It looks like 4 1/2 tablespoons only. Also, I have a lot of the pastry cream leftover. I’m wondering if I can use that. I’m not sure if it was heated to a high enough temperature to kill any bacteria from the eggs. I heated it until thick but not boiling. Overall, great recipe. Will use again. Thank you!

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          November 13, 2020 at 11:08 am

          Hi Pat, thanks I added the cups in. Apparently any bacteria will be killed off at 160F and I am sure you cooked it long enough to remove any bacteria. Hope that helps. Glad you liked the recipe.

          Reply
      9. Marian Campbell says

        November 10, 2020 at 3:55 pm

        Can I make the pastry cream and cookie dough,leave in fridge overnight and then put together next day ?
        Thanks Marian

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          November 10, 2020 at 5:58 pm

          Hi Marian, sure that would be fine, I do that all time. Let me know how it goes.

          Reply
      10. Jo says

        November 10, 2020 at 2:11 am

        5 stars
        I just made these and they were excellent! The pastry was buttery and delicate and both the pastry and icing had a nice lemony flavor. I was wondering if it’s possible to get more lemon flavor into the filling, though? Perhaps putting some lemon zest in there? Thanks!

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          November 10, 2020 at 7:07 pm

          Hi Jo, thanks glad you liked them, and yes sure add some zest 1/2 – 1 lemon should do it. Take care.

          Reply
      11. Denise Sarabin says

        November 7, 2020 at 5:31 pm

        Can you use a gluten free flour in this Italian lemon stuffed cookie recipe?

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          November 7, 2020 at 7:02 pm

          Hi Denise, I can’t really say because I have never baked with gluten free flour, you can try it and see. If you do let me know how it goes.

          Reply
      12. Jaydeas Miller says

        November 7, 2020 at 5:15 pm

        How many cookies does it make

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          November 7, 2020 at 7:03 pm

          Hi Jaydeas, about 10 cookies.

          Reply
      13. Colleen says

        November 7, 2020 at 12:48 am

        Is it 1-1/2 cups of flour? Enjoy your site very much.

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          November 7, 2020 at 12:56 am

          Hi Colleen yes it’s 1 1/2 cups + 3 tablespoons of flour (220 grams). Thanks glad you enjoy the site. Have a great weekend.

          Reply

      Hi, I'm Rosemary.

      Living in Italy I learned to cook authentic Italian dishes using whole ingredients, fresh veggies and delicious spices. So take a seat and have a taste! Read More

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