Include in Print View:

Lemon Cats Paws

Lemon Cats Paws recipe image
These elegant Lemon Cats Paws are a sophisticated take on classic shortbread, offering a crisp, buttery texture with bright citrus notes. Made with sliced almonds and lemon zest, the cookies are piped into playful paw shapes before being baked until lightly golden. The real magic happens during assembly: half the cookies are filled with rich Swiss dark chocolate, creating a delicious contrast between the tart lemon shortbread and the sweet, smooth chocolate. The remaining tips are dipped for a finished look that is as charming as it is delicious. Perfect for holiday gatherings, tea time, or as a thoughtful gift, these treats bring a touch of whimsy and refined flavor to any occasion.
Cooking Method:
Cuisine:
Courses:
Difficulty: Advanced
Servings: 35
Calories: 260.6
Dietary: Vegetarian
Description
These elegant Lemon Cats Paws are a sophisticated take on classic shortbread, offering a crisp, buttery texture with bright citrus notes. Made with sliced almonds and lemon zest, the cookies are piped into playful paw shapes before being baked until lightly golden. The real magic happens during assembly: half the cookies are filled with rich Swiss dark chocolate, creating a delicious contrast between the tart lemon shortbread and the sweet, smooth chocolate. The remaining tips are dipped for a finished look that is as charming as it is delicious. Perfect for holiday gatherings, tea time, or as a thoughtful gift, these treats bring a touch of whimsy and refined flavor to any occasion.
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup sliced unblanched almonds
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 large egg, chilled
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 15 ounces Swiss dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
Directions
  1. 1
    Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375&# 194;°F (191ðC). Place three heavy, large ungreased baking sheets in the refrigerator to chill.
  2. 2
    In a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade, process the sliced almonds with 1 cup of the flour for 30 to 45 seconds, or until the mixture is ground to a fine powder.
  3. 3
    Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of flour, granulated sugar, confectioners' sugar, and salt. Process for 10 to 15 seconds, or until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
  4. 4
    Evenly distribute the chilled butter cubes in a circle around the chopping blade. Add the egg, vanilla, and lemon zest. Process for 45 to 60 seconds, or until the mixture is creamy and the butter is completely blended into the batter.
  5. 5
    Fill a pastry bag fitted with a closed star tip (such as Ateco #6) with one-fourth of the cookie dough. Slightly open the teeth on the end of the pastry tip so that any small nut particles do not get caught between the points as you pipe.
  6. 6
    Remove a chilled baking sheet from the refrigerator. Starting at the left-hand side of the midsection of the baking sheet, pipe 1 1/2-inch long "cats' paws" about 2 inches apart, across the center of the baking sheet.
  7. 7
    Continue piping until the bottom half of the baking sheet is covered with piped cookies. Turn the baking sheet 180 degrees and continue piping cats' paws onto the other half of the baking sheet.
  8. 8
    Refrigerate the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the piped cookie dough is firm. Pipe the rest of the cookie dough onto the remaining chilled baking sheets and refrigerate.
  9. 9
    Bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn the baking sheet halfway through baking for even browning.
  10. 10
    Using a metal pancake spatula, immediately transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
  11. 11
    Melt the dark chocolate according to package instructions or temper it. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a small heatproof bowl. Place the bowl of chocolate over a smaller bowl of warm (86ðF to 90ðF) water to keep it fluid.
  12. 12
    Using a small metal cake spatula, coat the flat side of half of the cookies with a thin layer of melted or tempered chocolate.
  13. 13
    Top each chocolate-coated cookie half with a second cookie to create a sandwich. Place the assembled cookies on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
  14. 14
    Refrigerate the assembled cookies for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chocolate filling is set.
  15. 15
    Dip the pointed tips of the cookies halfway into the melted or tempered chocolate.
  16. 16
    Place the dipped cookies back onto the waxed paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chocolate tips are set.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 35

Amount Per Serving
Calories 260.6kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 22.5g35%
Saturated Fat 1.7g9%
Cholesterol 0.0mg0%
Sodium 0.0mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 9.7g4%
Dietary Fiber 5.6g23%
Sugars 2.0g
Protein 9.5g19%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

Storage: Cookies dipped in melted chocolate should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Cookies filled with tempered chocolate may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three weeks.

Pastry Tip: Ensure the star tip is not too tightly closed; slightly opening the teeth prevents nut particles from clogging the pipe.

Chilling: Keeping the baking sheets chilled before piping helps the dough maintain its shape and prevents spreading during baking.

Keywords: lemon, cookies, shortbread, chocolate, almond, dessert, baking, pastry, chocolate-dipped, holiday-treats, lemon-zest, dark-chocolate, pipet-cookies, shortbread-cookies, citrus, nutty, chewy, crunchy, gift-idea, tea-time
Read it online: https://www.chefs-mate.com/recipe/lemon-cats-paws/