Orange & Lemon Curd Biscuits

The recipe, step by step

These orange and lemon curd biscuits are bright, buttery and wonderfully citrusy, with soft centres, lightly crisp edges and a smooth homemade lemon curd filling.

The biscuit dough is flavoured with fresh orange zest, orange juice and vanilla, while the sharp lemon curd in the centre balances the sweetness beautifully. A light dusting of icing sugar finishes them off and makes them look particularly tempting.

I love using my homemade lemon curd for these biscuits. For sandwiching, I recommend making the curd with a little cornflour so that it is firmer and stays neatly between the biscuits rather than running out.

They are lovely with a cup of tea and make a particularly good afternoon treat.

Recipe Highlights

• Easy to make: A straightforward orange biscuit dough with a simple lemon curd filling.
• Flavour: Fresh orange, vanilla and tangy homemade lemon curd.
• Texture: Soft in the centre with lightly crisp edges and a smooth, creamy filling.
• Make ahead: The biscuits can be baked and cooled before filling.
• Quantity: Makes 30 small sandwich biscuits.
• Time: 25 minutes preparation, 1 hour cooling and approximately 1 hour 33 minutes total.
• Baking: Individual trays bake for approximately 6–8 minutes.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Orange Biscuits

• Butter: Use 100 g butter, softened to room temperature. Soft butter creams easily with the sugar and helps create the tender biscuit texture.
• Caster sugar: Use 180 g for sweetness and structure.
• Egg: Use 1 medium egg, approximately 50 g, preferably at room temperature.
• Orange: Use 1 organic or unwaxed orange, finely zesting it and squeezing 50 ml juice. The zest gives the biscuits their strongest orange flavour.
• Vanilla: Use 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or ¼ teaspoon vanilla paste. Vanilla rounds out the citrus flavour beautifully.
• Plain flour: Use 200 g plain or all-purpose flour.
• Baking powder: Use ½ teaspoon to give the biscuits a little lift.
• Fine sea salt: Add a pinch. It balances the sweetness and helps the orange, vanilla and lemon flavours stand out.

Filling and Decoration

• Lemon curd: Use 150 g lemon curd with added cornflour.

For these biscuits, I recommend using my homemade lemon curd and adding 1½ teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch) when making it. This gives the curd a little extra stability, so it holds neatly between the biscuits instead of becoming too loose.

• Icing sugar: Use 30 g for dusting the finished biscuits, if desired.

How to Make Orange & Lemon Curd Biscuits

Prepare the Lemon Curd

1. Prepare the filling: I like to make my homemade lemon curd for these biscuits, adding 1½ teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch) before cooking so that the finished curd is firm enough for sandwiching.

2. Cool completely: Make sure the lemon curd is completely cold before filling the biscuits. Warm curd will be softer and much more likely to run out.

Make the Orange Biscuits

3. Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / 375°F / Gas 5.

4. Cream the butter and sugar: Place the softened butter and caster sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy.

5. Add the egg: Add the egg and mix until completely combined.

6. Add the orange: Add the finely grated orange zest and 50 ml orange juice and mix well.

7. Add the remaining ingredients: Add the vanilla, plain flour, baking powder and fine sea salt. Mix until everything comes together into a soft, creamy dough.

8. Portion the biscuits: For small biscuits, transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe small mounds onto a baking tray lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

Alternatively, use two teaspoons to drop small portions of dough onto the tray.

9. Leave room to spread: Space the biscuits approximately 2 cm apart because they will naturally flatten and spread during baking.

10. Bake: Bake for 6–8 minutes, until the edges are only lightly browned.

11. Rest on the tray: Remove from the oven and leave the biscuits on the baking tray for 5 minutes.

12. Cool completely: Transfer them carefully to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

Assemble the Biscuits

13. Add the lemon curd: Spoon or pipe a small amount of the chilled lemon curd onto the flat side of half of the biscuits.

14. Sandwich together: Place another biscuit gently on top of each filled biscuit.

15. Decorate: Dust lightly with icing sugar before serving, if desired.

Nigel’s Recipe Tips

Use room-temperature butter and egg. This helps the ingredients combine smoothly and gives the biscuit dough a more even texture.

Use unwaxed oranges. Because the zest is going directly into the dough, unwaxed fruit is preferable.

Do not overwork the dough. Once everything has come together, stop mixing. Working the flour too much can make the biscuits tougher.

Leave enough space between them. The dough naturally flattens during baking, so give each biscuit enough room to spread without joining its neighbour.

Keep an eye on the edges. These biscuits bake quickly. They are ready when the edges have just started to colour rather than becoming deeply golden.

Let them rest before moving them. Freshly baked biscuits are delicate. Five minutes on the tray gives them time to firm sufficiently for transferring to the cooling rack.

Cool everything before assembling. Both the biscuits and lemon curd should be completely cold before sandwiching.

Thicken the lemon curd for sandwich biscuits. I recommend adding 1½ teaspoons cornflour when making my homemade lemon curd for this recipe. It makes the filling much easier to pipe and helps prevent it squeezing out.

Variations

Lemon Curd Biscuits

Replace the orange zest and juice in the biscuit dough with fresh lemon zest and juice for a completely lemon-flavoured version.

Orange Curd Biscuits

For an even stronger orange flavour, sandwich the biscuits with orange curd instead of lemon curd.

Lime Curd Biscuits

A sharp lime curd also works beautifully with the sweet orange biscuit.

Mixed Citrus

Try a combination of orange and lemon zest in the dough for an even more aromatic citrus flavour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make the Biscuits Ahead?

Yes. Bake and cool the unfilled biscuits first, then keep them airtight until you are ready to assemble them.

For the crispest result, fill them closer to serving because the moisture from the lemon curd gradually softens the biscuits.

Why Does the Lemon Curd Need Cornflour?

For spreading on toast or spooning over desserts, ordinary lemon curd can be beautifully soft.

For sandwich biscuits, however, I prefer it slightly firmer. The additional cornflour gives the filling more stability and helps it remain neatly between the biscuits.

Can I Use Shop-Bought Lemon Curd?

Yes, although some brands are quite soft.

If necessary, you can gently thicken shop-bought curd with a little cornflour before cooling it completely and using it as the filling.

Why Did My Biscuits Spread?

Some spreading is expected in this recipe. The piped or spooned mounds naturally flatten into small round biscuits as they bake.

How Do I Know When They Are Ready?

Look for slightly browned edges after approximately 6–8 minutes. Avoid waiting until the whole biscuit becomes deeply golden or they may lose their soft centre.

Can I Make Larger Biscuits?

Yes. You can portion larger amounts of dough, although the baking time may need to be increased slightly.

Tools You’ll Need

• Large mixing bowl
• Electric hand whisk or stand mixer
• Spatula
• Fine grater or citrus zester
• Citrus juicer
• Baking trays
• Baking parchment or silicone baking mats
• Piping bag with plain nozzle, optional
• Wire cooling rack
• Small sieve for icing sugar
• Digital kitchen scales

Storage and Freezing

Storing

Once filled, keep the orange and lemon curd biscuits in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days.

Because lemon curd contains moisture, the biscuits will gradually soften as they sit. For the best contrast between the crisp edges and creamy filling, they are particularly good soon after assembly.

Allow them to sit out briefly before serving so they are not fridge-cold.

Freezing

The assembled biscuits can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Arrange them carefully in a freezer-safe airtight container, separating layers with baking parchment if necessary.

Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sandwich biscuit (1/30 of the recipe)

Calories: 91.32 kcal · 5% DV
Total Fat: 3.2 g · 5% DV
Carbohydrates: 14.69 g · 6% DV
Sugars: 8.8 g · 10% DV
Protein: 0.99 g · 2% DV
Sodium: 44.81 mg · 2% DV
Fibre: 0.28 g · 1% DV

% Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Nutritional information is provided as an estimate and may vary depending on the exact ingredients, brands and serving size used.

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