These Lemon Butterfly Cookies Have Everyone Talking
If sunshine had a flavor, I’m pretty sure it would taste like these lemon butterfly cookies.
Lemon butterfly cookies, dressed up with a touch of white chocolate magic.
They’re crisp, buttery, and filled with a lemon curd ganache that’s so silky it might just ruin you for every other citrus filling.
The magic?
A single, small tweak.
I folded white chocolate into the lemon curd, and suddenly the sharp brightness mellowed into something creamy and luxurious. It’s still lively and tangy, but with this velvet-soft finish that had every taste-tester raving. (And sneaking seconds.)
White chocolate meets lemon curd for a filling that’s smooth and tangy.
The Flavor Twist
The cookie portions are made from lemon pâte sucrée, which bakes into delicate, melt-in-your-mouth layers. Pair them with that white chocolate lemon ganache and they feel both playful and couture, like something you’d bring to a garden tea on a perfect spring afternoon.
The Design Secret
Even though I usually lean into full-on maximalism, these butterflies called for something softer. Think dainty-maximalist: a whisper of royal icing lace, two or three tiny 3D flowers, and just a few small dragees to catch the light. Nothing overdone, but every detail has intention. Sometimes, editing is where the magic happens.
Piping the dainty-maximalist look, one detail at a time.
Quick Recipe: Lemon Curd Ganache
Want to try the filling that stole the show? Here’s the quick version:
Ingredients
120 g fresh lemon juice
100 g caster sugar
2 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
1 tbsp lemon zest
¼ tsp fine sea salt
200 g white chocolate, finely chopped
80 g unsalted butter (room temp, cubed)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Method (at a glance)
Cook lemon juice, sugar, eggs, zest, and salt over medium-low heat until thickened.
Strain over white chocolate. Let sit for 1–2 minutes, then stir until smooth.
Add butter and vanilla, blending until glossy.
Let it set until pipeable (about 1–2 hours at room temp or 30–45 mins in the fridge).
For full step-by-step details, watch the YouTube tutorial.
Dainty-maximalist butterflies, ready to fly.
The Takeaway
These cookies reminded me that “maximalism” doesn’t always mean more. Sometimes it’s a single detail (like a touch of white chocolate, or three perfectly placed royal icing flowers) that makes something truly special.
What tiny detail would you add to your dream dessert?
Pin this recipe for your next spring tea, garden party, or sunny kitchen day