Description
Zesty lemon cookies bring sunshine to your plate with a perfect balance of tangy citrus and sweet comfort. Delicate crumbs melt in your mouth, transporting you to a bakery where each bite promises pure, refreshing delight.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Flour and Leavening Agents:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Flavoring and Liquid Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Icing Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Prepare the baking environment by heating the oven to 350F (175C) and lining baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent cookie adhesion.
- Create a dry ingredient mixture by whisking flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for later incorporation.
- Cream butter and sugar using a mixer on medium speed until the mixture becomes light and airy, approximately 5 minutes.
- Introduce egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract into the butter mixture, blending until thoroughly combined.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just integrated. Avoid overmixing to maintain cookie tenderness.
- Portion the dough using a cookie scoop or by hand, creating rounded mounds spaced 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, watching for very light browning around the edges as an indicator of doneness.
- Allow cookies to rest on baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to cooling racks for complete cooling.
- Craft a smooth icing by whisking powdered sugar, lemon juice, milk, and lemon zest until no lumps remain.
- Once cookies are completely cooled, delicately drizzle the lemon icing over the surface, permitting it to set naturally on the cooling racks.
Notes
- Ensure your butter is at room temperature for smoother creaming and better cookie texture.
- Chill the dough if cookies spread too much during baking, creating more compact and uniform shapes.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest to maximize bright, authentic citrus flavor that store-bought alternatives can’t match.
- Customize the recipe by adding a pinch of ground ginger or replacing some flour with almond meal for unique variations.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg