Ingredients and Quantities
- All-Purpose Flour: 2 cups (unbleached preferred)
- Baking Powder: 1 teaspoon
- Baking Soda: 1/2 teaspoon
- Salt: 1/4 teaspoon (omit if using salted butter)
- Granulated Sugar: 1 cup
- Unsalted Butter: 1/2 cup (softened)
- Lemons: Zest and juice of 2 medium lemons
- Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon
- Powdered Sugar: 1 cup (for the smooth, sweet finish)
How to Make Lemon Cookies
Combine Dry Ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until well combined.
- Ensure there are no clumps in the dry mixture.
Tip: A fork works just as well as a whisk for this step.
Cream Butter, Sugar, and Lemon Zest
- In another large bowl, add 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 cup sugar, and the zest of 2 lemons.
- Mix using a spatula or a spoon until the ingredients are combined and the mixture is fluffy and slightly pale.
Tip: Softened butter should leave an indentation when pressed but shouldn’t be melted.
Add Eggs and Lemon Flavor
- Stir in 1 egg and 1 egg yolk into the butter mixture, ensuring they are well incorporated.
- Add 1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until mixed.
- The mixture may look slightly curdled because of the lemon juice, but that’s completely normal.
Tip: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor; avoid bottled juice.
Optional: Add Color
- If you want a brighter yellow cookie, add a few drops of natural yellow food coloring and mix until evenly distributed.
Tip: Natural food coloring gives a subtle, healthy tint without affecting flavor.
Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures
- Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet butter mixture. Stir gently with a spatula or spoon until there are no streaks of flour left.
- Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure an even mix.
Tip: Avoid overmixing, as this can make the cookies dense instead of tender.
Chill the Dough
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and place the dough in the refrigerator for 45-60 minutes.
- This step helps the dough firm up, making it easier to handle and reduces spreading during baking.
Tip: Short on time? Chill the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) during the last 10 minutes of chilling.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, lightly grease the baking sheet with butter or oil.
Shape and Bake Cookies
- Scoop out about 1.5 tablespoons (28g) of dough for each cookie and roll it into a ball (roughly the size of a golf ball).
- Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn golden.
Tip: For puffier cookies, don’t flatten the dough balls; for flatter cookies, gently press the balls down before baking.
Prepare the Icing
- While the cookies cool, prepare the icing. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice until smooth and slightly runny.
- Adjust the consistency: add more powdered sugar to thicken or more lemon juice to thin it out.
Tip: The icing should flow slowly when drizzled from a spoon.
Drizzle Icing and Set
- Transfer the icing to a resealable plastic bag, snip off a small corner, and drizzle it over the cooled cookies.
- Allow the icing to set at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
Tip: If you don’t have a resealable bag, use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the cookies.
