Description
Delightful lemon cookies bring zesty sunshine to classic dessert tables with buttery, tangy charm. Crisp edges and delicate crumb invite sweet moments of pure citrus pleasure for home bakers seeking refreshing treats.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper, creating an ideal baking environment for delicate lemon cookies.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, establishing a uniform dry ingredient base for the cookie dough.
- Creaming Process: Utilize an electric mixer to blend butter and granulated sugar until the mixture becomes light, voluminous, and pale, approximately 2-3 minutes of continuous mixing.
- Flavor Infusion: Integrate egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture, ensuring a thorough and even incorporation of moisture and citrusy essence.
- Dough Formation: Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, creating a cohesive dough with minimal manipulation to maintain a tender texture.
- Cookie Shaping and Coating: Portion the dough into tablespoon-sized spheres, rolling each ball and generously enveloping them in powdered sugar for a delicate, sweet exterior.
- Baking Arrangement: Distribute the sugar-coated dough balls across the prepared baking sheets, positioning them 2 inches apart to allow optimal spreading during the baking process.
- Baking and Cooling Technique: Bake for 10-12 minutes, observing for set edges and surface cracks that signal perfect doneness. Once removed from the oven, let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack for complete cooling.
Notes
- Zest Handling: Carefully grate only the bright yellow part of the lemon zest, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath for pure, clean lemon flavor.
- Temperature Control: Ensure butter is softened at room temperature but not melted, creating the ideal creamy base for smooth, consistent cookie texture.
- Sugar Coating Technique: Roll cookies generously in powdered sugar before baking for a beautiful crackled surface and delightful sweet exterior that looks professionally finished.
- Gluten-Free Adaptation: Replace all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to make these cookies suitable for those with wheat sensitivities without compromising taste or texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 23
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg