When I first started to make these lemon cookies the other day, I used a base that was similar to how I make sugar cookies. I wanted the dough to be rolled out like sugar cookies, but the dough didn’t shape up to make that happen. The lemon juice and the baking soda gives these cookies a nice rise. They also had a nice crumble without being dry. I use a cookie scoop to get the cookies to a nice uniform size.
Lemon Cookies With Vanilla Glaze
A light drop cookie.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Dough Chilling Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 36 cookies
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 sticks butter softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 lemon (will use the juice and zest)
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
Vanilla Glaze
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Beat the butter using a mixer for about 1 minute.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat to combine. Continue beating for about another 30 seconds.
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Zest the lemon using a microplane, then juice the lemon. Add lemon juice and zest to the mixer bowl and stir until well-combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl, about ¼ cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- Once all of the flour mixture is incorporated, cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 375° (or 350° convection).
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop cookies onto the cookie sheet, about 1 tbsp per cookie.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until the cookies are a light golden brown.
- Cool cookies completely before topping with the glaze.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk or heavy cream, and vanilla. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies.