I love lemon. Lemon this and lemon that…lemon meringue pies, tartly frosted lemon squares (my specialty), lemon trifles, lemon pound cakes, and lemon cookies. I wanted a slightly different cookie this time, so after many tries I came up with a lemon cake-like cookie that completely exceeded my expectations. These soft, lemony drop cookies are packed with luscious lemon flavor. Crunchy sugar on the outside and lightly sweet, melt-in-your-mouth cookie on the inside, frosted with lemon glaze and dried lemon peel.
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- •240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- •11 ml (2 ¼ teaspoons) baking powder
- •2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) baking soda
- •115 gramsd (½ cup) butter, at room temperature
- •99 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar
- •2 eggs
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- •Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- •150 grams (3/4 cup) sanding sugar or granulated sugar, for rolling
For the glaze:
- •227 grams (2 cups) confectioners' sugar
- •Juice of 1-2 lemons, to taste
- •Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, dried
- •Milk, as needed
Preparation
- For the cookies: Preheat oven to 177°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until combined.
Mix in the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 30 ml (2 tablespoons) water. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly add dry ingredients until just combined.
Scoop 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of dough and roll into a ball. Roll the ball in sugar. Repeat, placing coated dough balls 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. Tops of cookies will not darken. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. For the glaze: Mix the confectioners’ sugar with lemon juice to make a thick spreadable paste. Add a bit of milk for the consistency of your liking. Sprinkle with lemon zest and allow to dry. Store in airtight container.