Thin, crisp, with lemony zing, this lemon cookie recipe is a treat any time of the year. I love a good slice-and-bake cookie recipe. Similar to our lemon shortbread cookie, you can make this lemon cookie dough ahead of time, to wrap and chill, then slice and bake the next day, just like our Salted Caramel Chocolate Butter Cookies!
Grinding up lemon zest with the sugar and lemon juice brings a flavorful zing to these cookies.
How do you build a tender cookie?
Use unbleached, white flour for this cookie dough. Add a bit of baking powder for an airy crispness. Use only the egg yolk for added tenderness, and the right butter, will lend to the richness of the cookie.
Process flour mixture with the sugar mixture.
Scatter chilled, cubed butter on top of the mixed sugar, lemon zest and flour and process just until crumbly, do not over mix this.
Mix the lemon juice, egg yolk and extracts to the flour and sugar mixture. I should have been jogging this as I added it! It’s not a ton of liquid.
Dump the crumbs onto some parchment and form into a ball. This is much like how you would make pie crust. You don’t want to form a ball in the food processor or the cookie will be tough.
I thinned out and wrapped the cookie dough into a square log. You can make a round cookie dough log too.
I included a glaze on the recipe for these lemon cookies. It’s probably best to glaze them before eating, instead of storing them glazed.
Enjoy!
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Another Great Lemon Cookie Recipe
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 30 Cookies 1x
Description
Crisp, and full of lemon flavor, this little lemon butter cookie is perfect for any occasion
Ingredients
- 3/4 c. granulated sugar
- 2 TBSP grated lemon zest
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 3/4 c. unbleached flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 12 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
Glaze
- 1 TBSP cream cheese, softened
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar
- 1 TBSP meringue powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Prepare cookie sheets with silicone or parchment.
- Process together the sugar and lemon zest. This smells incredibly good! About 30 seconds.
- Add flour, salt, and baking powder, and mix again.
- Scatter the butter over the top and process again, about 15 seconds, until it’s light and fine.
- Beat together the egg yolk, lemon juice, and extracts.
- With the processer running, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until it just starts to come together. (This is similar to how you make pie crust, don’t overmix this.) As soon as you can pinch some and it holds together, dump it out onto parchment and finish forming a ball. I would mix in 10 second increments.
- Shape the dough into a log, wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.
- Cut in 1/4″ slices and bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges brown.
- Cool, and glaze before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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