These delectable Iced Lemon Cookies are soft on the inside with slightly chewy crispy edges, all topped with a four-ingredient light sweet lemon glaze. These spring and summer-friendly cookies are perfect for Easter, barbecues, picnics, potlucks, and baby showers. I love to serve these at my summer shindigs, along with Orange Meringue Cookies and Snickerdoodle Cookies.
INGREDIENTS :
LEMON COOKIES
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
LEMON ICING
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
INSTRUCTIONS :
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, using a stand or hand mixer on medium. Turn the mixer to low. Add egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract; mix just until incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts. Mix on low just until incorporated. Using 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, place dough on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned on the edges. Cool on cookie cooling racks.
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, milk, and lemon zest. Ice fully cooled cookies and place them on cookie cooling racks to set.
NOTES :
- Always preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes and cover the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This should take about five minutes on medium using a mixer or stand mixer.
- Load the cookies on the middle rack in the center of the oven.
- These cookies spread, so leave a couple of inches between them when baking,
- Make the first batch a test run. Bake one or two cookies. This allows you to test baking time. If the dough spreads too much, refrigerate for about 40 minutes and try again.
- Use fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, as fresh lemons are flavor-packed, and it makes quite the difference.
- These cookies work well scooped with a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, but you can also roll them into about a one-inch ball using your hands.
- If possible, ice the cookies the same day that you bake them, as it helps keep the cookie’s texture soft.
- If the icing is too thick, add just 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice at a time to thin it, and if it is too thin, add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time to thicken it.
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