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Frosted Lemon Cookies First Image

Lemon Sugar Cookies


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  • Author: Chef John
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 24 cookies 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Delicious lemon-flavored sugar cookies topped with lemon frosting.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (*measured properly)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, add room temperature butter and sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about a minute.
  2. Add eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated and fluffy, about a minute.
  3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually stir (or use a mixer on low speed) dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.
  4. Cover bowl and chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  6. Remove dough from refrigerator. Scoop dough using a medium 1 inch cookie scoop or shape by hand into 1 inch balls.
  7. Place cookie dough balls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten balls slightly using your hands or the bottom of a glass dusted with flour (to prevent sticking).
  8. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until tops look set and edges barely begin to lightly brown.
  9. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. In a medium bowl, add room temperature butter, confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Use a hand mixer to whip until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Add milk as needed to achieve desired consistency.
  11. Use an offset spatula or knife to spread frosting over cooled cookies. Optionally, add lemon zest as a garnish.
  12. Allow to air dry for a few hours before storing.

Notes

  • Refrigerating the dough allows time for flavors to meld and creates a firmer dough that’s easy to roll into balls.
  • Frosting will crust on the outside, but the inside remains soft, so pressure can cause the frosting to indent.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 150
  • Sugar: 10g
  • Sodium: 50mg
  • Fat: 7g
  • Saturated Fat: 4g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 2g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 22g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Protein: 1g
  • Cholesterol: 40mg