Award Winning Lemon Cookies Recipes

LEMON MELTAWAYS

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until blended. Beat in lemon juice. In a small bowl, whisk flour and cornstarch; gradually beat into butter mixture. Divide dough in half; shape each into an 8-in.-long roll. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 2 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake 8-12 minutes or until firm. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a small bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in lemon zest, lemon juice and, if desired, food coloring. Spread over cookies.

LEMON CRINKLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat 1 cup of the granulated sugar and the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes.
• Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and food coloring if using and beat until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Put the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in another small bowl. Using a 1-tablespoon scoop, portion the dough and roll into balls. Toss each ball in the granulated sugar, then in the confectioners' sugar, coating it generously and thoroughly. Arrange the balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets (you should have 24 balls). Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake until the cookies spread, the tops crack and the edges are firm, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

AWARD WINNING LEMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease light colored baking sheet with non stick cooking spray or use silpat. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla egg lemon zest and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Chill dough for about 30 min if it is not firm. Form heaping teas. of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 9-11 min or unti bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte (not melty or shiny) May allow to sit on cookie sheet for a time to cool before transferring to a plate.

LEMON CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium, beat together the butter and half the cream cheese until combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the granulated sugar and 4 teaspoons lemon zest until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes more. Beat in the egg until combined. Add flour mixture and beat until combined.
• Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Portion the dough into 2-tablespoon scoops and arrange them on the sheets at least 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake, rotating halfway through baking, until the cookies are puffed and set and just beginning to turn golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks until cookies are completely cooled.
• Meanwhile, prepare the optional glaze: Whisk together the remaining cream cheese with the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice until smooth. Add additional lemon juice or milk until mixture forms the proper consistency for a glaze. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Let cookies stand at room temperature until the glaze has set. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or in the freezer for a month.

LEMON COOKIES FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Cream sugar, butter, and lemon zest together in a large bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Combine eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a cup; mix using a fork until combined. Beat into egg mixture slowly on low speed.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add to egg mixture slowly on low speed until just combined. Do not overbeat; dough will be sticky. Cover and chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes; it will still be sticky after chilling.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Form dough into balls using a cookie scoop or tablespoon and roll each in powdered sugar. Place onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Lightly smash each ball down using your hand.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the middle of each cookie is just barely set, 11 to 12 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack completely before storing in an airtight container.