Sparkly Lemon Cookies Recipes

SPARKLY LEMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Beat in eggs until combined. Gradually add flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Slowly add milk and beat on medium until a dough forms, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until bottoms of cookies are pale golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.
• In a bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush glaze onto cookies. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Let glaze harden, about 20 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

GLITTERING LEMON SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt.
• Beat together butter and confectioners sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in zest and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture just until a soft dough forms.
• Put sanding sugars in different bowls. Roll a scant teaspoon of dough into a ball and drop into sugar, turning to coat. Reshape if necessary and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat, spacing balls 3/4 inch apart, until baking sheet is filled.
• Bake until tops are slightly cracked but still pale (bottoms will be pale golden), 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to a rack to cool completely.
• Form and bake more cookies on second baking sheet.
• Make filling and sandwich cookies:
• Beat together all filling ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until combined well. Transfer to sealable bag and snip off a corner.
• Turn over half of cookies and pipe about 1/2 teaspoon filling on flat side of each. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently.