Combining a double-dose of zippy lemon flavor in both the cookie and the glaze tastes like spring baking at it’s finest. Add the crunchy finish of sweet sparkling sugar and you’ve got one knockout cookie.
Lemon Sugar Cookies
Makes about 38 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (112 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature
- 1½ tablespoons (4.5 grams) lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3½ cups (438 grams) all-purpose flour
- Sanding sugar, for sprinkling
- Lemon Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese at medium-high speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating until combined. Increase mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, zest, and vanilla, beating to combine.
- Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt; with mixer on low speed, gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating until combined. Increase mixer speed to medium; beat 1 to 2 minutes more. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 1½-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop dough, and place 2 inches apart on prepared pans. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
- Bake until edges are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks. Spoon Lemon Glaze over cooled cookies.
Lemon Glaze
Makes about ¾ cup
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 lemons (198 grams), zested and juiced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon zest and juice until smooth. Use immediately.
Good day to you from Alabama, USA. May your cookie dough be frozen after scooped into balls to be baked at a later date? I’d like to make these at least a week before needed for a birthday party.
Thanks, Jeanette T
Hi Jeanette!
Thanks for reaching out! We haven’t tried freezing the dough, but whenever you do freeze dough there are a few things to keep in mind. Baking powder and baking soda both start to act once they encounter moisture. Overtime, their leavening power will begin to fizzle out, so you may find that your cookies bake up flatter. Also, make sure to store the frozen cookies in an airtight container, as they can absorb flavors/aromas from the freezer. If you do end up trying this, please let us know how they turn out! Happy baking 🙂
Made this cookie and it was a big hit. We froze the baked cookies then served them later and they were great. I was thinking of turning them into lime cookies by just substituting lime for lemon. What do you think?
Very sweet, but decent.
I didn’t think enough lemon flavor so I added lemon juice as well as lemon zest .
Much more flavor!