Description
Zesty lemon sugar cookies dance with tangy frosting, delivering a sunshine-packed treat straight from Mediterranean kitchens. Delicate crumbly rounds kissed with citrus promise pure refreshment for cookie enthusiasts craving a sweet-tart escape.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup butter, softened (for frosting)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Flavoring Ingredients:
- 1½ teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (for frosting)
Seasoning and Binding Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 dash salt (for frosting)
- 1 tablespoon milk (if needed)
Instructions
- Prepare the oven environment by warming it to 350°F, creating an ideal baking atmosphere.
- Combine softened butter and sugar in a spacious mixing vessel, whipping until the mixture becomes airy and voluminous.
- Introduce eggs, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and vibrant lemon zest, blending thoroughly to create a harmonious mixture.
- Gradually fold in flour, baking powder, and salt, gently transforming the ingredients into a cohesive dough.
- Shape the dough into petite spheres, each approximately the size of a tablespoon, and distribute them across a lightly greased baking surface.
- Delicately press each dough ball using a sugar-coated glass bottom, creating a gentle, flattened profile.
- Place the prepared cookie sheet into the preheated oven, allowing the cookies to bake for 9-10 minutes until the edges develop a subtle golden hue.
- After removing from the oven, let the cookies rest momentarily on the baking sheet to stabilize their structure.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack, allowing them to reach room temperature completely.
- For the frosting, whip softened butter with powdered sugar, integrating salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice until achieving a silky, smooth consistency.
- Adjust the frosting’s texture by incorporating milk, creating either a thick piping consistency or a spreadable variant.
- Once cookies have cooled entirely, embellish with the lemon-infused frosting, using a decorative piping technique for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- Zesty Lemon Trick: Grate the lemon zest before juicing to maximize flavor extraction and ensure you get the most aromatic citrus essence in your cookies.
- Butter Softening Secret: Allow butter to sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes to achieve the perfect creamy texture for seamless mixing.
- Baking Precision: Use a light-colored baking sheet to prevent over-browning and ensure even cookie coloration.
- Cooling Technique: Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes to set their structure before transferring to a wire rack.
- Frosting Consistency Hack: Adjust frosting thickness by adding milk gradually – less liquid for piping, more for spreading.
- Make-Ahead Magic: Cookie dough can be prepared in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for future baking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg