Lemon Cookies with Lemon Glaze (Printable Version)
Buttery lemon cookies with bright, sweet-tangy glaze; soft centers and crisp edges for spring gatherings.
# What You Need:
→ Lemon Cookie Dough
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
09 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Lemon Glaze
11 - 1 cup powdered sugar
12 - 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
13 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional, for extra flavor)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Add the egg, lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat until well combined and smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, adding juice gradually until the desired drizzling consistency is reached. Stir in additional lemon zest if desired.
09 - Drizzle or spread the glaze over the completely cooled cookies. Allow the glaze to set at room temperature before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The glaze sets into this thin crackly shell that shatters when you bite, giving you texture and sweetness in one hit.
- They come together in under an hour with ingredients you probably already have sitting in your pantry.
02 -
- If you glaze cookies that are even slightly warm, the icing will melt right off and pool into a sticky mess around the base.
- These cookies taste noticeably better on day two when the lemon flavor has had time to settle and deepen throughout the crumb.
03 -
- Roll the dough balls between your palms until the surface is completely smooth, because cracks in the raw dough become permanent cracks in the baked cookie.
- Adding an extra half teaspoon of zest to the glaze transforms it from sweet topping into something that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite.