Your basic sugar cookie with a zing of lemon.
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups (345 g) all purpose flour
1 tsp (4 g) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 g) baking powder
1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
1 cup (227 g) sweet, unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
Zest of one large lemon, grated
4 tbsp (60 ml) lemon juice
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, for rolling cookies
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F (190C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and set the bowl aside.
In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat the butter and sugar together until it’s smooth and fluffy.
Beat in the egg, then the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Turn the mixer down and gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
This batter is soft, not stiff. It will still roll, but be gentle.
Roll tbsp-sized balls of dough in your hand and then roll it in sugar, coating the entire ball.
Place on the parchment-lined sheets and bake for 11-13 minutes.
Cool for 3 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
Options and extras:
- You can make these with orange juice & orange zest or even lime juice & lime zest.
- If you make the orange-flavored ones, you can add 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries to the dough.
- You can snickerdoodle them by leaving out the lemon and zest and adding 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, and 1/4 tsp cloves to the dry ingredients.