zingy delicious lemon cookies

Hey, I’m John Canal and today on we’re making some zingy delicious lemon cookies.

So let’s get started.

Why You’ll Love This

This is the basis for one of my all-time favorite soft chewy, light and zingy cookies. For more tips on making easy cookies recipe at home, check out our guide.

They’re amazing.

If you’re watching this video, I hope you love lemon.

I’m very disappointed if I have something that’s supposed to be lemon-y, but it’s not completely zingy out of this world.

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 2 cups or 240 grams of all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ cup or 113 grams of unsalted softened butter
• 3 tablespoons of lemon zest
• ¾ cup or 150 grams of granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of lemon extract
• 1 egg

For the Icing

• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 to 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Optional

• a few drops of a lemon yellow food coloring

Instructions

1. First off, in a medium bowl I’m adding 2 cups or 240 grams of all-purpose flour.
2. To put things up, I’m adding ½ a teaspoon of baking powder and ½ a teaspoon of baking soda.
3. For a little bit of contrast, I’m adding ½ a teaspoon of salt.
4. Mix this up so everything is nice and distributed.
5. Time to set your dry ingredients aside and grab a mixer.
6. Into the bowl of my stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, I’m adding ½ a cup or 113 grams of unsalted softened butter.
7. Now we need to add the flavor in the form of 3 tablespoons of lemon zest.
8. Unless you’re using like organic unwaxed lemons, you should give these are really good wash firsts.
9. We also want to add our sugar in.
10. Three quarters of a cup or 150 grams of granulated sugar go right in to sprinkle it over.
11. Now we’re going to mix this on medium speed until it’s light and fluffy.
12. Grab one of your naked lemons.
13. Give it a slice.
14. Now we’re going to add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.
15. I’m also adding in 1 teaspoon of lemon extract.
16. Carefully crack your egg with no shells escaping into your bowl.
17. Mix on medium speed until it is nice and creamy.
18. Scrape the bowl down and keep mixing.
19. I’m going to sprinkle the flour in while mixing on low.
20. Mix until it’s almost combined, and you still see streaks of flour.
21. Finish it off by hand.
22. Just gently use your spatula to work that flour.
23. Once your mixture has come together, cover it up, and we’re going to chill this for about half an hour.
24. Towards the end of your chill time, preheat your oven to 350.
25. We’re going to grab a 1½ tablespoon-sized scoop.
26. Scoop it out.
27. You could just plop it on your baking sheet, or for a more finished, less crackled look, roll it between your palms, place it there, and it’ll bake up really nicely.
28. You’re going to repeat that process for as much of the cookie dough as you have.
29. My first batch of cookies is ready to go into the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes or until the edges are set and just taking on a little color. These baking tips also work for delicious fudgy double chocolate chip cookies.
30. In the meantime, we’re going to make a delicious lemon icing.
31. The easiest lemon icing is in it come together with 1 cup of powdered sugar.
32. Squeeze some in a little bit at a time until you have a really nice drizzling consistency. For other quick dessert toppings, consider a simple two-ingredient chocolate ganache recipe.
33. Give it a whisk.
34. Once your cookies are cooled, drizzle or dip an icing.

Cooking Tips

• The baking soda needs an acid to react to and this lemon cookie is full of it thanks to lemon juice.
• Use a rasp and just get the very top layer of yellow.
• You don’t want to have the pith.
• Unless you’re using like organic unwaxed lemons, you should give these are really good wash firsts.
• You’re not putting a bunch of wax into your cookies.
• A lot of fruits are coated in wax so they keep beautiful while they’re being stored.
• Don’t dry off.
• As we mix this, all the oils in the lemon zest, we’ll get expressed almost as if we were rubbing the lemon and sugar together on our hands to make a delicious lemon sugar.
• You could use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a big bowl and a hand mixer.
• You’re just going to be here for a few minutes standing over.
• Never use the bottled stuff, please.
• If you don’t have any lemon extract and you don’t want to go to the market, you can make this cookie without it.
• It’s just so lightly less lemony.
• You could even use a teaspoon of vanilla if you wanted that vibe totally acceptable.
• You will definitely have to scrape the bowl down because this stuff is so liquidy and the butter was nice and thick.
• You’re going to have an egg-y cottage cheese look.
• It’s okay.
• Don’t panic if that happens.
• Just scrape the bowl down and keep mixing.
• The flour will bring everything together.
• If you want a super tender, fluffy cookie, you can do two substitutions.
• Take a quarter cup of granulated sugar and replace it with brown sugar and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into your flour mixture.
• It’ll change the gluten content.
• It’ll change the moisture of the sugar and it’ll just make everything even more tender.
• One of the secrets to having a tender cookie cake or cupcake or anything else is not over mixing the batter. This principle applies whether you’re making cookies or even super fluffy fudgy chocolate cupcakes.
• If you do that, you’re going to activate the gluten low.
• If you have extra cookie dough and you don’t want to bake it all, just freeze the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, and then once they’re frozen, transfer to a freezer bag, and then you can bake from frozen.
• The icing will look like garbage at first.
• But it comes together.
• Have faith.

Serving Suggestions

• Once your cookies are cooled, drizzle or dip an icing and they’re ready to enjoy.
• They’ll keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

I hope you had a chance to make this recipe. If you’re looking for another bright and zesty treat, try our delightful homemade lemon bars.