When’s the best time to make these chewy, soft lemon cookies? Their glittering sheen, courtesy of a coarse sugar coating, would make them a hit at Christmas—or any holiday party, for that matter. But their bright lemon flavor is ideal for absolutely any occasion. Summer barbecue? Yes. School bake sale? Absolutely. Tuesday night alone at home. Of course.
They get their flavor from a generous dose of lemon zest, but if you’re craving even more lemony tang, skip the sanding sugar and instead mix fresh lemon juice with powdered sugar for an easy lemon glaze to frost the cookies after they’ve cooled.
You can use a handheld or stand mixer to save time, but if you have neither (or don’t feel like getting them dirty), this easy recipe comes together by hand in minutes. Just make sure the butter is softened adequately before starting, and plan on chilling the dough so the citrus has time to perfume the whole batch.
Looking for lemon crinkle cookies? Try this version, accented with dried lavender.
Recipe information
Total Time
2 hours
Yield
Makes about 24 Servings
Ingredients
¾
½
1
2
1
¼
1¼
Preparation
Step 1
Beat ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 large egg, room temperature, 2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add 1¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour all at once and beat just to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill cookie dough until firm but not hard, about 2 hours.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick vegetable oil spray.
Step 3
Pour coarse raw sugar, sanding sugar, or nonpareils into a small bowl. Working with moistened hands, shape 1 level tablespoon (or use a #60 cookie scoop) of dough into a ball and roll in decoration to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining cookie dough, spacing dough balls 2" apart. Using bottom of glass or measuring cup, flatten each dough ball to 2" round. Bake cookies until golden on bottom, about 14 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Do Ahead: Cookies can be baked 2 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Editor’s note: This lemon cookie recipe was first printed in our December 2010 issue as “Lemon Sugar Cookies.” Head this way for more of our best lemon dessert recipes →