There are still a few lemons hanging out in the trees around our neighborhood, so it’s no wonder they come to mind when I’m brainstorming what to bake with next. These Lemon Cookies are simple to make, buttery, sweet and tart all in one. They are like little bites of sugary sunshine! I think we all need a little something bright and cheery coming out of our kitchens right about now.
Are you all staying busy while staying home? I’m a natural homebody. My happy place is tucked into the corner of the couch with a cup of coffee nearby and a good book in hand. I’ve just finished reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods series and loved every page. It was so interesting to read about how her family survived long winters on the prairie with meager supplies. They were resourceful and relied on each other. Complaining simply wasn’t an option!
It was sweet to read in one of the books about the first time Laura tasted lemonade. I’m sure a tin full of these Lemon Cookies would have been a rare treat! We do take so much for granted I’m sure, but I’m thankful to have so many wonderful ingredients at my fingertips even today in the middle of this pandemic.
The recipe for these Lemon Cookies is a bit unusual. It calls for both butter and oil, as well as powdered and granulated sugar. This combination makes for a unique texture with a fine crumb and an almost shortbread-like texture. They are soft but not crisp, and they melt in your mouth but are not crumbly. The dough will be on the sticky side, but chilling is not required. It is helpful to use a spring-loaded cookie scoop when placing the dough onto the baking sheet. I used about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie.
I like to dust the baked cookies with powdered sugar just as they come out of the oven. I like the way it melts into the warm cookie and sticks to the top. Then once they are cooled, I go back and do one more layer of powdered sugar that doesn’t melt in. Give these Lemon Cookies a try friends, and share a little sunshine with your loved ones!
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Lemon Cookies
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 3 dozen 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Lemon Cookies are simple to make, buttery, sweet and tart all in one. They are like little bites of sugary sunshine!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (plus 2–3 more tablespoons for dusting later)
- 1/2 cup oil (vegetable, canola, or avocado are fine)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar together on medium speed.
- Add oil, egg, vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice and mix again on medium speed until creamy and smooth.
- In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until a sticky dough comes together. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then mix one more time.
- Drop 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheet using a spring-loaded scoop (12 per sheet). Bake for 11-13 minutes, and then remove them from the oven. Dust with powdered sugar while still warm, and then transfer to a cooling rack. Dust with additional powdered sugar if desired.
- Store in an airtight container once they are completely cooled for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 103
- Sugar: 4.9g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 5.8g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 1.1g
- Cholesterol: 12mg
Karen A Munson says
These cookies were simple to make and not overly sweet. I accidentally left out the oil but I don’t feel it detracted from the result of a delicious cookie. I would like a bit more lemon flavor so next time I’m adding 2 Tbsp of lemon test. This is definitely a keeper!
Julie says
I’m so glad they still worked out!
Dianne Parker Durham says
Wonderful cookies..super easy…
Julie says
Thank you, Diane!
Ally says
The lemon cookies are so delicious. Not overly sweet, and the amount lemon flavor is perfect. I just took them out of the oven and sprinkled them with powdered sugar, and I can’t stop eating them.
Jackie S says
I made these lemon cookies. I decided by other comments to add more lemon. I added 2 tsp lemon extract. They were a big hit. We all loved them. These are now one of my regular cookies I will be making.