These Lemon Sugar Cookies are a lemon lover's delight. Use Meyer lemons if you can get them, but you can use other lemons, too. You will need the zest from 6 lemons, so plan on making some lemonade to go with these cookies since only 2 tablespoons of juice are needed in the recipe.
Preheat oven to 400°F
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup lemon zest (about 6 lemons)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Extra sugar and Colored sanding sugar
Prepare the dough
Mix butter, sugar, egg, zest and lemon juice until smooth, light and fluffy. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, salt and baking soda until blended. Slowly add this flour mixture to the butter mixture while mixing on low. Scrape down the side of the bowl occasionally to ensure even mixing.
Rolling cookies in sugar and flatten
Roll dough into 1 inch balls before rolling them in sugar. Spread dough balls evenly on silpat lined baking sheet (a greased or non-stick cookie sheet should also work). Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the cookies until about 3/8 inch thick. Dip bottom of glass in sugar as needed to prevent sticking to dough. Sprinkle flattened dough with colored sanding sugar as desired.
Bake cookies
Bake for 9 - 10 minutes, depending on thickness of cookies. Makes approximately 36 - 45 cookies depending on thickness and diameter of cookies.
Ingredients for making Lemon Sugar Cookies.
Cream 1 cup of room temperature butter.
Add 1 cup of sugar to butter and continue mixing.
Add 1 egg to butter and sugar mixture.
Scrape down sides of bowl to ensure ingredients are well mixed.
Use a microplane grater to zest all 6 lemons. Yieldwill be about 1/3 cup of zest.
Juice 1 lemon to yield 2 tablespoons of juice.
Add lemon juice to creamed butter and sugar.
Add 1/3 cup of lemon zest.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to 2 1/2 cups of flour.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Gently mix dry ingredients with whisk.
Slowly add dry ingredients while mixing on low.
Scrape down sides of bowl and mix until just blended.
Get your counter set up with bowl of sugar and baking sheet.
Roll dough gently between palms to form 1 inch ball.
Roll round dough ball in sugar.
Space dough balls evenly on silpat lined baking sheet.
Flatten dough to 3/8 inch thick using bottom of glass dipped in sugar.
Sprinkle flattened cookie dough with colored sanding sugar if desired.
Ready for baking.
Bake in 400°F for 9 - 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
Remove from oven and let stand 30 seconds on sheet.
Transfer cookies from baking sheet to cooling racks and let cool.
Edges should just show a little brown.
Lemon Sugar Cookies.
Detail of Lemon Sugar Cookie.
