Old-Fashioned Lemon Sugar Cookies

Submitted by Chef #585258

"These large 3 1/4 inch cookies have a wonderful lemon flavor and a chewy texture. I prefer them without the sugar glaze, but it makes a classic cookie base for holiday frosting. I can't remember where I found this gem, I have modified it some. Our family has looked for a good sugar cookie recipe for years and just loves this one. I find that chilling the cookie dough before baking really helps in maintaining a "classic" shape during baking, but be sure to press the cookie before placing in the oven or they will be "gooey" in the center. I like to use an ice cream scoop that I found at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for a consistent volume. It is just slightly larger than 1 tablespoon. Perfect for these cookies. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Yields: 48 cookies
• Serves: 24

ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3⁄4 cups granulated sugar
• 1⁄4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 6 g fresh lemon zest (1 lemon)
• 32 g fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large whole eggs

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
3. Put sugars and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer (paddle attachment if available) and mix at medium speed for about 30 seconds (until well blended).
4. Add butter, mix at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Mix in eggs, one at a time, at medium speed, then add lemon juice and continue mixing at medium speed for about 30 seconds.
6. Reduce speed and gradually add flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
7. Chill mixture for at least 15 minutes.
8. Drop cookie dough onto non-stick cookie sheets spaced 2 inches apart.
9. Place remaining cookie mixture in refrigerator and cookie sheet(s) in freeze for 15 minutes.
10. Using the flat bottom of a drinking glass, press the cookies till about 1/2 inch thick.
11. If desired, sprinkle cookies with sanding sugar and brush lightly with wet pastry brush. Sprinkle with more sanding sugar to taste.
12. Return to freezer for approximately 5 minutes.
13. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
14. Let cool on sheets for 3 minutes and transfer cookies to cookie rack and cool.
15. Repeat from step 8 till cookie mixture is depleted.
16. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
17. Finished cookies should weigh just about 21 grams and measure about 3 1/4 inches in diameter.

Reviews

[Melanie Adrienne]

Wonderful chewy lemon sugar cookies! I baked them about 11 minutes and they were perfect. My Dad's favorite cookie is lemon and he is going to LOVE these! Thanks so much for the recipe :-)

 

[Christina Knight]

The cookies didn't taste bad, although it wasn't like a lemon sugar cookie, nor like a sugar cookie for that matter...The kids liked them. I was a little disappointed after all the trouble I went through...The cookies were completely flat. Like eating baked crepes. I was thinking this recipe was for the fluffy cookies that my grandma used to make...Nothing what I expected. If you are looking for a light cookie, that tastes good, this is your recipe, but if you are looking for traditional lemon sugar cookies or sugar cookies, look elsewhere.

 

[hannah234]

I was very dissapointed in these cookies. Mine turned out totally flat and hardly tasted like lemon at all. I was expecting a light and airy sugar cookie and these just weren't like that at all.

 

[kc_1216]

Oh, man, are these ever good. I like them super lemony, so I used the zest of three lemons. My family loved them so much they begged me not to put them in our holiday cookie bags and just eat them all ourselves. Make sure you do space them well apart on the baking sheet or they will spread together. I used a melon baller to scoop the dough, and then a small glass to flatten to 1/2 inch thick. Perfect!

 

[luckyladybug78]

My husband loves lemon and he could not get enough of these cookies. This will definitly be one of the Christmas cookies I bake every year for my family!