Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies
Fresh lemon juice and zest flavor both the cookie dough and the glaze, giving these glazed lemon sugar cookies lemon flavor in every layer. Soft centers and a thick lemon glaze make them hard to stop eating.
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 185kcal
Equipment
- mixing bowls One for the dry ingredients, and one for the cookie dough.
- hand mixer or stand mixer. Creams the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- measuring cups and spoons Keeps ingredient measurements accurate.
- 2 baking sheet For even baking.
- parchment paper Prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
- cookie scoop (1½ tbsps) For evenly sized cookies and even baking.
- cooling rack Allows cookies to cool before glazing.
- microplane grater For zesting the lemon.
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 2¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
- ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda
- ½ tsp (3 g) table salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 tbsp (6 g) lemon zest
- 2 tbsps (30 ml0 fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) lemon extract (optional, but highly recommended)
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar for rolling
Lemon Glaze:
- 1½ cups (180 g) confectioners' sugar
- 2-3 tbsps (30-45 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest
- 1 tbsps (14 g) unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.2¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder, ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda, ½ tsp (3 g) table salt
- Beat the butter and 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- Mix in the egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon extract, if using, until fully combined.1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1 tbsp (6 g) lemon zest, 2 tbsps (30 ml0 fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract, ½ tsp (2.5 ml) lemon extract
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms.
- Scoop the dough into 1½ tablespoon portions and roll each one in the remaining ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar.¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- Arrange the dough balls about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly set and the centers still look soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. If your cookies spread, use the opening of a glass to swirl them into a circle before they cool. This will make them perfectly round.
- Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and melted butter until smooth.1½ cups (180 g) confectioners' sugar, 2-3 tbsps (30-45 ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest, 1 tbsps (14 g) unsalted butter
- Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze, allowing any excess to drip off.
- Let the glaze set for about 20 minutes, or until the surface is no longer wet.
Notes
- Fresh lemon juice and zest provide the strongest lemon flavor.
- The extra egg yolk helps keep the cookies soft and tender.
- For thicker glaze, use less lemon juice. For thinner glaze, add additional lemon juice a teaspoon at a time.
- If the dough becomes sticky in a warm kitchen, refrigerate it for about 20 minutes before baking.
- Slightly underbaking the cookies helps keep the centers soft.
Nutrition
Serving: 38g | Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg