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Lemon Sugar Cookies

Source of Recipe

From "100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen" by Sarah Kieffer


Recipe Introduction

"I used to work at a coffeehouse that made the most perfect lemon sugar cookies: gigantic in size, with light lemon flavor and a dusting of sugar. However, when the baker left (along with a few other important recipes), this cookie was pronounced lost forever. On and off over the years, I have tried to re-create the magic of those cookies, and finally succeeded."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 cups all-purpose flour
◦ 1 teaspoon baking powder
◦ � teaspoon salt
◦ � teaspoon baking soda
◦ 12 tablespoons (1 � sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
◦ 1 � cups granulated sugar
◦ 2 tablespoons lemon zest, from 2 or 3 lemons
◦ 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
◦ 1 � teaspoons lemon extract
◦ � teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Coating Sugar:
◦ � cup granulated sugar
◦ 2 teaspoons lemon zest


Recipe

Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350� F. Line three sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and lemon zest and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg yolk, lemon extract, and vanilla extract, mixing on low speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.

In a small bowl, combine the coating sugar ingredients; use your fingers to gently work the lemon zest into the sugar.

Form the dough into 2-ounce balls (3 tablespoons), and roll each ball in the coating sugar. Use the back of a measuring cup or glass to flatten each ball of dough into a circle measuring about 2 inches across. Place six cookies on each sheet pan.

Bake the cookies one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking. Bake for 10 minutes, then give the pan a slight tap in the oven, and continue baking until the sides of the cookies are pale golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cookies cool to room temperature on the pan. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Makes 14 cookies







❧ Variations:

� Lemon-Poppy Seed Sugar Cookies: Add 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds to the dough, and bake as directed.

� Lemon-Lime Sugar Cookies: Add 1 tablespoon of lime zest along with the lemon zest in the dough.