By Amy Barton
Plain or decorated, these lemon cookies are delectable.
It's confession time again. Easter isn't a holiday I really go out of the way to celebrate, particularly in culinary terms. I love (LOVE!) marshmallow Peeps just as much as the next guy (okay, probably more). I have more jelly beans in my house than I have brains in my head. If someone makes a gorgeous loaf of bread or hot cross buns, I'm on it. But me? I just don't throw on my apron for Easter-y things.
Until now. You see, I remembered one small detail about one of my favorite cookies to make: The batter stays a batter, it doesn't really become a dough. So most of the time after you drop it on your baking sheet, you'll end up with some round cookies and some a little more oblong - like an egg!
You need to know about these cookies. I call them "lemon cookies" obviously, which doesn't do any amount of justice to their unique flavor and texture. The best way I could try to describe them would be.... think lemon spongecake meets shortbread meets sugar cookies. They're lemon flavored and have a slightly springy, airy quality to them. Just slightly. At the same time, they're not a cookie that has any rise too it, and they have that floury texture sort of more like a shortbread. BUT they're also substantial enough to be sugar-cookie-ish. They're awesome plain (my preference), but they also take to icing or a glaze BEAUTIFULLY.
Until now. You see, I remembered one small detail about one of my favorite cookies to make: The batter stays a batter, it doesn't really become a dough. So most of the time after you drop it on your baking sheet, you'll end up with some round cookies and some a little more oblong - like an egg!
You need to know about these cookies. I call them "lemon cookies" obviously, which doesn't do any amount of justice to their unique flavor and texture. The best way I could try to describe them would be.... think lemon spongecake meets shortbread meets sugar cookies. They're lemon flavored and have a slightly springy, airy quality to them. Just slightly. At the same time, they're not a cookie that has any rise too it, and they have that floury texture sort of more like a shortbread. BUT they're also substantial enough to be sugar-cookie-ish. They're awesome plain (my preference), but they also take to icing or a glaze BEAUTIFULLY.
EASY EASTER LEMON COOKIES
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (room temp)
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 1/8 cups flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (or feel free to use a stand mixer). Add your eggs and beat them into the butter/sugar mixture until they're blended in completely. Stir in lemon extract. Add the flour (sift it first!) and beat it until smooth.
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (room temp)
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 1/8 cups flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (or feel free to use a stand mixer). Add your eggs and beat them into the butter/sugar mixture until they're blended in completely. Stir in lemon extract. Add the flour (sift it first!) and beat it until smooth.
Your batter will not be stiff like a cookie dough - it will be more like a stiff cake batter. That's how it's supposed to be - don't fret!
Drop batter onto greased or parchment paper lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Depending on the size of cookie you want, baking time will vary. If you want a smaller, more wafer-like cookie, drop by teaspoonful and bake for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. For larger cookies (as pictured here), drop by tablespoonful (or 2 tablespoons at a time), and bake 10-14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Allow to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing and putting on a rack to cool the rest of the way.
Allow to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing and putting on a rack to cool the rest of the way.
Baked Lemon Cookies - see how they're slightly spongy looking? They're slightly more dense than they look, but still lighter than a shortbread or sugar cookie.
Once completely cooled, cookies will still be slightly tacky on the top for a short time. It's not like your fingers will stick to the lemon cookies, but if you dropped powdered sugar or sprinkles on them.... you might end up with sweet decorations you hadn't planned on. I happen to love these cookies as is, with the slight taste of lemon and the somewhat flour-y, delightfully unique texture.
HOWEVER.. a little icing never hurt anyone, right? Since I don't bake much for Easter, I don't have a lot of super spring-y decorations - so my cookies (some of them) ended up a little more on the bold color side. They tasted good and bold, too!
HOWEVER.. a little icing never hurt anyone, right? Since I don't bake much for Easter, I don't have a lot of super spring-y decorations - so my cookies (some of them) ended up a little more on the bold color side. They tasted good and bold, too!
Iced Lemon Easter Egg Cookies
After digging around, I did find some Valentine's Day decorations. Nothing like a little culinary repurposing, eh?
Lemon Cookies with icing, sprinkles, and nonpareils.
The great thing about this recipe is that the cookies are fairly neutral in flavor (save for the slight lemon taste). You can add flavored glaze, icing, or frosting. You can cook them a little longer so they're crunchier and then dip them in coffee or tea for a fantastic breakfast treat. You can tint them any color you'd like with food coloring. And of course, you can decorate them for any holiday or season.
Send me your pictures - I want to see your original spin on these cookies. Amy@AmysTreats.com
Send me your pictures - I want to see your original spin on these cookies. Amy@AmysTreats.com
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