Description
Sweet homemade lemon zest delight cookies blend citrusy sunshine with delicate buttery notes. Mediterranean baking traditions inspire these delightful treats you’ll savor with afternoon tea or morning coffee.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 sticks (1 cup – 230 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsps lemon zest
- 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, for rolling cookies
Instructions
- Cream Creation: Whip butter, sugar, and lemon zest with an electric mixer until the mixture becomes ethereally light and voluminously transformed, achieving a pale, cloud-like texture.
- Liquid Integration: Incorporate lemon juice and egg into the creamed mixture, blending until ingredients merge seamlessly and create a uniform, silky consistency.
- Dry Element Fusion: Gently fold flour, baking soda, and salt into the wet mixture using a silicone spatula, ensuring thorough yet delicate incorporation without compromising the dough’s tender structure.
- Chill and Develop: Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, allowing flavor molecules to intensify and the mixture to stabilize for optimal baking performance.
- Preparation and Shaping: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C), prepare a sugar coating station, and line a baking sheet with parchment. Craft uniform dough balls, rolling each generously in granulated sugar and positioning them with strategic spacing.
- Baking Precision: Slide the cookie-laden sheet into the preheated oven, baking for 11-13 minutes until edges transform into a delicate golden tone while maintaining a soft, pillowy center.
- Cooling Protocol: Allow cookies to rest momentarily on the baking sheet, then transition to a wire rack, permitting complete temperature equilibration and structural setting.
Notes
- Zest Selection: Use fresh, bright yellow lemons with vibrant, fragrant skin for the most intense citrus flavor and maximum aromatic impact.
- Chilling Technique: Refrigerating dough develops deeper flavors and prevents cookies from spreading too thin during baking, ensuring perfect texture.
- Sugar Coating Trick: Roll dough balls generously in granulated sugar for a sparkling, crisp exterior that adds delightful crunch and sweet contrast.
- Precise Baking Timing: Watch cookies closely during final minutes; golden edges signal perfect doneness while maintaining soft, tender center.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 22
- Calories: 172
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 41 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg