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Plate of lemon sugar cookies
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Lemon Sugar Cookies

These lemon sugar cookies have a delicious sunshine-y lemon flavor with a chewy texture. They're rolled in sugar to give the cookies a nice crunch around the edges for the perfect sugar cookie texture. These cookies are great for spring or whenever you're craving a buttery, chewy cookie that's simple, elegant and just a little special. 
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Lemon Sugar Cookies
Servings: 32 cookies
Author: Fiona Dowling

Equipment

  • Cookie Sheets

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (344 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar (267 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams) softened slightly & cut into cubes
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk discard the white
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons lemon extract
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67 grams) for rolling the cookie balls in

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line cookie sheets with baking paper or silicone baking mats.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, pinch together the 1 1/3 cup sugar and lemon zest. Essentially, you want to rub the lemon zest into the sugar - you only need to do this for about 30 seconds.
  • In a large bowl, beat together the butter with the sugar and lemon zest mixture.
  • Beat in the egg, additional egg yolk, vanilla extract and lemon extract.
  • Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, starting with the mixer on a low speed and gradually increasing to medium speed until combined.
  • Pour the 1/3 cup granulated sugar onto a small plate. Spoon the dough into balls with about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of dough each and roll each dough ball in the sugar.
  • Place the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets.
  • Bake 1 sheet at a time in the middle of the oven for about 9-11 minutes, or until the tops look set. Cool on the cookie tray for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Notes

  1. Flour: Measure flour carefully, otherwise the cookies will be dry and thick. Use a scale and weigh in grams for the most accurate results. Otherwise, whisk first. Then spoon into a dry measuring cup and level off the top. 
  2. Lemon Extract: Lemon extract can be found in the baking aisle near the vanilla extract. It can also be substituted with 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. If using lemon juice, the lemon flavor of the cookies won't be quite as prominent.
  3. Storage: Store baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Cookies are always best when fresh. 
  4. Freezing: Cookie dough balls and be placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 2 months. Do not thaw. Bake from frozen, as directed in the recipe. They'll likely need 1-2 extra minutes.
  5. Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cookie rolled in sugar, assuming the recipe yields 32 uniform cookies. 

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg