Soft Lemon Cookies with Lemon Glaze
Soft and tender lemon cookies topped with a sweet-tart lemon glaze.
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Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) butter, slightly softened*
- 1 ½ cups (290 g) sugar
- 2 tbsp (28 g) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup lemon zest
- 1 egg
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 cups (360 g) flour
Lemon Glaze
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) powdered sugar
- 2 - 3 tbsp (28 - 42 g) freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Cream the butter and sugar well by mixing on a medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy*.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Add flour and mix until just combined.
- Scoop 2 tbsp (#40 scoop) balls of dough onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until tops are set and edges are golden brown.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Glazing the Cookies
- Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. (Use 2 tbsp of lemon juice for a thicker glaze or 3 tbsp for a thinner glaze.)
- Once the cookies are completely cool on the wire rack, spoon the glaze over each cookie and allow it to set.
Notes
Slightly Softened Butter - You should be able to lightly press your finger to indent the butter, but you don't want it super soft. If it's soft enough that you would easily be able to spread it on a piece of white sandwich bread, it's too soft and may not allow the cookies to keep their structure.
Cream the Butter and Sugar Well - you'll want to beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes to ensure it's creamed well. The mixture should be pale and fluffy. This helps provide structure to the cookies to keep them from spreading and prevents them from having a doughy texture.
Spread - if your butter was too soft or your cookies are spreading a bit too much, chill the dough uncovered in the fridge for about 20 minutes before continuing to scoop and bake.