Lemon Cookies Recipe

There is nothing simpler and easier to make then making some sweet, lemony and buttery tasting lemon cookies.  Real butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and almond extract give these cookies their wonderful taste.  Below is my simple to follow recipe for making some delicious lemon cookies.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups of sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Zest from 3 large lemons, divided
1 1/2 cups of white sugar, plus about 1/2 cup extra for decorating
2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

You will want to begin by taking a small mixing bowl and add in your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and whisk your ingredients together.  Set this aside.

Now take a large mixing bowl and add in 1 1/2 cups of sugar and the zest of 2 lemons and press the lemon zest with your fingers into the sugar until it becomes moist and aromatic.  Then add in your butter and cream your ingredients together with a hand mixer until creamy.  This should take 3 to 4 minutes.  Next add in your egg, vanilla extract, almond extract and lemon juice and continue to mix until your ingredients are fully incorporated.  Now take your dry ingredients and add them in about a cup at a time and mix with your hand mixer until all of your flour is fully incorporated and you have created a dough.

You will now want to chill your dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, take a small bowl and add in 1/2 cup of sugar and the zest of one lemon and then press the lemon zest into the sugar until it becomes moist and aromatic and then set this aside.

After 30 minutes remove your dough from the refrigerator and shape the dough into balls about the size of walnuts and then roll the balls in lemon/sugar mixture.  Then place balls on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart since they will spread a bit.  You will then want to place the cookie sheet in your preheated oven and bake for 7 to 9 minutes.   You want the edges of your lemon cookies to be golden brown only so do not let your cookies get too brown.  You will want to rotate your cookie sheet half way through.  Let your lemon cookies stand on your cookie sheet for 5 minutes after you remove them from the oven.  Then place your lemon cookies on wire racks to cool.