Description
Deliciously soft and tangy lemon butter cookies topped with a smooth lemon frosting, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (*measured properly)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add room temperature butter and sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about a minute.
- Add eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated and fluffy, about a minute.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually stir (or use a mixer on low speed) dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.
- Cover bowl and chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Refrigerating allows time for flavors to meld and also creates a firmer dough that’s easy to roll into balls.
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Remove dough from refrigerator. Scoop dough using a medium 1 inch cookie scoop or shape by hand into 1 inch balls.
- Place cookie dough balls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten balls slightly using your hands or the bottom of a glass dusted with flour (to prevent sticking).
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until tops look set and edges barely begin to lightly brown (times will vary based on your own oven and size of cookies). Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, add room temperature butter, confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Use a hand mixer to whip until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Add milk as needed to achieve desired consistency.
- Use an offset spatula or knife to spread frosting over cooled cookies. Optionally, add lemon zest as a garnish.
- Allow to air dry for a few hours before storing (frosting will crust on the outside but the inside remains soft, so pressure can cause the frosting to indent).
Notes
- Make sure to measure your flour properly to avoid dense cookies.
- Chilling the dough will help achieve the perfect cookie texture.
- Feel free to add more lemon zest for a stronger lemon flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg