This is a really easy Lemon Cookies recipe. It makes crinkly topped Lemon Cookies that are perfect for lovers of all things sweet and lemony. Soft in the middle, slightly crisp on the outside and full of sweet lemon flavour that makes the perfect sweet treat to have with your favourite cup of tea or coffee.
Not sure you believe me? Make some and see!
Why you want these easy lemon cookies in your life
If you like sweet lemony desserts then I think you are really going to love these cookies with their crinkly tops. They are full of lemon flavour which gives them that citrussy fresh taste with just the right amount of sweetness to be wonderful. They go so well with a cup of tea or coffee and make a welcome mid-afternoon sweet treat and they’re super easy to make.
Ingredients for this easy lemon cookies recipe
This really easy lemon cookies recipe uses pantry staples, so nothing too exotic.
- flour – this is for structure and in this recipe, I use plain flour. (I think this is called all-purpose flour elsewhere in the world.) The baking powder adds the little bit of ‘lift’ the cookies need.
- cold butter – helps bind everything together, adds to the amazing flavour and is how to achieve that pretty crinkly cookie top. More on that later. This method also works if you use non-dairy margarine but the crinkliness is slightly less defined
- sugar – adds sweetness to counteract the astringency of the lemon. It also highlights the lovely lemon flavours. I use either a golden or white caster sugar. It kind of depends what I have in the house. Brown and muscovado are too heavy for this kind of cookie and the flavour of them would dominate the lemon too much.
- egg – acts as a binder and helps keep the cookies light.
- lemon – for the lemony flavour. This recipe uses both the zest and the juice.
- baking powder and bicarbonate of soda – these help to give the cookies a lightness.
The Method – Making Lemon Cookies
You can make these cookies by hand using a good-sized mixing bowl and a trusty wooden spoon or a mixer. It is harder to work with a spoon but it is completely possible.
Measure out all your ingredients and zest your lemon. Squeeze the juice of one half of the lemon so that you have 1 1/2 tablespoons. This may only need one half of the lemon or both halves.
Cut the cold butter, straight out of the fridge into smaller pieces to make the next stage a little easier.
Sugary Buttery Clumps
If you’re using a mixer or food processor add the butter chunks and the sugar to the bowl. Set the mixer going. You are only trying to get the butter and sugar to mix together slightly – you are not aiming but a creamed effect.
If you are doing this by hand add the ingredients into the bowl and stir. Combine the butter and sugar as best as you can. You are only trying to stick the sugar and butter together you are not aiming to cream the two ingredients together as you would for say, a cake.
The aim is to get sugary, buttery clumps or lumps. This is so easy once you get started.
1 – Cold Butter 2 – Buttery/Sugary clumps 3 – Mixed Dough
Combining everything together
At this point add all of the other ingredients to your bowl and mix until everything is thoroughly combined. This turns into a soft, very slightly sticky dough.
These cookies are best if they are allowed to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is best.
Scooping out the mixture
Once they’ve had their chance to rest, pre-heat the oven to 350 F/180C/160Fan. Place the baking tray in the oven at the same time. Heating the tray gets the cookies cooking straight away and makes for a nice cookie bottom.
Scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoon of cookie dough. Because I like to try and get my cookies all the same size I tend to weigh it out, and measuring 40 grams of dough will give you approximately 11-12 gorgeous cookies. I know that’s a little sad but I like it that way.
Using your hands gently shape them into ball shapes. Don’t squeeze or compress the dough just shape it.
Baking Lemon Cookies
Once the oven is at temperature, take the tray out of the oven, add a strip of baking parchment and place the cookie dough balls on the tray. Give them room to expand a little.
Pop them into the oven for 12 minutes. You want them slightly golden and just set on the top.
Give them a minute or two to cool down and then move them onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
This is when the tops begin to take on that crinkly, textured appearance. So, pretty!
Variations to the basic recipe
There are a few things that you can do to the recipe to make it your own or just make it subtly different.
- glaze them – with a light lemon flavoured (with lemon juice ) glaze. See recipe notes for ingredients and amounts.
- extra lemon zest – add a little extra lemon zest to strengthen the flavour. If you use a grater you will get thicker shreds of zest which means they’ll be more obvious in the finished cookie. I prefer it a bit finer as I don’t like the chewiness that adds.
- lemon flavouring – strengthen the flavour with a little lemon flavouring. You’ll find different makes at the supermarket, follow their guidelines for how much to use.
- yellow food colouring – for a brighter yellow appearance. I think they’re pretty enough but this is certainly something that you can do to give them a brighter yellow look.
Can this cookie dough be frozen?
Yes – this cookie dough can be frozen. To save time it’s best to freeze it in dough balls, separated by waxed paper or parchment. You can take them out and cook them one at a time if you wish. The dough will last about 2 months in the freezer.
Leave to thaw for 10-15 minutes at room temperature before baking.
The finished cookies may also be frozen, provided that they are unglazed. Separate them with waxed paper or baking parchment before freezing. They will last for about 2 months in the freezer.
Storing your Lemon Cookies
The freshly baked lemon cookies will last quite happily in an airtight container for up to seven days. They may not last that long however, once your family find them… they are a little more-ish.
What’s your favourite kind of cookie?
If you like these … then you may also like these
- Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Oat and Raisin Cookies
- Chocolate chip Cookies
- Easy Oat and Coconut cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Easy Shortbread Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Ginger Cookies
- Baked Cinnamon Donuts Recipe
- Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
- White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
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How to make Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups plain flour all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 egg medium
- 1 lemon zest and 1 1/2 tbsp juice
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda baking soda
Optional Lemon glaze:
- 1 cup icing sugar sieved
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- This may be done with a food mixer or by hand with a spoon and mixing bowl. Mix the chopped-up, fridge cold butter with the sugar. This is only meant to combine not cream.
- Once you have buttery/sugary clumps that's enough mixing. All the sugar should be stuck to the butter and that's as much as you need to do.
- Add all the remaining ingredients and combine. You should now have a slightly soft cookie dough. Place in the fridge for at leat 30 minutes but it will be better still, if left overnight.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F and place the baking tray in the oven to warm up. This will give the cookies a nice firm base.
- Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon amounts of the dough and gently shape them into balls. Take the baking tray out of the oven – cover it with a piece of baking parchment and space the cookie dough balls out on the top.
- Cook for approximately 12 minutes until they are golden around the edges and set on the top. Once done, leave them for a few minutes before gently moving them on to a cooking rack to finish cooling
To make the Lemon Glaze
- Sift the icing sugar into a bowl to make sure that it is lump free.
- Add the lemon juice and stir until it is combined. It should have a fairly thin consistency.
- If your glaze seems too thin add a little more sieved icing sugar to thicken it.
- Use this to glaze the cookies with – grate a little lemon zest over the top perhaps?
Notes
- Finish with a simple lemony glaze these cookies become even more special.
- Add lemon flavouring to intensify the lemon taste
- Add yellow food colouring to make the cookies look more yellow.
Nutrition
Why not pin this easy Lemon Cookies recipe for later?
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