Let’s say you need a lot of cookies. They don’t need to be fancy. You just need something sweet and good that kids and adults will both like. Well, these Lemon Butter Cookies might be just about perfect.
Another thing to know about this recipe: it makes a lot. The entire batch produces over 100 cookies. The nice thing is, though, it’s also a great recipe to divvy up. It’s no problem to keep half the batch wrapped in the fridge to make a day or two later, while the other half is frozen.
Or make them all at once and pretend you can swim through piles of cookies like Scrooge McDuck through his money bin.
The lemon flavor may make some people think of spring and summer, but I’m of the opinion that good food is good all year long. Plus, you can use different colored sugars to customize it for sports teams or holidays.
Bready or Not Original: Lemon Butter Cookies
Equipment
- parchment paper
- cookie cutter
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup milk or half & half
- 3 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- colored sugar for topping, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time followed by the milk and both extracts. Scrape the bottom of the bowl.
- In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add to the wet mix to create a cohesive dough (and it makes a LOT of dough!).
- At this point, the dough can be divided to rest in the fridge or placed in the freezer for weeks. If the cookies will be made today, chill the dough, covered, for about 30 minutes. (Note that if the dough is chilled for a longer time, it will need to sit at room temperature for a bit to become soft enough to roll out.)
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour a clean, flat surface. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Parcel out using a 2-inch inch cookie cutter. Place spaced out a bit on cookie sheet. If using colored sugar, sprinkle atop each cookie to coat. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until set. Let the cookies idle on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat process to make more cookies. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
- The full batch of cookies will make 100-120, dependent on the thickness.
