It’s February (how did that happen?), but these brightly-flavored Lemon-Lake Cookies will add some sunshine to your day, no matter when you make them.
These are not fancy cookies. They are fairly straightforward to make. The only real “extra” bit is etching the lemon effect onto the cookies. I found it annoying that the example picture in Allrecipes Magazine, where I found the original recipe, showed the cookies when they were unglazed, hence the lemon effect is quite bold.
The reality is that the glaze fills in many of the lines and holes, making the etching much more subtle. It is still visible, though (if you impress the lines and dots enough).
Bready or Not: Lemonade-Like Cookies
These shaped cookies contain a refreshing lemon flavor to brighten your day, no matter what time of year you make them! The etched pattern will be subtle once the glaze is on, but is still worthwhile. Modified from Allrecipes Magazine.
Equipment
- zester
- juicer
- parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- plastic wrap
- 2-inch cookie cutter
- skewer or chopstick
- pastry brush
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) cut into thin slices
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 to 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Zest the lemon. Cut lemon in half and squeeze out juice. Set aside zest and juice.
- Preheat oven at 300-degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Place butter, white sugar, lemon zest, salt, and vanilla in a bowl, stirring together until the butter starts to soften and the ingredients come together. Add flour, mixing until buttery crumbs form. Use hands to press dough together into a ball.
- Lightly flour a flat work surface. Set the dough there and press it into a 1/2-inch thick disk. Place a long stretch of plastic wrap on top and roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with cookie cutter, placing rounds slightly spaced out on prepared sheet. Reroll dough scraps cut out more rounds until it’s all basically shaped.
- If desired, etch a lemon-like effect. Use a sharp knife to form decorative lines atop cookies, pressing in the blade to form 8 triangular wedges on each; make sure to only press into the top of the dough, not all the way through. Use a skewer or chopstick to add decorative holes near the tip of each wedge, creating an effect like a lemon seed.
- Bake cookies until they are light brown around the wedges, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, but reserve the parchment and pan for the glazing.
- Return cookies to cooled pan. Mix together the confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, adding more if needed to form a thick but spreadable glaze. Use a pastry brush to apply a layer of glaze to each cookie, adding an extra layer, if desired, with any leftover glaze after the initial coat. Let cookies stand for 30 minutes to an hour, until glaze is set. Pack cookies into a sealed container. Store at room temperature.
