Soft & Chewy Lemon Cookies Recipe
Delightfully soft and chewy lemon cookies bursting with fresh lemon flavor, perfect for a refreshing treat. These cookies feature a tender crumb, a bright lemon zest aroma, and a subtle tang from lemon juice, balanced with sweetness. Easy to prepare and baked to perfection with a crisp sugar coating, they’re an ideal snack or dessert for lemon lovers.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes per batch
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 3/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 tsp lemon extract (or 1 tsp each lemon and vanilla extract)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
For Rolling and Garnish
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Additional lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl sides occasionally. Rubbing the lemon zest with sugar beforehand can intensify the lemon flavor.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Mix in the large egg, egg yolk, and lemon (or lemon and vanilla) extract until combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients in a mound over the wet mixture with baking soda on top.
- Activate Leavening: Pour lemon juice over the baking soda—this will cause foaming and activate the leavening process.
- Mix Dough: Stir just until the dough comes together; avoid overmixing to maintain texture.
- Prepare Dough Balls: Optionally refrigerate dough as is or scoop into 1 ½ to 2 tbsp-sized balls before refrigeration.
- Chill: Refrigerate the dough or dough balls for at least 1 hour to firm up and enhance flavor.
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Roll in Sugar: Pour ¼ cup granulated sugar into a bowl and roll each dough ball thoroughly to coat.
- Arrange on Baking Sheets: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and space 6-8 dough balls per sheet to allow spreading.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes. Avoid overbaking; cookies should remain very soft and chewy when done.
- Shape Cookies: While warm, gently swirl each cookie on the baking sheet to form perfect circles.
- Cool Partially: Rest the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes; they will deflate and become less puffy.
- Final Cooling and Garnishing: Transfer cookies carefully to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle tops with extra granulated sugar and lemon zest for a decorative sparkle.
Notes
- Rubbing lemon zest with sugar helps release oils for stronger lemon flavor.
- Refrigerating dough is essential for dough consistency and flavor development.
- Do not overbake to keep cookies soft and chewy.
- Swirling warm cookies on the baking sheet ensures evenly shaped rounds.
- If lemon extract is unavailable, combine vanilla extract with fresh lemon zest and juice for flavor.
Find it online: https://bitezly.com/soft-and-chewy-lemon-cookies-recipe-2/
