Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies

 

Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies

Yields 24

Light, delicate, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with a hint of lemon, these super-easy lemon sugar cookies don't require any chilling, rolling, or cutting!

Cook Time

12 min

Ingredients

1.        2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife

2.       1 teaspoon baking powder

3.       1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4.       1/2 teaspoon table salt

5.       1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling

6.       2 ounces full-fat cream cheese

7.       6 tablespoons butter, melted and still warm

8.      1/3 cup vegetable oil

9.       1 large egg

10.   Zest of 1 small lemon

11.     1 tablespoon whole milk

12.    1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

1.        Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment sheets and set aside.

2.       In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3.       Place the 1 1/3 cups sugar and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Using a metal whisk, stir until combined. Pour the melted butter over the mixture, then add the vegetable oil, egg, lemon zest, milk, and lemon juice. Whisk until combined. Stir in the flour mixture with a silicone spatula until the dough is cohesive and smooth (it will be very moist.)

4.       Using a standard cookie scoop (which is 1 1/2 tablespoons), generously scoop the dough (you want about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie) and roll into the reserved sugar. Evenly space 12 cookie balls on the sheet and repeat with the other baking sheet. If desired, sprinkle cookies with remaining sugar. Bake for 6 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 5-6 minutes or until set around the edges. Repeat with the second pan. Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack.

By Our Best Bites

 

Chewy Triple-Citrus Poppy Seed Cookies

 

Chewy Triple-Citrus Poppy Seed Cookies

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups spooned and leveled all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

½  tsp kosher salt

¼ cup plus 2 tbl poppy seeds, divided

2 tsp grated fresh lemon zest (from about 2 medium lemons)

2 tsp grated fresh lime zest (from about 3 medium limes)

2 tsp grated fresh orange zest (from about 1 medium orange)

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

1 ½ cup granulated sugar, divided

2 sticks (16 tbl) unsalted butter softened

1 large egg, room temperature

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

1 tbl vanilla extract

 

Make Ahead: If wrapped tightly in plastic, the dough can be stored in the refrigerator for several days before baking.

1.       In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and ¼ cup of the poppy seeds.

2.       In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the lemon zest, lime zest, orange zest, brown sugar, and 1 cup of the granulated sugar. Massage the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the sugar is tinted a light yellow and is very fragrant.

3.       Add the butter and beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through, until smooth and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the mixer off and add the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until very fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

4.       Preheat the oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

5.       Place the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar and remaining 2 tbl poppy seeds in a shallow wide bowl and mix with a spoon. Using a medium 1 ¾ inch cookie scoop or tbl, portion out the dough and roll into balls. Roll the balls in sugar mixture to coat them and place at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

6.       Bake until the cookies are puffed and very lightly browned- I baked them 12 minutes. Bakg the baking sheets on the countertop as they come out of the oven to deflate the cookies slightly. Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.