Cookies are always a great snack when you’re craving something sweet, no matter if it is summer or winter. At the height of summer, however, those extra large, chocolate and sugar-loaded are not always the best option. These small, delicious Lemon Drop Cookies are much better in this case (I think). Not too big, not too sweet, and refreshingly lemony… Just perfect for hot summer days ;)
I bake cookies all year round. In summer, however, I find it a little difficult to bake large chocolate chip cookies and other cookies like that. You can’t say I don’t like chocolate chip cookies any less on warm summer days, but smaller cookies are simply better. Maybe I am alone with my opinion here. I assume there are a lot of people that can eat rich chocolate cakes on hot summer days with 35°C and more outside… I prefer a small scoop of ice cream on those days ;P
Anyway. Lemon drop cookies are, of course, also great in the depths of winter. Because of the all the vitamins. Haha. You can talk yourself into a lot of things, can’t you? ;P Well, theoretically there should be a few vitamins in there, thanks to the lemons used in the dough and in the icing. But I’m not really sure if there is a lot left after baking. Cookies are not known for being healthy and rich in vitamins. But it doesn’t matter – cookies should taste good and (hopefully) put you in a good mood…
These lemon drop cookies are fluffy and lemony. The name already suggested the lemon flavor ;P Unlike other cookies, they are not particularly crispy, something you would expect from classic chocolate chip cookies, for example. The cookies here are fluffy and rather soft in texture. Little cakes with lemon icing, you could almost say. The ricotta makes these cookies rich and… well, fluffy ;)
These cookies here are quite easy to prepare. You basically throw everything into a bowl, stir well, then place the dough in the fridge for some time, and then they go into the oven. You will get around 40 small cookies with this recipe… which sounds a lot at first, but they are really small and are normally gone very quickly. I speak from experience ;) At best, the cookies should stay fresh for 4 days, provided they are stored correctly. Normally, however, the cookies are eaten a lot sooner. Most of them by me. I do all the hard work ;P
If you are a fan of cookies (like me), you might also want to take a look at my new baking book called Cookie Mania*. The book is available in bookshops and online since April 2024 and is packed with 100 of my favorite cookie recipes. If you like cookies, you’re sure to love this book. It also makes a great gift *wink wink* ;P
Even without a cookie baking book, there are hundreds of cookie recipes here on the blog (in German and English). Something like this: these Easy Lemon Curd Crinkle Cookies are perfect for summer, but my simple Yogurette Chocolate Chip Cookies are also a delicious snack on hot days. And cold days. Well, all year round ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(about 40 cookies)
For the batter:
1/2 cup (120g) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 cup (250g) ricotta cheese
1 medium egg
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon zest (from organic lemon)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups (260g) spelt flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
For the decoration:
1 1/3 cups (130g) confectioners’ sugar (plus more if needed)
1-2 tsp. lemon juice (plus more if needed)
2 tsp. lemon zest (from organic lemon)
(etwa 40 Cookies)
Für den Teig:
120g weiche Butter
150g Zucker
250g Ricotta
1 Ei (M)
1 EL Zitronensaft
2 TL Abrieb von Bio-Zitrone
1/2 TL Vanille Extrakt
260g Dinkelmehl (Type 630)
1 TL Backpulver
1/4 TL Salz
Für die Dekoration:
170g Puderzucker (ggf. etwas mehr)
1-2 TL Zitronensaft (ggf. etwas mehr)
2 TL Abrieb von Bio-Zitrone
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Add butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix on high for 2-3 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add the ricotta, egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and continue mixing for 2-3 minutes. Combine the spelt flour, baking powder, and salt – add to the large bowl and fold in. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for about 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside. Use a small cookie scoop* or a tablespoon and place small dough portions with some space in between on the baking sheet. Place the remaining dough back into the fridge.
3. Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes – they should get some color around the edges. The cookies will still be soft, but that is ok – they firm up when cooling down. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool down for some time on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack and let cool down completely. Repeat with remaining dough until all dough has been used.
4. For the glaze, mix the confectioners’ sugar with the lemon juice – you want a glaze that is not too runny. Add the lemon zest and mix in. Brush the cookies with the glaze and let them dry completely. Store the cookies in a cookie box for up to 3-4 days.
1. Butter und Zucker in einer großen Schüssel für etwa 2-3 Minuten hell und luftig aufschlagen. Ricotta, Ei, Zitronensaft, Zitronenabrieb und Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und etwa 2-3 Minuten weiter aufschlagen. Dinkelmehl, Backpulver und Salz vermischen, zur großen Schüssel dazugeben und unterheben. Die Schüssel abdecken und für etwa 2 Stunden in den Kühlschrank stellen.
2. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Ein Backblech mit Backpapier auslegen und zur Seite stellen. Mit einem kleinen Cookie Scoop/Eisportionierer* oder einem Esslöffel kleine Teigportionen mit etwas Abstand zueinander auf das vorbereitete Blech setzen. Den restlichen Teig zurück in den Kühlschrank stellen.
3. Die Cookies für etwa 12-13 Minuten backen. Die Cookies dürfen an den Rändern etwas Farbe bekommen haben. Sie werden noch recht weich sein, aber das ist ok. Die Cookies aus dem Ofen holen und auf dem Blech ein wenig abkühlen lassen, dann auf ein Kuchengitter setzen und komplett auskühlen lassen. Den Vorgang mit dem restlichen Teig wiederholen, bis der gesamte Teig aufgebraucht ist.
4. Für die Glasur den Puderzucker mit Zitronensaft verrühren, bis eine glatte, nicht zu flüssige Glasur entsteht. Den Zitronenabrieb unterrühren und dann die Cookies mit der Glasur bestreichen. Die fertig dekorierten Cookies komplett trocknen lassen, dann in einer luftdichten Keksdose für max. 3-4 Tage aufbewahren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Easy Lemon Drop Cookies
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 00:12
- Total Time: 03:00
- Yield: 40 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delicious and lemony cookies everybody loves here: Lemon Drop Cookies. Not only in summer, a delicious delight ;P You will make them over and over…
Ingredients
For the batter:
1/2 cup (120g) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 cup (250g) ricotta cheese
1 medium egg
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon zest (from organic lemon)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups (260g) spelt flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
For the decoration:
1 1/3 cups (130g) confectioners’ sugar (plus more if needed)
1–2 tsp. lemon juice (plus more if needed)
2 tsp. lemon zest (from organic lemon)
Instructions
1. Add butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix on high for 2-3 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add the ricotta, egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and continue mixing for 2-3 minutes. Combine the spelt flour, baking powder, and salt – add to the large bowl and fold in. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for about 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside. Use a small cookie scoop* or a tablespoon and place small dough portions with some space in between on the baking sheet. Place the remaining dough back into the fridge.
3. Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes – they should get some color around the edges. The cookies will still be soft, but that is ok – they firm up when cooling down. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool down for some time on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack and let cool down completely. Repeat with remaining dough until all dough has been used.
4. For the glaze, mix the confectioners’ sugar with the lemon juice – you want a glaze that is not too runny. Add the lemon zest and mix in. Brush the cookies with the glaze and let them dry completely. Store the cookies in a cookie box for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
Time to get your hands dirty in the kitchen!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
