Let’s get some of the sun back we had this summer! Here in Germany we had loads of sun this year, but after a couple weeks with less daylight I already want summer back! Even though I hate sweating and the temperatures in my apartment on a hot summer day. But I need the light in the morning and in the evening! Maybe these Lemon Sugar Cookies can help. They look at least a bit like a summer treat :P
They might not light up your room – maybe they glow in the dark (haven’t tried that) – but they definitely bring back some of the summer flavors we all know and I particularly like a lot: lemon!
The cookies are easy to prepare – as most sugar cookies. I wanted to decorate the cookies differently actually. I wanted them to look like lemons that somebody cut open, but my piping skills are really bad when it comes to royal icing and stuff like that. I tried my best but when the first one looked like a mashed lemon, I decided to go for simple spirals… much easier to pipe :P Well… if you can do the realistic looking version – go for it! And tell me how to do it ;)
The dough already has quite some lemon zest inside – if you like the flavor even more intense, I recommend adding some more flavor by adding lemon oil or something similar. Some drops can’t hurt. You should try though. If your face makes a weird expression and your mouth fills up with foam… definitely too much lemon :P Just kidding… go for it! The sky is the limit! :P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the dough:
1 cup (230g) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
zest of 3 organic lemons
some drops of lemon flavor
3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
For the frosting:
1/2 cup (120g) butter
3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 -2 tbsp. milk (if needed)
yellow food color (optional)
some yellow sprinkles (optional)
Für den Teig:
230g Butter
300g Zucker
1 Ei (L)
1 Eigelb (L)
Abrieb von 3 Bio-Zitronen
ein paar Tropfen Zitronenaroma
390g Mehl (Type 405)
1 TL Backpulver
1/4 TL Salz
Für das Frosting:
120g Butter
360g Puderzucker
2 EL Zitronensaft
1-2 EL Milch (falls notwendig)
gelbe Lebensmittelfarbe (optional)
gelbe Zuckerperlen (optional)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, and flavor and mix until well combined. Mix the flour with baking powder, and salt and add to the bowl, mix until just combined. Use a cookie scoop (or ice cream scoop) to place dough portions with enough space in between on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should not get much of a color and look slightly under-baked. Take out of the oven and let cool down on the baking sheet for some time, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool down completely.
3. For the frosting add the butter to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix in. Add the lemon juice and mix until well combined. If the mixture is too thick, add some milk to get it a bit softer. If you want to decorate the cookies like I did on the pictures, take a bit of the frosting and mix with yellow food color to get a nice and colorful frosting. Fill into a piping bag with a very small round tip.
4. To frost the cookies, add some white frosting with a spoon or spatula and smooth out the top a bit. If you have the yellow frosting, decorate the cookies to your liking. You can also just sprinkle them with some sugar sprinkles or leave them as they are ;)
2. Die Butter mit dem Zucker in eine große Schüssel geben und hell und luftig aufschlagen. Ei, Eigelb, Zitronenschalenabrieb und Zitronenaroma dazugeben und gut unterrühren. Das Mehl mit Backpulver und Salz vermischen und dann zur Schüssel dazugeben und nur kurz unterrühren, bis sich alles verbunden hat. Mit einem Cookie Scoop (Eisportionierer) etwa 8 Teigportionen mit genügend Abstand zueinander auf das Blech setzen und dann für 10-12 Minuten backen. Die Cookies sollten nur minimal Farbe bekommen und eigentlich etwas “zu wenig gebacken” aussehen – dann sind sie richtig ;) Auf dem Blech etwas abkühlen lassen, sobald man sie bewegen kann auf ein Kuchengitter legen und komplett auskühlen lassen. Mit dem restlichen Teig wiederholen.
3. Für das Frosting die Butter in einer großen Schüssel hell und luftig aufschlagen. Den Puderzucker dazugeben und unterrühren. Zitronensaft dazugeben und verrühren. Sollte das Frosting noch zu fest sein, etwas Milch dazugeben, bis es passt. Wer die Cookies wie auf den Fotos dekorieren möchte, sollte einen kleinen Teil des Frostings mit gelber Lebensmittelfarbe verrühren und dann in einen Spritzbeutel mit kleiner runder Tülle füllen.
4. Die abgekühlten Cookies mit einer Schicht weißem Frosting bestreichen – wer etwas Frosting eingefärbt hat, kann die Cookies damit verzieren. Ihr könnt auch einfach ein paar Zuckerperlen auf die Cookies werfen oder sie einfach so lassen wie sie sind ;)
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Lemon Cookies
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 80
- Yield: 30 1x
Description
Delicious sweet cookies with loads of lemon flavor!
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup (230g) butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- zest of 3 organic lemons
- some drops of lemon flavor
- 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
For the frosting
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 -2 tbsp. milk (if needed)
- yellow food color (optional)
- some yellow sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, and flavor and mix until well combined. Mix the flour with baking powder, and salt and add to the bowl, mix until just combined. Use a cookie scoop (or ice cream scoop) to place dough portions with enough space in between on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should not get much of a color and look slightly under-baked. Take out of the oven and let cool down on the baking sheet for some time, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool down completely.
- For the frosting add the butter to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix in. Add the lemon juice and mix until well combined. If the mixture is too thick, add some milk to get it a bit softer. If you want to decorate the cookies like I did on the pictures, take a bit of the frosting and mix with yellow food color to get a nice and colorful frosting. Fill into a piping bag with a very small round tip.
- To frost the cookies, add some white frosting with a spoon or spatula and smooth out the top a bit. If you have the yellow frosting, decorate the cookies to your liking. You can also just sprinkle them with some sugar sprinkles or leave them as they are ;)
Notes
- Enjoy baking!
Just found your site. Great recipes and lovely pictures. Can’t wait to try some of your Christmas cookies in a month or so..
Happy to hear!
There will be some more Christmas Cookies coming soon :)
Cheers,
Marc