A butter cookie that melts in the mouth with the rich flavor of fresh lemon zest and juice. This simple and easy recipe for lemon butter cookies is as easy as a cookie recipe can get. Also, it requires no special skills, techniques or tools and gets done in less than half an hour.
Table of Content
There was a time when I would frown at the thought of lemon in my cookies. I love lemon and I can eat lemon curd from a jar with a spoon. And yet, somehow the idea of cookies and lemon flavor did not go well until one day I tasted these. I had them in Amsterdam and they were served with a lemon mousse! I know!! Not really what I would serve with my lemon mousse but I must admit it did go well together.
So, that day, I decided I would make lemon cookies. And, I tried a few good recipes over the years. But, there is something about my butter cookies that just go so well with the lemon flavor. You have to try it to know what I mean.
In fact, I honestly didn't know what better to name them than simply to call them what I know: lemon butter cookies. Because they are a variation of my butter cookies. So, I hope you like the name and I do hope you try these delicious cookies.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Butter - well yes, since this is a butter-based cookie - it does need a good quality butter and one that will melt in your mouth. I highly recommend you use firm room temperature but not soft room temperature butter as this will affect how the cookie spreads out (see Tip Thursday -how butter affects cookie baking)
- Powdered sugar - I love the texture that powder sugar brings to this cookie. You can use regular sugar but the cookies will spread more and it will not be the same cookie.
- Semolina - this adds a little of that bite and body to the cookie. It gives it that crumble in the mouthfeel. If you don't have semolina you can use cornstarch aka cornflour instead.
- Egg yolk - sounds like a little but that's all you need. It's just the right amount to prevent it from spreading. If you must substitute the egg you can try adding two tablespoons of greek yogurt instead.
- Lemon - since it's a cookie we can only add that much of liquid so the zest and extract do go a long way in adding flavor.
- Food color - oh you can totally omit it but these are lemon cookies which we associate with the color yellow - unfortunately no amount of lemon juice is going to give you that so it's a drop of yellow food color or white lemon butter cookies. You choose. I choose to add just a drop.
Step by step instructions
Prepare
- In a bowl, combine together the flour, semolina, baking powder, and salt.
- Set aside.
Prepare cookie dough
- Lightly cream together butter and powdered sugar.
- Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, zest, and food color if using - combine well.
- Gently fold in the flour mixture.
- Lastly, add the lemon extract.
- Gather into a ball, wrap in a plastic wrap.
- Chill dough for 15 to 20 minutes until firm.
Make balls and coat cookies
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / 360 F.
- Roll small portions of chilled dough into balls with your hands.
- Roll into powdered sugar.
- Place on a cookie tray.
Bake
- Bake in a preheated oven on the middle shelf.
- Depending on the size of your cookies and the oven they take - 8 to 10 minutes.
- Mine took 8 minutes - watch the sides - a slight color on the sides is all it needs.
- Cool on a wire rack before you store them in a cookie jar.
Storage
- These will stay good for about 2 weeks but.
- Taste their best in the first week of baking.
- The dough freezes beautifully for up to six months.
- The cookies keep well frozen too!
Frequently asked questions
These lemon cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can freeze the dough for up to a month or freeze the cookies for up to three months.
These will spread a bit but should not spread too much.
Too much butter or sugar in the recipe can lead to cookies spreading.
Too much baking powder or baking soda can also make cookies spread too much.
Also, chill the cookie dough before rolling the cookies.
Place cookies on a cold, not hot baking pan.
And make sure the oven is at the right temperature.
I usually chill my cookies for about 15 to 30 minutes. It is always a good practice to refrigerate cookies while the oven is preheating. Chilling cookie dough helps solidify the butter in the cookies. This helps when baking by preventing them from spreading since chilled dough takes longer to melt compared to room temperature fat.
These lemon cookies have a good shelf life as a dough as well as cookies.
The dough, if wrapped well, can usually stay in the fridge for 5 to 6 days before rolling and baking.
And you can even cover the cookies and place them on a parchment-lined tray, wrapped well with cling wrap, for about 3 to 4 days.
In addition, sugar cookies dough can be frozen for a month or more if covered well.
Hence, it's a great dough to have on hand in the freezer during the busy festive season.
I have not tried making these eggless but I do have an Almond Crinkle cookies which are eggless I highly recommend using that recipe and adding 2 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest.
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Printable Recipe
Lemon Butter Cookies aka Zesty Lemon Cookie Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8 oz (226 g) Unsalted butter ((2 sticks) room temperature)
- 1 cup (120 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 ¾ cup (220 g) All-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- 2 tablespoon Semolina
- 1 Egg yolk ((large))
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Lemon extract
- 1 drop Yellow food color ((optional))
- 4 bsp Powdered sugar (for coating)
Instructions
Prepare
- Combine together the flour, semolina, baking powder, and salt.
- Set aside.
Prepare cookie dough
- Lightly cream together butter and powdered sugar.
- Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, zest, and food color if using - combine well.
- Gently fold in the flour mixture.
- Lastly, add the lemon extract.
- Gather into a ball, wrap in a plastic wrap.
- Chill dough for 15 to 20 minutes until firm.
Make balls and coat cookies
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / 356 F.
- Roll small portions of chilled dough into balls with your hands.
- Roll into powdered sugar.
- Place on a cookie tray.
Bake
- Bake in a preheated oven on the middle shelf.
- Depending on the size of your cookies and the oven they take - 8 to 10 minutes.
- Mine took 8 minutes - watch the sides - a slight color on the sides is all it needs.
- Cool on a wire rack before you store them in a cookie jar.
Storage
- These will stay good for about 2 weeks.
- But they taste their best in the first week of baking.
- The dough freezes beautifully for up to six months.
- The cookies keep well frozen too!
Recipe Notes
Featured Recipe below - Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Bee
The picture alone is making my mouth water. They look so delicious !
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Bee.