Lemon Sugar Cookies

I love the flavor of lemon. However, as I’ve noted before, my husband tends to prefer bland foods. These cookies are a great compromise. They’re similar to traditional sugar cookies, but they have a hint of lemon. My girls will eat just about any cookie, so these are a hit with the whole family!

Ingredients

(Adapted from this recipe.)

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups plus 3 tablespoons white sugar, divided
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• Zest from 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon lemon extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and 1 ½ cups of sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and extracts. Gently mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt until just incorporated. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.

To form each cookie, scoop up about 1 ½ teaspoons of the dough. Gently form into a ball and roll in the sugar that remains. Place the balls of dough 2 inches apart onto baking sheets covered in parchment paper.

Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes or until the cookies are set and just beginning to brown at the edges. Yield: about 4 dozen cookies.

Notes

These cookies are soft and sweet with a subtle trace of lemon. They are no more difficult to make than regular sugar cookies, but they have a pop of lemon flavor that makes them a bit more exciting. I sometimes have help from two of my kiddos while I make them.

I love that this recipe makes a lot of cookies (about 48). This means there are plenty for my family to eat and enough left to share with a neighbor or take to a get together. We’ll probably make these again a time or two this spring and summer.

What cookies have you made lately? I’d love to hear about those you’ve enjoyed!

Shared at the following:

Tuesdays with a Twist, Creative Inspirations, Thursday Favorite Things, Weekend Potluck, and Encouraging Hearts and Home.