Along with peppermint, bright, zesty lemon is an essential flavor of the holidays for me. I typically spend Christmas at my mom's in Louisiana and she has a lemon tree in her yard, which means her freezer is almost always stocked with frozen lemon juice, ready to be used in her fantastic lemon icebox pies and lemon bars. My whole family loves lemon desserts, and this year I have another sweet to add to our repertoire: these bright-tasting lemon sugar cookies created by our Birmingham-based test kitchen colleague Jasmine Smith. The cookies are buttery sweet, but not cloyingly so like some sugar cookies, thanks to the punch of bright citrus flavor.
Most lemon desserts lack bold citrus flavor and just aren't lemony enough—but Jasmine solves that issue by using lemon juice and zest in the cookie dough, and incorporating the citrus juice into the glaze that tops the cookies, which she then garnishes with even more zest. To further enhance the fruit’s flavor, she rubs the zest with sugar, which helps draw out the rind’s oils, releasing their bright, citrusy flavor and aroma. (It's a trick we employ in lots of our recipes, including Genevieve's lemon curd and Daniel's spicy chile lemonade.) She also rolls the cookie dough log in some of the lemon zest–sugar mixture before slicing and baking, which gives the cookie edges a wonderful lemony crunch. Because you'll use juice and zest in multiple stages in this recipe, I recommend starting by zesting and juicing all the lemons called for. If you have juice or zest leftover, just use it to make something else (this simple lemon vinaigrette, for example).
Another tried-and true baking technique Jasmine employs in these tender, citrusy cookies is refrigerating the dough after rolling it into logs. Refrigerating the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate, which gives the final cookies better structure. Keeping the dough cold also helps keep the cookies from spreading in the oven. Meanwhile, as the dough rests, enzymes break down large carbohydrates, which in turn produces more flavorful cookies, as former Serious Eats culinary director and science nerd Kenji notes in his chocolate chip cookie recipe.
After resting in the fridge, the cookies are sliced and placed on a baking sheet, then transferred to the freezer for a quick chill. This time in the freezer helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much as they bake and produces nice, neat circular cookies.
For a final flourish after baking, you'll spread the cookies with a simple glaze of powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla, then top them with additional lemon zest. It's an easy, tangy, and good looking cookie that would be welcome at a holiday cookie swap or party. Personally, I can just picture a plate of them alongside a cup of tea in my mom's backyard on a sunny day in South Louisiana.
For the Cookies: In a large bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest, using your fingers to rub them together until mixture is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer 1/4 cup lemon-sugar mixture to a small bowl. Set aside.
Add butter to the large bowl with lemon-sugar mixture and, using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and combined, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. (Alternatively, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat lemon-sugar mixture and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy and combined, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.)
Add egg, lemon juice, and vanilla; beat on medium-high speed until creamy and fluffy, about 15 seconds.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt to combine. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds.
Divide dough in half, about 14 ounces (397g) each. Place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic wrap over to cover dough, and, using your hands, roll each portion of dough into a smooth 2-inch-wide log about 6 inches long and wrap tightly, twisting the ends of the plastic to seal. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175ºC). Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove logs from refrigerator. Spread the reserved lemon-sugar on a large plate. Remove dough logs from plastic wrap, and roll in lemon-sugar mixture to coat evenly, pressing firmly to help sugar adhere evenly. Using a sharp knife, trim off about 1/4 inch from each end of dough log and discard or reserve for another use. Using a sharp knife, slice each log into 1/2-inch thick rounds; you should have about 12 cookies per log.
Place slices on prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches between each cookie. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time (leaving second sheet in the freezer while first bakes), until edges are set and beginning to lightly brown, 14 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Prepare the Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
To Assemble: Using an offset spatula, spread the lemon glaze (about 1 teaspoon per cookie) on the cooled cookies and garnish with lemon zest. Let stand until the glaze is set, about 15 minutes.
Special Equipment
Electric mixer, 2 large rimmed baking sheets, parchment paper, offset spatula
Make Ahead and Storage
Prepared and sliced dough can be stored for up to 3 months in the freezer. Freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag or other airtight container. Cookies can be baked from frozen according to the directions (step 8) above; add a few minutes to the bake time if necessary.
Cooled cookies can be stored, separated by layers of parchment paper to prevent sticking, at room temperature for about a week.
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