Lemon Drop Cookies

If you love a soft, cake-like cookie, you’ll definitely want to try my Lemon Drop Cookies soon! They are easy to make and bake up in less than ten minutes. Less than 10 pantry ingredients!

Why these cookies are so tasty

The secret to the amazing flavor in these cookies is the combination of fresh squeezed lemon juice and the zest from that same lemon. These soft cookies have a dollop of sweet-tart glaze which makes them over the top good!

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Whenever you have a recipe that calls for fresh squeezed lemon juice, be sure to zest the lemon skin first. You can store that zest in a sandwich bag in your freezer to use in other recipes. We use lemon zest in lots of things from roasted asparagus to pink lemonade cake!
• The consistency of this cookie dough is in between cake batter and cookie dough. That’s what gives these cookies their soft, cakey texture.
• Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar before combining it with the other ingredients helps release the lemon oils, enhancing the delicious lemon flavor.

Ingredients you will need

• Dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt
• Wet ingredients: lemon zest, shortening, sugar, egg, lemon juice, and water
• Simple lemon glaze: powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest

How to make lemon drop cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
3. Blend lemon zest with the sugar, rubbing it together with your fingers.
4. In a mixer cream the shortening then gradually add the lemon-sugar.
5. Add egg, lemon juice and water; beat until combined.
6. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Dough will be looser and stickier than a traditional cookie dough.
7. Drop by level tablespoons (cookie scoop is perfect!) onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
8. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

How to Make the Glaze

1. Combine all three ingredients in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
2. Use a 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon to add glaze to the center of each cookie. Use the back of the spoon to gently spread the glaze. Let glaze harden for a couple hours before storing or stacking the cookies.

I hope you enjoy these delicious lemon drops! Everyone that tries them agrees that the tart glaze is a perfect match with this sweet and super soft cookie.

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Lemon Drop Cookies

With the perfect combination of sweet and tart, these Lemon Drop Cookies are a real crowd pleaser. Great for potlucks and parties!

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Servings: 30 cookies

30 minutes mins

Calories: 113

Author: Amanda Formaro

Ingredients

Cookies

• ▢ 2 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ pinch of salt
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• ▢ 1/2 cup shortening
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1/4 cup lemon juice
• ▢ 1/4 cup water

Lemon Glaze

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons lemon juice one lemon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon zest one lemon

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
• Blend lemon zest with the sugar, rubbing it together with your fingers.
• In a mixer cream the shortening then gradually add the lemon-sugar.
• Add egg, lemon juice and water; beat until combined.
• Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Dough will be looser and stickier than a traditional cookie dough.
• Drop by level tablespoons (cookie scoop is perfect!) onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
• Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

How to Make the Glaze

• Combine all three ingredients in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
• Use a 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon to add glaze to the center of each cookie. Use the back of the spoon to gently spread the glaze. Let glaze harden for a couple hours before storing or stacking the cookies.

Expert Tips & FAQs

• Have at least 2 lemons on hand to make this recipe.
• Whenever you have a recipe that calls for fresh squeezed lemon juice, be sure to zest the lemon skin first. You can store that zest in a sandwich bag in your freezer to use in other recipes. We use lemon zest in lots of things from roasted asparagus to pink lemonade cake!
• The consistency of this cookie dough is in between cake batter and cookie dough. That's what gives these cookies their soft, cakey texture.
• Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar before combining it with the other ingredients helps release the lemon oils, enhancing the delicious lemon flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 113cal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

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This post originally appeared here on March 25, 2009.