Just as they should be on heavy summer days, these cookies are light and airy and fresh. And isn't there just something about lemon dipped in sugar that makes you happy? Or is that just me? These are so refreshing that you are transported to a place of pure bliss, which helps you forget about the cup of butter that is evenly distributing itself across your hips (and that's if you're lucky!). But hey, we all deserve a little splurge every once in awhile.
And these cookies are so no-fuss to make. Other than the whole rolling-in-sugar bit (which, really, can anyone complain about being rolled in sugar?), these are pretty much a one-bowl, 10 minute process to prep. Which is good when you have a 9-month-old baby crawling around the house searching for anything that could possibly endanger her. I mean, seriously. I never knew that I was raising sweet little Lily in a house of horrors. Even though we have a family room full of toys to play with, I don't dare to turn my back for a single second. By the time I turn back around to see her, she is chewing on an electric cord that I swear to you didn't exist half an hour before. Obviously, the well-meaning but completely ignored advice to babyproof before we needed to was something that Jake and I should have paid more attention to.
So, what I'm saying is, go on ahead and enjoy a cookie. And while you're savoring the perfect - but not overwhelming - lemon flavor, take a moment to thank your lucky stars that you don't have this angel-faced troublemaker tearing out every last page out of your Real Simple magazine.
Lemon Sugar Cookies Printer-friendly version
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Zest of 2 large lemons 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Using a mixer, beat together butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add lemon zest, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Mix until combined. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are slightly brown around the edges and set. Let cookies sit on the baking sheets for two minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
*To keep cookies soft, store cookies with a slice of bread in an air tight container.
Source: Two Peas and Their Pod
And in case you're wondering what the picture-taking area really looks like:
