Whisk Kid

Baking delicious things in the Mitten State

Lemon Cookies

by

Sometimes I feel pretty grown-up. I have a job, I pay bills and I can even buy Blopens from the TV commercials if I want!

But then there are times when I feel ridiculously childish.

For example: maybe someone my age shouldn’t get excited and/or sing along when a certain new song by a certain Disney starlet with an identity issue comes on the radio, but it happens. I’m perfectly content with the fact that I was rockin’ out to that song in my car, and also that I was, at the same time, giddy with excitement about driving to my grandparent’s house to spend the night. I really I don’t mind that you’d probably never believe I was a day over 11 because of all of this. Honestly, it’s ok. I understand.

It’s just that I can’t control my childish urges sometimes. I’m sure you understand that it’s not my fault that I couldn’t hold back when my awesome grandma presented a plate of these cookies to me as I walked through their door that evening. They’re delightfully chewy and buttery, with that perfect refreshing zing that you’d hope for in a lemon cookie. Grandma told me that they didn’t turn out right, and that the picture from the recipe she used made them look like they should have been crisper, but leaving them chewy is undoubtedly the way to go. A harsh crunch plus the bite of the lemon would just be too much. The contrasting softness of the cookie and the sharp citrus just works.

And so, to redeem myself from my sudden lack of composure, I curled up with a cookie (ok, maybe two) on the couch to watch the news and chat with my grandpa.

I successfully resisted the urge to watch SpongeBob Squarepants when he went to bed. Because I’m so mature and all.

Lemon Crisps From Woman’s Day/Grandma
Printable Recipe

1/2 c (118 g) unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 c (149 g)sugar
1 egg, room temp
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice (I just used the juice of half a lemon)
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest (I used the zest from the whole lemon)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c (156 g) flour

Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the egg, juice, zest and vanilla. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Drop by 1 1/2 tsps onto lined baking sheets and bake 10-12 min until lightly golden around edges. Let cool on sheets one minute before placing on racks to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen.

Lemon Icing
You probably won’t need this much icing, but it depends on how much icing you want to put on the cookies. I used around 3/4 c icing sugar and just enough lemon juice to make a thick paste.
1 c (150 g) icing sugar
4-6 Tbsp lemon juice

Beat together and drizzle over cooled cookies.

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Comments

  3. jam says

    ditto anonymous. i can imagine the taste of these delicious looking cookies. i might just have to overcome my fear of my small kitchen to make them. thank you!

  6. Kaitlin says

    Thanks so much!<br /><br />@jam: I think they&#39;d come together pretty easily in a smaller kitchen. I do hoe you&#39;ll try them!<br /><br />@Ignatius: Aw, thanks! And no need to apologize; in fact, I&#39;m very glad you brought that up! I was afraid the text was too light, but I wasn&#39;t sure. I hope the change makes it much easier to read, and I do hope you make a return!

  9. beckasharpe says

    Wow, I&#39;ve just come accross your blog… such wonderful food and photography! I&#39;ll have to try making these lemon biscuits. I also like your storytelling. Thanks so much for sharing!<br />Becka

  13. Kristy says

    2 things…<br />1.) these cookies look fantastic… I am totally going to try the recipe!<br />2.) You&#39;re photography is STUNNING! do you do it yourself?<br /><br />I&#39;m an Lovin&#39; your blog!<br /><br />www.a-smart-cookie.com

  16. ~KQ~ says

    Hi, <br />I followed the rainbow cake link here from instructables. So pretty! These cookies look amazing, too. Your blog is beautiful, and drew me right in. I was looking back in the archives, and every post is a delight. I was surprised to find (a) that this is a NEW blog (I love getting in on the ground level! yay!) and (b) you&#39;re what? 18? You write like the pros, kind of

  17. Ignatius says

    Kaitlin, thanks so much! Amazing what a few shades can do. And in the interest of helping you to get the tweaks closer than average, I second what KQ said and maybe the links could get a contrast upgrade too?<br /><br />Ah, now I can visit and depart with vision just fine.

  18. Kaitlin says

    @Helen: I think they turned out cute! I&#39;m so happy you made them and even more so that you liked &#39;em! <br /><br />@Kristy: Thanks so much! Yep, I do my own photography. <br /><br />@KQ: Thanks so much! That means a lot to me – I really appreciate it! I upped the text size a bit; it really hadn&#39;t occurred to me that the photos were as large as they are… I wonder if I should

  19. Heather says

    Looks like another great recipe! Isn&#39;t it great how grandma spoiled us all as kids. I remember always getting a homemade breakfast when we spent the night…and just not 1 thing….pancakes, eggs, bacon, the works. 🙂

  20. Alisa says

    I imagine it might be getting old to hear by now, but… your blog is awesome! :)<br /><br />I made these cookies a few days ago, but ran out of lemon juice, so I made the icing with some leftover key lime juice instead. Turned out pretty good, I think I&#39;ll try all lime next time. <br /><br />Keep it up, when you&#39;re not busy studying that is, haha. Good luck with school.

  21. Anonymous says

    I made these for a bake-off at my work, and I WON!! Thank you so much for such a great recipe!

  22. Laura says

    Hi Kaitlin<br /><br />I&#39;m 19 and the baker in my family (although I was also stuck in residence for a year without a kitchen of my own)– but the treats I make for my family don&#39;t quite compare to your works of art.<br /><br />These cookies are absolutely perfect, chewy, and yummy.<br />Thank you for taking the time to share your recipes with us.

  25. Shan Van says

    Ohh, I&#39;m gonna try these this weekend!! Thanks for posting…<br />(found through crafty crow)<br /><br />Ps. I like your photography too!

  26. Kelly says

    I made these and I now have a cookie that I make that I enjoy! I bake often but had yet to find a cookie that I want to make for me! So thank you and curse you lol! 😛

  27. Christen says

    I made these today for my birthday and they are fabulous!!! Love your blog! 🙂 Love reading it…can&#39;t wait to try more of your recipes.

  28. Laura says

    Made these cookies today, and although they are not that perfect-shaped as the ones on the picture, they are absolutely delicious and exactly the right type of soft bite that I like so much! Thanks a lot, love your blog!<br />Greetings from Holland

  31. Anonymous says

    I just made these, followed the directions but the cookies aren&#39;t as flat…I like flat cookies. Not sure what I did differently. Don&#39;t get me wrong, they&#39;re still very good, and I LOVE the tartness of the icing :). I&#39;m pregnant with twins and I&#39;ve been SO craving sour things, these hit the spot! Thanks!<br /><br />Sarah

    • Kaitlin says

      You know, that happened to me once when I made them. I wish I knew what the deal with that was! I&#39;m happy they were satisfying though!

  32. Heather says

    These are nice cookies. They didn&#39;t come out perfectly round or flat. I think you could easily roll this cookie out if you wanted a flat, round cookie as some of the commenters are saying. Don&#39;t leave out the icing. It&#39;s super easy (use the other half of the lemon!) and it really gives these cookies the zing. Thanks for the great recipe!

  33. Anonymous says

    LOVE these cookies! They turned out perfectly! I used a small cookie scoop to get a uniformed round shape. They&#39;re a little flatter than a typical cookie, but just as delicious and chewy as the photos display. Also, thank you for your baking tips page.

  38. Christine says

    I made these cookies yesterday and they turned out really great. Half of the cookies I baked are already gone by now. Thank you for sharing. Your blog is beautiful.

  39. Chris Johnson says

    I just put 2 dozen of these in the oven. I found this recipe on Pinterest months ago. They seem like the perfect cookie for summer – so I&#39;m taking them to a family reunion tomorrow. Looking forward to that first taste!

  40. Chris Johnson says

    OMG – THE BEST lemon cookie I&#39;ve ever had. I haven&#39;t even put the icing on them yet. Mine came out crispy on the bottom and outside and soft in the middle. Nice, refreshing burst of lemon flavor really comes through! Thanks for sharing!

  42. Anonymous says

    holy cow these were fantastic!! if i hadn&#39;t made them for guests, I would have eaten them all!

  43. Anonymous says

    Could you do these with orange instead of the lemon? Not a big fan of lemon, but these look so yummy!

  44. Anonymous says

    i just made these &amp; they are soooooooo good. i have to force myself out of the kitchen because i&#39;ve already had 6 for made up reasons lolll. &quot;i&#39;ll eat one to see if it&#39;s cool, i&#39;ll eat one because it has a weird shape&quot; &amp; on &amp; on lol. i used a tablespoon for a bigger sized cookie &amp; teaspooon for smaller diet sized ones lol i didn&#39;t make the icing

  45. Anonymous says

    would these b okay if i put in poppy seeds? maybe? i wanna try to make them and i wanted to have a basic delicious lemon cookie recipe but idk if itll be okay to just add some…

  46. Betty says

    OMG! Delicious!! I didn&#39;t make the icing as i didn&#39;t have any powered sugar on hand but these cookies don&#39;t need it. So lemony and just simply incredible. Will go into my favorite recipes box 🙂

  48. Mama B says

    These are very nice. I used Meyer lemons, which are a treat this time of year. They baked up puffier than your picture. Not at all &quot;crisps&quot; but still nice. Thanks for sharing.