Frosted Butter Cookies with a Hint of Lemon
Time: Approximately 2 hours active: 30 minutes to make the dough, 30 minutes to rollout and cut cookies, 30 minutes to bake, 30 minutes to decorate. Also allow at least 2 hours to chill the dough before rolling it out and at least 2 hours after decorating for the frosting to dry.
Serves: 1 batch makes 20-25 medium sized cookies. These pictures show a double batch.
Inspired by: My family, like many, had a tradition of decorating cookies together at Christmas. Since I love everything lemon and have a Meyer lemon tree, I decided to add my own twist that gives these just a hint of lemon. I never make them at Christmas, but do enjoy making them around other festive holidays.
Cookie Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups unsifted all purpose flour
Frosting Ingredients:
- Confectioners sugar – approximately 1 cup
- Fresh lemon juice – 1-3 teaspoons
- Food dye if you want to color your frosting, and any other sprinkles, sparkles or decorations you’d like
Cookie Dough Preparation:
- Measure butter, granulated sugar and salt into bowl. With electric mixer, beat until smooth.
- Add egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon extract and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy – 2 minutes.
- Gradually add flour, stirring with mixer or wooden spoon until well combined and smooth.
- With hands, shape dough into ball. Place on waxed paper or plastic wrap. Flatten into disc and wrap.
- Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight until dough is firm.
Bake Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- On lightly floured pastry board, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and press together cracks at edges. Use cookie cutters for cut outs. Place cookies 1 inch apart on uncreased sheets (using parchment paper can help keep them from burning).
- If cookies start getting soft while making them, it can help to put the cookie sheet with the cookie cut outs into the freezer for 5 minutes before baking. This will help them will hold their shape better while baking.
- Bake 10-15 minutes or until edges are just barely golden.
- Remove to wire rack to cool.
Icing:
- In a small bowl or coffee cup, mix 1 cup of confectioners sugar with a teaspoon of lemon juice. Add lemon juice and continue stirring until you get your desired consistency. A thinner icing will be more like a glaze. A thicker icing will create better color.
- After cookies have cooled, use a pastry brush for glazing/painting, and dust with sprinkles/sparkles while the frosting is still wet.