Soft Chewy Lemon Cookies (Print version)
Bright, zesty lemon cookies with soft centers and chewy edges, delivering fresh citrus flavor in every bite.
# Ingredient List:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
05 - 2 teaspoons lemon zest
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
07 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Finishing
10 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for coating, optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar using an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
03 - Beat in the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until evenly combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
06 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough and roll each portion into a ball. If desired, roll each ball in powdered sugar for a sweet coated finish.
07 - Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are just set and the centers still look slightly underbaked for a soft, chewy texture.
09 - Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The texture walks a perfect line between pillowy and chewy, and they stay that way for days if you hide them well enough.
- Lemon zest in the dough plus a powdered sugar coating gives you brightness without any sourness, which makes them disappear faster than brownies at my house.
02 -
- Pulling the cookies out when the centers still look a little raw is the single most important thing you will do, because they firm up on the sheet and carryover cooking finishes the job perfectly.
- Fresh zest is everything in this recipe, and I once tried using dried lemon peel from a jar and the cookies tasted vaguely like potpourri.
03 -
- Roll the shaped dough balls and chill them on the tray for 15 minutes before baking if you want thicker cookies with less spreading and a more concentrated chew.
- Use a microplane for zesting and stop as soon as you see white, because the pith underneath will make the entire batch bitter and there is no fixing that.