Description
Delight in these zesty Lemon Crinkle Cookies, featuring a soft, chewy texture with a delicate lemon flavor and a beautifully cracked sugary coating. Perfect for a refreshing twist on classic cookies, they balance sweetness and citrus in every bite.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5-8 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
For Rolling
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar (aka icing sugar or confectioners sugar)
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set this mixture aside for later incorporation.
- Cream Butter and Sugar. Using a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar together on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and yellow food coloring if using. Mix until all ingredients are evenly combined.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until just combined and a soft dough forms.
- Chill the Dough. Cover the dough bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the dough to firm up, which will help control spreading during baking.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets. Set your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Shape and Roll Dough Balls. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, portion out the dough and roll each piece into a ball. If the dough is too soft or sticky, chill it briefly before proceeding.
- Coat in Sugars. First roll each dough ball in granulated sugar, then generously coat with powdered sugar to create the characteristic crinkle effect.
- Arrange and Bake. Place the coated dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes until the cookies are set but still soft in the center.
- Cool the Cookies. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, ensuring they firm up and maintain their crinkled appearance.
Notes
- For a stronger lemon flavor, double the lemon juice or add a few drops of lemon extract, but be cautious as excessive liquid can cause cookies to spread more.
- If the dough feels too soft to handle, chilling it longer or briefly freezing will help maintain the shape during baking.
- Use parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Rolling the dough balls first in granulated sugar then in powdered sugar creates the signature crinkle texture and appearance.
- Cookies should be spaced 2 inches apart on the baking sheet to prevent them from merging as they spread.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet briefly before transferring to prevent breaking.
- Yellow food coloring is optional and mainly for aesthetic enhancement.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
