Frosted Lemon Cookies

I find lemon desserts to be super refreshing. I think I’m so used to chocolate, which is maybe a bit of a heavier taste (but a taste I love) that whenever I make something lemon my reaction is invariably – “why don’t I do this more often”?

These are really fun to make, and they provide a burst of springtime, no matter when you make them.

Ok, that’s just a weird thing to say, isn’t it? Anyway, make these – they’re good.

Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

½ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg, brought to room temperature
½ t vanilla
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup lemon juice
4 t lemon zest
2 ¾ cups flour
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
¼ t baking powder

Icing

3 cups powdered sugar
2 T butter, brought to room temperature
3 t lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
2 T milk *
Yellow food coloring **
Yellow dusting sugar **

Approximate. The milk is to regulate the consistency of the icing. You’re going to want to use enough to make it spreadable, but not so much that it makes it runny.
Optional, but go for it if you have ‘em.

Directions

Let’s start with the cookies. Add the shortening and sugar to a bowl and beat until nice and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat again. Turn the mixer on low and add in the sour cream, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until just combined.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Then add to the shortening mixture and mix until well combined.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight.

When you’re ready to bake, line a couple cookie sheets with parchment paper. Take out one ball and roll it out to about a quarter inch thick. Get a cookie cutter and, well, cut out cookies. You can use any shape you want – I used a circle because they’re frankly just easier to decorate. Whatever dough you don’t use in the first round of baking put back in the fridge – it’s muuuch easier to work with when it’s cold.

Put the cookies on the sheet (I put 8 per sheet as you can see below) and bake at 375 for about 6-8 minutes until they start to get golden brown on the edges and bottoms. I’d recommend switching the racks halfway through the cooking so that the ones on the bottom rack don’t burn. Remove from the oven and transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

When you’re done with the first dough ball you can take the second one out and start on that.

Once the cookies are cool you can start frosting them, and like many frostings, this is super easy.

Put the powdered sugar, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice in a bowl and beat until well combined. Add in the milk to get it to the consistency you want (be careful here – it’s always better to add a little bit at a time – you can always add more but if you add too much then you have to start adding more powdered sugar and butter).

Once the icing is at a spreading consistency add the yellow food coloring (Or, blue or purple or whatever if you want…it’s just for looks. But this is a lemon cookie, so probably yellow).