Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 5-8 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
Coating
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar (aka icing sugar or confectioners sugar)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir them together thoroughly and set aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy and light, which typically takes a couple of minutes. This step ensures a tender cookie texture.
- Add Wet Ingredients: To the creamed butter and sugar, add the egg, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla bean paste, and yellow food coloring if using. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients in the mixer. Mix on low speed until just incorporated, ensuring not to overmix the dough.
- Chill Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours. Chilling firm ups the dough, helping to prevent spreading during baking.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prepare for baking.
- Form Dough Balls: Use a small cookie scoop to portion out dough, then roll each portion into a ball. If the dough feels too soft, chill it briefly again to keep it firm.
- Coat Dough Balls: Roll each dough ball first in regular sugar and then generously coat it with powdered sugar. This double coating creates the signature crackled look on the cookies.
- Arrange on Baking Sheets: Place the coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow room for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers remain soft.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Using fresh lemon juice and zest provides the best bright flavor.
- Chilling the dough is crucial to prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Optional yellow food coloring enhances the lemony appearance but does not affect flavor.
- If dough feels too soft to shape, return it to the fridge or freezer for a short time.
- For uniform cookies, use a cookie scoop to portion dough evenly.
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
