I worked on this recipe for a while. The objective was to get bright lemon flavor into a real sugar cookie. The Little Woman had her heart set on such a cookie.
The zest should have done it but didn’t. It fell flat in the baking process. So I started to add lemon extract and even more zest. After three tries the taste was about there and the lemon extract also added great bouquet, but the cookie was too thin and crisp. So, consulting Corriher, I substituted Crisco for some of the butter, substituted baking powder for baking soda and kept the dough cold. After four more tries, I had what I wanted.
I always bake cookies in a sheet pan (SP) fitted with a silicone-coated non-stick baking mat (SilPat or Super Parchment), but a greased cookie sheet should work as well.
The Geezer Gourmet’s Signature
Lemon-Sugar Cookie
Yield: about 25 cookies
See Abbreviations, if needed
· 3/4 C butter (1.5
sticks)
· 1C sugar
· 1 large egg
· 1/3t lemon oil (preferred)
or 2t lemon extract
· zest of three lemons
· 2C AP flour
· 2t baking powder
· ¾ t salt
· colored sugar crystals (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Sift together three times flour, salt and baking powder and set aside
3. Mix lemon zest into 1C of sugar and set aside
4. Cream the butter in the KA using the paddle at high speed
5. Lower KA speed to medium and add the lemon sugar mix
6. Slow the KA and add the lemon oil and egg
7. Add the flour slowly
8. Mix all thoroughly but don’t overwork
9. Remove bowl from the KA and hold it in the fridge
10. Scoop out a rounded tablespoon of dough, make a dough ball by hand
(or use a #60 scoop), and arrange the balls well apart on a silicone mat-fitted SP, or a greased cookie sheet. Return used dough to fridge
11. Flatten the dough balls with a patterned-bottom drinking glass, or whatever
12. Sprinkle on some colored sugar crystals of choice
13. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until cookies are set: fully shaped with
a dry surface top and with edges sharly defined and not clinging to the silicone pad and not yet starting to brown:
don’t over bake
