Lemon Sugar Cookies Soft Buttery (Printer-friendly)

Soft, buttery cookies with fresh lemon flavor, rolled in sugar and topped with citrus glaze.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cookies

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
08 - 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling

→ Citrus Glaze

11 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
12 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
13 - 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - Beat together softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Add egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until fully combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until incorporated.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough, roll into balls, then coat each in granulated sugar.
07 - Place dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and tops appear dry. Avoid overbaking.
09 - Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies and let set before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're soft enough to eat straight from the cooling rack but structured enough to hold a glaze without falling apart.
  • Fresh lemon flavor that doesn't scream artificially sour—it's balanced and genuinely addictive.
  • The sparkling sugar coating gives you that satisfying crunch before the tender cookie melts on your tongue.
02 -
  • Room temperature butter matters—cold butter won't cream properly and your cookies will be dense instead of tender.
  • Don't overbake these; they keep cooking on the hot pan after you pull them out, so they'll firm up as they cool.
  • Fresh lemon juice makes all the difference; bottled just tastes sharp and hollow in comparison.
03 -
  • Use a microplane zester for the lemon—it keeps the zest fine and fragrant instead of chunky and bitter.
  • If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough for fifteen minutes before baking so the cookies don't spread too thin.
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