Lemon ice cookies are a must for your holiday cookie exchange. Simple to make and full of bright citrus flavor, these lemon cookies are one of our most popular recipes with readers.
During the holidays cookie baking is in full swing. My sister called from Florida, trying to remember a few of the cookies our mother used to make decades ago. I was able to jog her memory with a few family favorites, and—ironically—was in the middle of developing a new one myself.
That morning I found a recipe for Anginetti lemon cookies that turned out to be poorly written. I started mixing ingredients before reading the whole recipe and halfway through discovered more butter, eggs, flour and sugar were listed later on. The directions felt like several versions had been combined into one.
At first I worried the batch would be a disaster. But within a minute my determination—and my appetite for cookies—took over. I adjusted quantities and methods until the dough looked right, trusting my instincts rather than the confusing directions.
Listening to your instincts in the kitchen can produce unexpectedly wonderful results. These cookies aren’t life-changing, but they are a reminder that persistence and a little experimentation can create something memorable. I loved them for their tender texture, bright aroma and clean lemon flavor.
These lemon ice cookies are unlike any I had tasted before, and making them gave me fresh confidence to create and share an original recipe. Trust your inner voice in the kitchen—you might be surprised at what you can make. Happy holidays. – Dan
Other delicious cookie recipes
- Pecan Sandies
- S’more Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Bing Cherry and Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies
Lemon Ice Cookies
Ingredients
for the cookies
- 3 cups 375g powdered sugar, sifted
- 6 tablespoons 90g butter, softened
- juice from 1 lemon
- zest from 1 lemon
- 3 eggs150g, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons 10g baking powder
- 1 teaspoon 7g baking soda
- 2 3/4 cups 330g all-purpose flour
for the icing
- 1 tablespoon 15g butter
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 to 3/4 cups 60-90g powdered sugar
- zest from 1 lemon
Instructions
for the cookies
-
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
-
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
In a large bowl, cream the powdered sugar and softened butter with an electric mixer.
-
Add lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla; mix until combined.
-
Add eggs one at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated.
-
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
-
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat until just blended. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure even mixing.
-
Drop tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
-
Bake 18–20 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden and set.
-
Use a stiff spatula to transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
for the icing
-
In a small sauté pan over low heat, warm the butter, lemon juice and vanilla.
-
Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.
-
Brush the icing onto the cooled cookies with a pastry brush.
-
Garnish with lemon zest.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.