Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies
These tender, chewy sugar cookies are infused with lemon zest and lemon extract for incredible flavor. The cookies crack lightly as they cool, creating a beautiful appearance and the perfect contrast of crisp edges and soft centers.
Servings 12 cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups [284 g] all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 12 tablespoons [1 1/2 sticks or 170 g] unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups [300 g] granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest, from 2 to 3 lemons
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar, lemon zest, and salt and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg, yolk, lemon extract, and vanilla extract, mixing on low speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated.
- Put about 1/2 cup [100 g] granulated sugar in a small bowl. Form the dough into 2 oz [57 g] balls (3 tablespoons), and roll each ball in the coating sugar. Place 6 cookies on each sheet pan. The cookies will spread quite a bit, so make sure to leave space between them.
- Bake the cookies one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking. Bake for 10 minutes, then give the pan a slight tap in the oven, and continue baking until the sides of the cookies are pale golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cookies cool to room temperature on the pan. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
Notes
Variation: Lemon-Poppy Seed Sugar Cookies - Add 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds to the dough, and bake as directed.
*For an extra lemon-y cookie, add 2 teaspoons lemon zest to the rolling sugar.
**Throughout my recipes posted on this website, 1 cup of flour equals 142g. Please note that 1 cup of flour can range anywhere from 120g to 142g, depending on the baker or website. I found that after weighting many cups of flour and averaging the total, mine always ended up around this number. Weighing your flour instead of using cup measurements is the surest way to get the result I intended when developing the recipe.