These Lemon Meltaway Cookies are buttery, tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies bursting with sweet lemon flavor and a lemony glaze. Perfect for snacking!
Spring is officially here but Sacramento, as per usual, did not get the memo. Instead of the usual heat, though, we have been dealing with atmospheric river rains.
I mean… I will take rainstorms ANY DAY over heat. So bring on the umbrellas and rubber boots, I say!
But don’t worry – even if I will be swept to sea this spring, I’ll still try and bring you springy recipes like these cookies ?
Making Lemon Meltaway Cookies
These meltaway cookies are divine! The texture is so tender and light and they practically melt in your mouth. You can achieve this with cornstarch (which this recipe does not have) or by creaming the butter and sugar properly which gives the airy, fluffy texture.
Of course, the flavor comes from fresh lemon zest which cannot be replicated! You could use lemon extract in a pinch, but it’s just not the same as fresh zest. You’ll use fresh lemon juice in the glaze.
This recipe has pretty standard pantry ingredients, including:
- Butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Lemon Zest
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- All-Purpose Flour
The icing uses lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar for a little tart zing. The icing is very similar to royal icing in that it hardens on the cookies so they’re stackable. I love this kind of icing for cookies and it tastes especially delectable on these meltaways.
Tips for Lemon Meltaways
- You can store these meltaway cookies at room temperature, airtight, for up to 5 days… if they last that long! Mine were gone within a day or two because I handed them off to neighbors.
- To avoid dense or overly dry cookies, be sure to measure your flour properly. I recommend spooning your flour into the measuring cup, then leveling off the cup with a butter knife as opposed to scooping your flour from the container or bag. Doing the latter (scooping from the bag) will use too much flour and create a drier, denser cookie similar to a hockey puck… not good! For that light and airy texture, you definitely want to measure your flour!
- For the best flavor, use fresh lemons as opposed to lemon juice and/or extract.
Buttery, tender, melt-in-your-mouth… these sweet and tangy Lemon Meltaway Cookies will sure to put a smile on your face!
*recipe from Dixie Crystals
Lemon Meltaway Cookies
These buttery, soft and tender cookies are bursting with sweet and tangy lemony flavor! You’ll love their melt-in-your-mouth texture and amazingly bright lemon flavor!
Servings: 32 cookies
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIES:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg
- Zest of one medium lemon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
FOR THE LEMON ICING:
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375℉. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the egg and the lemon zest and mix well, about 30 more seconds. Lastly, add in the baking powder and salt, then begin adding flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix on low speed until fully incorporated.
Using a Tablespoon-size cookie dough scoop, scoop out rounded Tablespoon-size balls of dough and place 1″ apart on the baking sheets. Gently flatten each dough ball with the bottom of a greased or sugared drinking glass.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure even cooking. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
For the icing glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and the lemon juice until soft and glossy. Dunk or spread the glaze on the tops of the cookies and let the glaze harden before storing or serving. Cookies can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.
These lemon cookies are so dreamy!
Craving more lemony goodness? Check out this recipe!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
