Lemon Butter Cookies
Let’s bring our Holiday spirit to a more joyful place with these Lemon Butter Cookies. These are the best cookies for your Holiday get-together. Soft and buttery with fresh lemon flavor. I had fun making them and I’m sure you and your kids will also enjoy baking these lovely cookies together.
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Imagine your kitchen smelling so good with these delicious Lemon Butter Cookies. You’re peeking at the oven glass door and cannot wait until these sweet treats are done. This was exactly how I felt when I was baking them. They also remind me of those metal tin canned butter cookies. Growing up my mom always buy them as a gift for her co-workers. They’re not bad but of course, homemade is always the best. Now that I’m a lot older, I decided to bake these butter cookies and add fresh lemon to boost the flavor. Especially during the holiday season, they’re the number one cookies on my cookie list. Best you can ever have for your holiday cookie exchange with family and friends.
ingredients
- Butter and sugar. To achieve the best butter cookies, you need to cream the butter and sugar.
- Egg yolks. You need two egg yolks added to your creamed butter and sugar. The egg yolks make the dough creamier and hold the shape better. It gives more stability to the dough.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest boost and add freshness to the flavor. You can also add other flavorings like almonds, hazelnuts, chocolate, or any of your favorite flavorings.
- Salt also helps enhance the flavor of your cookies.
- Vanilla is a great flavor enhancer also.
- All-purpose flour – is needed to achieve a nice texture for your butter cookies.
- Baking powder – acts as leavening and makes the cookies soft.
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how to make Lemon Butter Cookies
- Prep for success. Prepping your ingredients before you start baking is very important to the whole process of making these Lemon Butter Cookies. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line the baking sheet pan with parchment paper. I like using brown parchment paper because it’s not bleach. Sift the flour to make sure there are no lumps.
- Start mixing. I used my KitchenAid stand mixer but you can use a handheld mixer or a food processor. If using a stand mixer, use a whisk attachment and add the softened butter and sugar to the mixing bowl. Turn the speed to medium-high and cream for 2-3 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides and continue mixing until smooth and fluffy.
- Time to add the rest of the ingredients. Once the butter and sugar are creamed, add the egg yolks one at a time. Continue mixing and add the rest of the ingredients except flour. Mix until light in color. Turn the speed to low, gradually add the flour, and continue mixing until well incorporated. The dough will come together and it’ll have a stiff consistency but still be manageable for piping.
- Bake the cookies. Fill a large piping bag fitted with Wilton 1M Open Star Piping Tip or Ateco Star Tip #828 with the dough. Pipe big rosettes onto the prepared baking sheet, and make sure to space them out 1-2 inches apart for even baking. Bake for 10-25 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.
- Options: Dip the cookies into melted chocolate and sprinkle them with sanding sugar or holiday sprinkles.
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Lemon Butter Cookies
Equipment
- Mixer
- Baking spatula
- Large piping bag
- Large star tip
- Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup or 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, use a grated or microplane
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 2 baking sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt, then mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Add the butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar to the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer to low speed, and mix until incorporated. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and mix until creamy and fluffy. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time. Continue mixing and add lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix until they're all incorporated and light in color.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture. Turn the speed to medium-high, mix the dough until well combined, and until it turns to a thicker consistency.
- Fit large star tip to the piping bag. Fold the bag under your hand and hold it. Fill the bag half-way with the cookie batter. Squeeze the bag, pipe rosettes onto the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.
Video
Notes
- Once you add the flour, try not to overbeat the batter.
- This cookie batter is thick, be careful squeezing the piping bag to avoid breaking.
- You can also use this recipe to make shaped cookies. Refrigerate the dough until firm and roll into 1/4 inch thick, then use a cookie cutter to your desired shape.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Tag @leanbellaskitchen and hashtag #leanbellaskitchenfrequently ask questions
CAN I JUST USE ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
- Yes, you can use just the all-purpose flour (unbleached). I find though that mixing some cake flour gives a finer texture to your cookies.
WHAT CAN I SUBSTITUTE IF I DON’T HAVE A DECORATING BAG
- You can use a large ziplock bag. Cut the top part where the seal is, and then tie it up with a rubberband to secure your dough.
CAN I FREEZE THE DOUGH
- Yes, after you pipe them on a baking sheet pan, place them in the freezer for an hour. Then use a freezer bag and place the cookies in it. If you don’t freeze them first, the cookies will stick together and breaks. It’s harder to remove them from the bag when you’re ready to use them.
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Hi there! Nice to meet you. My name is Jen.
Hello, nice to meet you! I’m Jen, a mom of 2 wonderful girls. I love to prepare home-cooked meals. Cooking and planning your meals might sound like another chore added to your already long list of things to do. Believe me, I’ve been there. For me, cooking more meals at home is worth all the effort. After years of cooking for my family and teaching culinary classes, I can honestly say that I have more control over the quality of the ingredients I use. That means I’m eating a lot better.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring and you don’t have to eat the same thing repeatedly. There are ways we can naturally enhance our food’s flavor and enjoy home-cooked meals.