Soft Iced Lemon Cookies
Just because I’m trying to give my digestive track a break in January doesn’t mean I completely abandon the concept of dessert. I’m not a monster. When I want something sweet while continuing to rest my stomach I usually focus on portion control and lighter refreshing flavors and textures. My “Iced Soft Lemon Cookies” check all the boxes. They are just the right size to satisfy a sweet tooth without going overboard. The lemon flavor is a bright and refreshing change from the heavily spiced or decadent chocolatey desserts of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The cake-like texture of these cookies was inspired by the famous Black and White cookie that is found in practically every deli in New York City. Most of the times those cookies are ginormous and prone to leaving you feeling bloated and more than a little stuffed. The chocolate in the glaze can also be irritating if you have GERD or Acid Reflux. I wanted a cookie that stayed true to the cookies I knew as a child, but slimed down in size and amplified in brightness. They are the perfect combination of cookie and cake for when you kind of want cake, but also the size and convenience of a cookie. I also like to keep baking methods minimalist whenever possible, so these can be whipped together quickly and with ingredients many people usually have on hand. You may be wondering if you can leave out the corn syrup in this recipe because you have heard bad things about high fructose corn syrup. Fear not! The corn syrup you buy in the grocery store is not high fructose corn syrup, it is actually glucose syrup and it is critical to controlling the textures of things like homemade caramels, syrups and ice cream. In this recipe it allows these cookies to stay soft and fresh for days after baking and even when cold straight from the refrigerator. You can use the vanilla icing to top these cookies or if you are looking for a simpler approach or to reduce sugar, a light dusting of powdered sugar is also delightful. Be forewarned; these cookies are insanely delicious and rank very high on the list of the best things I have ever baked. If you like lemon, they may become your new favorite cookie!
Click here to watch a video demonstration of this recipe on my "Simmer and Stir" YouTube channel.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Melt butter in microwave. Combine with canola oil and set aside to cool.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Combine egg, sugar and corn syrup in bowl and beat with handheld mixer or standing mixer on medium speed until they become pale, thick and fluffy.
Drizzle in butter and canola oil while beating to emulsify.
Stir in vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Starting with the flour, alternate adding 1/3 of the flour and 1/2 of the milk, stirring after each addition, until completely incorporated.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator
Use 1 Tbsp portion scooper (or 1 slightly rounded tablespoon measure) to place 12 evenly spaced cookies a baking sheet. Prepare only one sheet of cookies at a time to avoid batter drying out.
Bake one sheet of cookies at a time in the center rack of a preheated oven for 10 minutes. Do not over bake! The cookies are done when you can just see browning around the edges where the cookies touch the baking sheet and the top is not brown but appears set. The underside should be nicely golden brown.
Let cool for 10 minutes on sheet pan before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely before icing or dusting with powdered sugar.
If icing: Transfer prepared Vanilla Icing to piping bag or heavy zip top bag and cut off small portion of tip. Decoratively pipe icing on top of each cookie. Icing will set hard so keep covered when not using. Let icing set completely on cookies before eating or storing.
Store cookies in refrigerator in airtight container on pieces of wax paper to prevent sticking.
For Vanilla Icing:
Combine powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and salt in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. This is a very thick glaze similar to royal icing minus the raw egg. It will set very firm, so keep covered until ready to use and stir before using.
(Makes about 36 cookies.)
Ingredients:
Cookies
240 grams All Purpose Flour (About 2 Cups)
½ tsp Baking Powder
¼ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
4 Tbsp Unsalted* Butter (melted and cooled) *If using salted butter reduce salt by half.
4 Tbsp Canola Oil
185 grams Granulated Sugar (About 1 cup minus 1 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp Light Corn Syrup such as Karo
1 Large Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Lemon Extract
Zest of one large lemon (about 1 ½ Tbsp)
⅓ cup (80 ml) milk (I use Lactose-free 1%)
2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Vanilla Icing
120 grams Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Milk (I use Lactose-free 1%)
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Dash of Salt
Just because I’m trying to give my digestive track a break in January doesn’t mean I completely abandon the concept of dessert. I’m not a monster. When I want something sweet while continuing to rest my stomach I usually focus on portion control and lighter refreshing flavors and textures. My “Iced Soft Lemon Cookies” check all the boxes. They are just the right size to satisfy a sweet tooth without going overboard. The lemon flavor is a bright and refreshing change from the heavily spiced or decadent chocolatey desserts of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The cake-like texture of these cookies was inspired by the famous Black and White cookie that is found in practically every deli in New York City. Most of the times those cookies are ginormous and prone to leaving you feeling bloated and more than a little stuffed. The chocolate in the glaze can also be irritating if you have GERD or Acid Reflux. I wanted a cookie that stayed true to the cookies I knew as a child, but slimed down in size and amplified in brightness. They are the perfect combination of cookie and cake for when you kind of want cake, but also the size and convenience of a cookie. I also like to keep baking methods minimalist whenever possible, so these can be whipped together quickly and with ingredients many people usually have on hand. You may be wondering if you can leave out the corn syrup in this recipe because you have heard bad things about high fructose corn syrup. Fear not! The corn syrup you buy in the grocery store is not high fructose corn syrup, it is actually glucose syrup and it is critical to controlling the textures of things like homemade caramels, syrups and ice cream. In this recipe it allows these cookies to stay soft and fresh for days after baking and even when cold straight from the refrigerator. You can use the vanilla icing to top these cookies or if you are looking for a simpler approach or to reduce sugar, a light dusting of powdered sugar is also delightful. Be forewarned; these cookies are insanely delicious and rank very high on the list of the best things I have ever baked. If you like lemon, they may become your new favorite cookie!
Click here to watch a video demonstration of this recipe on my "Simmer and Stir" YouTube channel.
Recommended Recipes or Posts
Easy Fluffy Iced Lemon Loaf Cake
Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies