Lemon Drop Cookies—Perfect for Mother’s Day and for Graduation Celebrations and Other Summer Celebrations

Lemons are a perfect ingredient for summer, thanks to their light and refreshing flavor. With Mother’s Day and graduation season coming up, I thought it’d be a great time to share a simple lemon-drop cookie recipe that contains only a handful of ingredients and can be baked quickly. You can even prepare the dough for these cookies ahead of time, put it in your refrigerator, and make the cookies when you need them or as time allows.

Lemon Drop Cookie Recipe (Recipe Courtesy of Saving Room for Dessert)

This recipe, which I got from Saving Room for Dessert (her recipe was adapted from Southern Living), is really adaptable too—you can also grate some lemon zest over the cookies if you would like to boost the flavor. You can also use any type of citrus you like for these cookies, such as orange or lime. I will have to try that!

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 2 lemons; be careful not to include the white pith)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice—about 1 lemon
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch 
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the lemon glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• At least 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; you may need to add more than this for the right consistency for your glaze
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest for garnish, if desired

Suggested Supplies

Stand Mixer

Mixing Bowls

Cookie Scoop

Cookie Sheet

Instructions

Preparation/Cook time: Approximately 1 hour 35 minutes

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add ½ cup of powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and two tablespoons fresh lemon juice and blend on low until the dough is incorporated. As needed, scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl with a spatula.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and salt. Whisk together.
4. Add the flour bit by bit to the creamed butter and lemon mixture. Blend on medium low until it is incorporated.
5. Place the cookie dough in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. To bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Scoop a level spoonful of dough using a 1-inch cookie scoop or large spoon. Roll each into a tight ball and place each ball about two inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
8. If you’d like to make cookie discs, press each dough ball to the desired thickness using the bottom of a flat glass covered with a small piece of parchment paper.
9. Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Slide the parchment paper and baked cookies onto a wire rack to cool.
10. Repeat with a new piece of parchment paper placed on a cooled cookie sheet. Cool cookies completely if using a glaze. If covering in confectioners’ sugar, allow the hot cookies to cool for a minute then toss in 1 cup of powdered sugar to coat. Cool completely on the wire rack.
11. To make the glaze, mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Add more lemon juice or sugar as needed to reach the desired consistency. Spread on each cookie— garnish with lemon zest if you like!
12. Allow the glaze to fully set. Then, store the cookies in your refrigerator.

These cookies taste delightful with a cup of coffee or tea! If you would like to freeze this recipe, freeze your cookies after baking and before adding the lemon glaze.

Here’s wishing everyone a happy Mother’s Day!

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