Description
These Buttery Lemon Spritz Cookies are tender, melt-in-your-mouth treats bursting with fresh lemon flavor. Perfectly balanced with a hint of sweetness and a zesty lemon punch, these cookies are beautifully decorated with colorful sanding sugar to add a festive touch. Ideal for spring gatherings, tea parties, or anytime you crave a light, citrusy cookie.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (preferably King Arthur all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp lemon zest (finely grated for best flavor)
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
Decoration
- Pink sanding sugar
- Yellow sanding sugar or any bright colors you prefer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cookies evenly at the right temperature.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and lemon zest to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Cream butter and wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, using a mixer or a whisk, beat softened unsalted butter until creamy. Add vanilla extract, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and the egg; mix thoroughly until smooth and well combined.
- Mix wet and dry together: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture, mixing gently until a smooth, uniform dough forms. Do not overmix to keep the cookies tender.
- Prepare cookie dough for pressing: Fill a cookie press fitted with your desired decorative disc with the dough, or alternatively, chill the dough slightly and form into shapes manually.
- Press and decorate cookies: Press the dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart. Immediately sprinkle the tops with pink and yellow sanding sugar for a festive finish.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for about 6 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. The cookies should remain light in color for best texture and flavor.
- Cool the cookies: Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely, which helps set the texture.
Notes
- For best lemon flavor, use freshly grated lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Make sure butter and egg are at room temperature to facilitate easy mixing and smooth dough.
- A cookie press or piping bag with decorative tips works best for uniform spritz cookie shapes.
- Be careful not to overbake; cookies should be tender and light-colored, not browned.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
