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Glazed Lemon Cookies

glazed-lemon-cookie-1

Most people may not typically think of Glazed Lemon Cookies as a traditional Christmas cookie. Over here they thought about during Christmas and I am not sure how the tradition started. It may just be my tradition because they are one of my favorites on the cookie tray. 

As irresistible as they are, they are no longer baked just for Christmas. This batch was made during Christmas and it has taken me almost 4 months to post them. I was overloaded with cookies and thought I would give cookie recipes here a break. I was looking through my photos and came across them. These are the almost forgotten and most wonderful cookies that must be shared.
I found this recipe in a Real Simple magazine and then lost the magazine. I sometimes forget you can just google a recipe and most likely find it. Instead I searched frantically through my piles of magazines. I found an older Real Simple of mine…the December issue from 2009 (I especially love to save holiday magazines, do you?). The recipe in that issue was actually for Orange-Glazed Cookies. I finally got on the computer googled the Real Simple lemon version and found the link to their site with the recipe (why didn’t I think of that sooner).  If you prefer an orange glaze, go ahead and switch out the lemons to oranges. I made a batch at Christmas time with clementines and they were also wonderful. glazed-lemon-cookies-2
What makes these cookies as irresistible as they are? There is something about the lightness of the cookie that has a slight crisp on the edges. The inside is not too soft; it has the perfect cookie texture topped with the tangy lemon glaze that is just the right sweetness. Not too tart and not overly sweet. The kind of cookie I could eat a dozen of if I had absolutely no self-control. And the fun part is, no stress in decorating them. Really! You just spoon on the glaze or dip the cookie on one side in the glaze and swirl it around. Voila’…it’s shiny and pretty! No-fuss cookies that you need to bake for your sweetie pies or just for yourself like I sometimes do. Go ahead! You deserve them!;)

Glazed Lemon Cookies

from Real Simple

Ingredients

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Lemon Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if necessary
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour, mixing until just incorporated.

Divide the dough in half and shape into 1 1/4-inch-diameter logs. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.(don’t mind the odd shape of my log. I tried to make it a perfect log…I tried;)

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Heat oven to 350° F. Slice the logs into 3/8-inch-thick pieces and space them 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until lightly golden, 16 to 20 minutes (my cookies were done in about 14-15 minutes. Be sure to check yours at about 13 minutes. Every oven is different). Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely. 
Lemon Glaze Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and zest until it forms a thick but pourable glaze (add more lemon juice if necessary). Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and let set, about 15 minutes.

*Be sure to use a cool cookie sheet for each batch of cookies. This will ensure that the cookies all bake the same.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. fromcupcakestocaviar@gmail.com says

    April 17, 2012 at 3:33 am

    mmmm, lemon and glaze. You won em over! And yep, I'm a magazine saver too. I used to save just about all of them but when I realized we were close to needing a new house just for magazines, I cut it down to just the special ones, like the Christmas issues of good magazines 🙂

    Reply

  5. Jamie says

    April 17, 2012 at 7:34 am

    Oooh who doesn't love lemon desserts? These cookies look perfect and the sweet and tangy glaze kicks them up a couple of notches in my book. Love!! Perfect summer cookies, right?

    Reply

  8. Paula says

    April 17, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    Lemon cookies (though perhaps not as much as)shortbread and gingerbread are always so enjoyable I don't know why we tend to think they are just to be baked at Christmas time. Glad you found the pictures and posted this.

    Reply

  14. Cookin' Canuck says

    April 18, 2012 at 3:57 am

    This is exactly the kind of cookie I would like to nibble while drinking my afternoon cup of tea. I love that they're not to sweet, with a little tang from the lemon.

    Reply

  16. Lisa says

    April 18, 2012 at 3:50 pm

    I always think of lemon cookies as summer cookies lol Not that I don't love them all year 'round, but a bite into tart and sweet lemon is sunshine to me. These cookies look amazing..so glad you finally got them up! LOVE the glaze!

    Reply

  19. Cathleen says

    April 20, 2012 at 2:46 pm

    Oh wow. I love baking with lemon, but I still don't have a microplane! I'm waiting on that to bake something lemony, but until then, I will bookmark this 😉

    Reply

  21. kita says

    April 21, 2012 at 2:26 am

    I am so glad that I am not the only one with a stash or recipes that I haven't posted yet! My step mom absolutely loves lemons and I have had a few strays rolling around my counter tops (literally) lately. It's time to give them a cause. 😀

    Reply

  25. research papers says

    October 22, 2012 at 3:50 pm

    I am now going to prepare these lemon cookies on my coming weekend for my children as they are really mad about cookies every time….I just love all the recipe of Cake Duchess here…!!!

    Reply

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    November 22, 2012 at 5:21 am

    Because of posts like this I surf the internet and when I found you, the time I felt I was wasting, just turned my thoughts around and now I am thinking I invested my time in What a commendable work you have done, with simplest of language. I can’t resist myself to leave a comment and trust me it’s hard to impress me.

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