Lemon Sugar Cookies

Lemon Sugar Cookies 
by Michelle Jones, Cookie Club Editor
Recipe Courtesy of www.CookieClubRecipes.com


Category: Desserts, Cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour chill time
Level: Easy to Bake
Yield: 2 Dozen Cookies

These sugar cookies are soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Quite a combination and quite delicious. Impossible to eat just one. If you're gifting or feeding a crowd you'll want to double this recipe. Cookie dough will store in the freezer nicely for later baking. 


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Ingredients:

3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 large egg
1-2 T. grated lemon peel (1 lemon)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Holiday colored sugar crystals, nonpareils, or sprinkles (if desired - these sugar cookies are wonderful all by themselves) 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Soften butter in microwave for 10 seconds.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar and butter until light and creamy. Add egg, mix until combined, then add grated lemon peel and vanilla.  

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Add to butter mixture one-third at a time. 

Place dough in airtight container and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, or in freezer for later baking. 

When you are ready to bake cookies, shape chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Roll into holiday colored sugar or sprinkles, if desired. For plain sugar cookies, roll into (or sprinkle with) regular granulated sugar.

Place cookies 2 inches apart on non-stick or lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten with bottom of a glass.

Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Not a minute longer. 

Remove from oven and transfer cookies immediately to cool on wire rack.

These are the plain sugar cookies I made with the same batch of Lemon Sugar Cookie dough (photos above and below). No holiday sprinkles needed, just a little sugar. They melt in your mouth. YUM!!!

Enjoy!


Adapted from Cookie Club member submitted recipe Lemon Sugar Cookies by AW, 2011 Annual Cookie Club Recipe Cookbook, pg 84.

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Lebkuchen Cookies

Lebkuchen Cookies (German)
by Ebalamucki, Cookie Club Member
Recipe Courtesy of www.CookieClubRecipes.com


Category: Desserts, Cookies, Christmas, German
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Level: Baking Experience Helpful
Yield: 3 Dozen Cookies


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Here's a good cookie to make ahead of time for the holidays. This recipe was given to me by my grandmother. 

Ingredients

2 eggs
l cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup ground nuts
2 l/2 cups flour
l/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
l/2 tsp. cinnamon
l/4 tsp. allspice
l/2 tsp. cloves
6 tsp. orange peel and 2 tsp. lemon peel
(or you can use mixed candied fruit in place of orange and lemon peel)

Directions:

Beat eggs and sugar till fluffy. Add honey and mix well, then add nuts (almonds or walnuts). In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Add orange and lemon peel, or candied fruit. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and beat well.

Chill dough for several hours or overnight. Roll out to about l/4 inch thick or thinner. Cut out cookies with cutters of the season. I add a slivered almond and green and red candied cherries on the top before baking at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Do Not let them get too brown. 

If they are too crisp, put them in a plastic bag and add a bread crust. They will become softer and chewy. They will keep for weeks - Not refrigerated. 

Enjoy!

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