Soft Baked Lemon Sugar Cookies With Coarse Sugar Recipe
Chewy, soft-baked lemon sugar cookies finished with a crackly, mottled coating of coarse sugar for a bright citrus bite and a delicate crunch.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Total Time: 27 min
- Yield: 18 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113g), softened
- 1 cup white granulated sugar (200g)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon zest (12g, from about 2 medium lemons)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (15ml)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (5ml)
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (280g), spooned and leveled
- ½ tsp baking soda (3g)
- ½ tsp baking powder (2g)
- ½ tsp kosher salt (3g)
Coating
- ⅓ cup coarse granulated sugar (65g), for rolling the dough
Instructions
- Prepare lemon-sugar base Combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Massage them together with your fingertips for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar is fragrant and pale golden-yellow.
- Cream butter and sugar Add the softened butter and beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light, creamy, and fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients Add the egg, egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Incorporate dry ingredients Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a separate medium bowl. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in two batches, mixing on low speed until just combined, and scrape down as needed to avoid dry streaks.
- Shape and coat dough Line a large flat baking sheet with matte white parchment paper. Scoop dough into 1.5-inch (4 cm) balls, then roll each ball generously in coarse granulated sugar until completely coated.
- Bake Bake on the center rack at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are thick, slightly puffy, and underbaked. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack (if desired) to finish cooling.
Notes
- Reason to make this: extra egg yolk adds a chewy texture; some prefer it for thicker cookies.
- An 18-cookie batch is ideal for trays or cookie exchanges.
- Using a 1.5-inch scooper helps create uniform cookies for even baking.
- Coarse sugar stays on the outside, while regular sugar contributes to the inner dough flavor.
- Fresh lemon zest gives visible yellow flecks and a bright lemon aroma.
- Mix the dry ingredients briefly to prevent overmixing; stop mixing when there are no visible streaks of dry ingredients.
Keywords: lemon cookies, sugar cookies, lemon zest, coarse sugar, chewy cookies, baked cookies
