Lemon cooler cookies are simple to make and taste so good. The unmistakable taste of lemon pairs up with a hint of vanilla which means one cookie is never enough. The flavors are so good you're going to want a second one too!
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The tart taste of lemon offers a tasty contrast with the powdered sugar crust and the cookies are crisp when you bite into them. In fact, they have a similar texture to these lemon blueberry cookies or shortbread without the crumble factor.
If you're nostalgic for cooler cookies, you have to try this recipe. I think these taste even better than the original store-bought kind and they go well with these raspberry cheesecake cookies too! I can't wait to hear how you like them.
Main Ingredients
These cookies are so good. Back in the nineties, Sunshine Biscuits and Keebler merged with the result that these cookies vanished from the grocery store shelves.
But if you've been missing them you will love the following recipe because these little cookies are just like the iconic lemon cooler cookies. Let's take a closer look at some of the key ingredients you will need to make this zesty sweet treat:
- Lemon: The main ingredient. The cookies call for both lemon zest and lemon juice. It goes without saying you can't substitute bottled lemon juice or lemon extract. The key to a perfect flavor is using fresh lemon and not a bottled alternative or lemonade mix.
- Baking powder and baking soda: For texture. These ingredients help the dough to fluff up in the oven which results in the right texture. Without these, they would come out very flat and dense.
- Vanilla: Adds a contrasting flavor. Lemon is the main flavor in these gorgeous little cookies, but a touch of vanilla also works well. Feel free to use a different type of flavor extract in place of the vanilla if you like.
- Confectioners' sugar: To coat them. Confectioners' sugar, also known as icing sugar or powdered sugar, is used to roll them before baking. You can't really substitute anything else for confectioners' sugar because the powdery, fine texture is part of the charm of these cookies. Using regular sugar would give them a crunchy, grainy coating which wouldn't be as good.
Instructions Overview
The first thing you need to do is cream the sugar with the butter until it's light and fluffy. Next, you can add the egg, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest.
Whisk the salt, flour, baking soda, and baking powder in another bowl. Add this mixture gradually to the lemon mixture.
Roll out 1-inch balls of the dough then roll them in powdered sugar and arrange them on parchment paper-lined cooking sheets. Cook for 8 minutes and take them out of the oven as soon as they start to turn golden. Let them completely cool and then serve.
Common Questions
Crinkles don't change the flavor of the cookies, of course, just the look and texture of them. If you don't measure the flour accurately and use less than you need, they will come out flat instead of crinkled.
It's best to keep them in a sealed container on the countertop. Refrigerating them will steal some of their moisture and give them a bland flavor.
A lemon yields about a tablespoon of zest. You only need a teaspoon of lemon zest for these lemon cooler cookies, so that is about one-third of the zest on the lemon.
Yes, they can. The best way to freeze these is to let them completely cool from the oven and then arrange them so they aren't touching one another on baking sheets. Once they are frozen you can transfer them into a freezer bag. Thaw and enjoy them within 3 months for the best result. To thaw them, just place them out on the countertop and give them time to reach room temperature.
Chopnotch Tips
- I recommend doubling the recipe to make an extra batch. These cookies just disappear too fast!
- Swap the lemon for lime or orange to make another kind of citrus cookie.
- If the dough is really sticky you can refrigerate it for an hour.
I just know you're going to love these lemon cooler cookies. They're bursting with tangy lemon flavor and literally melt in the mouth.
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Let us know what you think! Give this recipe a rating in the comments section below.
Recipe
How to Make
Lemon Cooler Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them aside. Add the confectioners’ sugar to a large bowl and set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until fluffy and light. Mix in the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour, and then slowly transfer this mixture into the wet mixture while mixing until the dough is well combined.
- Use your hands to divide the cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the bowl of confectioners’ sugar and then place them onto the prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart from each other.
- Bake for about 8 minutes. Watch them closely and remove them from the oven as soon as they just barely start to brown.
- Transfer them to a cooling rack to let them cool. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend doubling the recipe to make an extra batch. These cookies just disappear too fast!
- Swap the lemon for lime or orange to make another kind of citrus cookie.
- If the dough is really sticky you can refrigerate it for an hour.
