Lemonade Cookies

Lemonades are ABC Bakery’s lemon-y addition to the Girl Scout Cookie universe. Zesty and refreshing, they are the perfect palate cleanser in between Thin Mints, Tagalongs, and Samoas. Though they’ve yet to develop the cult following of their lemon cookie brethren, Savannah Smiles and Lemon Creme Chalets, these buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies are a classic waiting to happen.

With a grand total of 6 ingredients, they’re also an easy cookie to make when you’re short on time and ingredients. The addition of zest to the lemon icing adds a nice lemon zing as well as a little funfetti pop of yellow. 

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• ½ cup butter, unsalted and softened
• ¼ cup confectioners sugar
• 1 cup AP flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp vanilla
• Lemon zest

Glaze:

• ½ cup confectioners sugar
• Zest and juice of one medium lemon

Directions:

Measure flour and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, and flour mixture (in 2 parts).

Drop cookie dough between two sheets of parchment and roll until ¼-inch thick.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350° and line a sheet tray with parchment.

Remove rolled out dough from the fridge, and cut cookies out with a 1 1/2 – 2-inch cutter with as little space between them as possible.

Arrange cookies on a parchment lined sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between cookies.

Use a butter knife to make 3-4 lines across the cookie, intersecting in the center to create a lemon-ish look.

Bake for 8-11 minutes, turning halfway through baking.

Remove from the oven when edges are just beginning to brown, and let cool for at least an hour.  

Mix confectioners sugar, 1 tsp lemon zest, and lemon juice carefully, only adding as much liquid as is needed to create a thick glaze.

You can also add more lemon zest for an extra zesty cookie.

Holding onto the sides, dip the butter knife-hatched face of the cookie into the glaze, allow a few moments for the extra to drip off, and then let them harden glaze-side up.

Let harden for at least an hour before serving or storing.

Tips:

1. Be sure to chill your cookie dough for at least 30 minutes or your cookies will spread.
2. If you have a round cutter that is ever so slightly smaller than the one you used for your cookies, you can lightly press it on top of the cookies before making your lines with the butter knife, further adding to the lemon wheel-esque appearance of the cookie.
3. Try not to reroll your dough scraps more than once after your initial round of cutting to avoid overworking the dough.
4. These cookies freeze beautifully. 

Variations

1. If you lack the patience, or counter space, to roll out your dough, you can always make a log roughly 1 ½ inches to 2 inches and slice off ¼-inch rounds. 
2. These cookies would be delicious and beautiful with any citrus.
3. Add herbs like rosemary or thyme for an elegant twist.
4. Roll your dough a little thinner and skip the glaze to make jammy lemon sandwich cookies with your choice of berry jam.