Growing we had a lemon bush in the back yard. You might have thought I made a mistake when I said bush, but it most definitely was not a tree. And it produced big lemons. Grapefruit sized lemons! They were huge and the bush produced tons of fruit, even though we did absolutely nothing to tend it. I fell in love with homemade lemonade, and lemon bars and lemon desserts, and lemon anything!!! We had lemon everything all summer long.
I remembered Mom’s recipe for a lemon sugar cookie, but couldn’t find it. I loved the crunch of the sugar on the outside, and the surprise of lemon flavor when you bit into the cookie.
I thought I lost the recipe forever! I have been trying to find something similar all over the internet. But nothing was quite like my mom’s. When I was going through my recipe file she made for me when I got married, I found it! She just called them sugar cookies! The recipe was right under my nose all along. I have played with the recipe a little bit for a bolder lemon flavor. I am so excited to share this not lost, but recently rediscovered cookie with you. Sugar Crusted Lemon Cookies are my updated version of this family favorite recipe.Normally I roll these in regular sugar, but for some extra crunch on the outside I tried rolling them in yellow decorator sugar crystals. The kind you get in the cake mix area. My hubby said they were so good, I should sell them!
Let me know which way you like them!
Sugar Crusted Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3 cups of flour
- sugar to roll the dough in.
Instructions
- Preaheat oven to 400°.
- With stand or hand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add lemon extract, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest until well combined. It will begin to smell heavenly!
- Mix together baking soda, cornstarch and flour.
- Slowly add to dough, until flour mixture is fully incorporated.
- Scoop with small cookie scoop or rounded teaspoon. Roll into balls and roll in sugar.
- Bake for 6-7 minutes at 400°.
Notes
Here are a few more summer favorites that have popular recently:
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Anna @ Anna Can Do It! says
Oh my, your cookies are so mouth-watering! I love cookies, I love lemons and I love family recipes, so for me, it’s a perfect recipe! Thank you for sharing your mother’s recipe! 🙂 – Love, Anna
Sherri says
Thanks Anna! Now you have me in the mood to go whip up a batch!