Award Winning Lemon Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• For the lemon curd: Whisk together the granulated sugar, whole egg and egg yolk in a medium bowl.
• Heat the lemon juice in a small pot over medium heat until just simmering. Temper the eggs by slowly pouring the lemon juice into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour everything back into the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of a milkshake, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted and incorporated.
• Strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate until completely chilled and very thick, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Add the granulated sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
• Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and, using flour to keep it from sticking to your hands, roll it into a ball and place it into one of the cups of the mini muffin tin. Use your fingers to press it into the cup and up the sides. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Bake until the cookies are light golden along the edges, about 30 minutes. Using the rounded end of the handle of a wooden spoon, gently press into the divot in each cookie to make a deeper cavity. Let the cookies cool slightly in the tin, then use an offset spatula or butter knife to help transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the meringue kisses: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Put the egg white in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks begin to form. Slowly stream in the superfine sugar and beat until glossy stiff peaks form.
• Transfer the mixture to a disposable pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe 24 small kisses onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the meringues are beginning to dry, about 20 minutes, then turn off the oven and prop open the door with a spoon handle. Leave the meringue kisses in the oven until very dry, another 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely.
• To assemble the cookies, fill the cavity of each cookie with lemon curd. Top each with a meringue kiss.

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until creamy. Beat in egg, vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon zest and juice, and yellow food coloring. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix once more, making sure everything is combined. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
• Cover bowl and refrigerate cookie dough for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Scoop dough using a cookie scoop or spoon into roughly 1 1/2-inch rounds. Slightly flatten cookies to 1/2-inch thickness.
• Pour powdered sugar into a shallow bowl. Place flattened rounds in powdered sugar and cover until well coated. Remove with a fork or spoon and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are no longer glossy and have a matte look, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat 1 cup of the granulated sugar and the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes.
• Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and food coloring if using and beat until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Put the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in another small bowl. Using a 1-tablespoon scoop, portion the dough and roll into balls. Toss each ball in the granulated sugar, then in the confectioners' sugar, coating it generously and thoroughly. Arrange the balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets (you should have 24 balls). Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake until the cookies spread, the tops crack and the edges are firm, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.
• Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
• For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
• Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
• Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. For a festive tray, make another pan using limes instead of lemons and adding a drop of green food coloring to give a very pale green. After both pans have cooled, cut into uniform 2 inch squares and arrange in a checker board fashion.