Holy cow! If you LOVE a good soft, frosted sugar cookie like I do, you are going to be super-happy you found this recipe! I always love the frosted cookies on holiday cookie plates, so I wanted to find a really good one to include on mine that would be a bit different from your usual cut-out cookie. And I found it!
I totally wasn’t expecting it, but these cookies ended up tasting a lot like those Lofthouse Sugar Cookies that you buy in those plastic boxes in the store. The only difference was they actually tasted very pleasantly like lemon, rather than like frosting like those Lofthouse cookies do.
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp grated lemon rind (or a little more if you prefer)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- For Frosting: 2 T softened butter
- 2 T Lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Yellow food coloring (if desired)
- Combine eggs, oil, vanilla and grated lemon rind. Blend in sugar and beat until mixture thickens.
- Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and add in 2 or 3 additions to the egg mixure. Dough will be soft.
- Drop by tablespoonfuls on ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Gently press each cookie flat with the sugared bottom of a glass. Press with sugared glass two or three times if you want a thicker sugar crust.
- Bake 8-10 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Remove from pan immediately and let cool before frosting.
- For Frosting: Mix together butter and powdered sugar until butter is incorporated. Add lemon juice and beat until proper consistency. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add extra lemon juice or milk. Add food coloring if desired.
This recipe is also from a vintage Mail Box News from 1972 ( I LOVE those things!) and the frosting recipe is from a separate entry in that same magazine. The ONLY thing I would do differently if I made these cookies is not to screw them up and add too much lemon juice to the frosting.
See? Just a touch too much. It was completely my fault. That is what I get when I try to improve old recipes. So, I would just stick with their 2 T recommendation rather than trying to double it like I did. I wanted extra lemon flavor, and boy, I got it!
Otherwise, the cookies were delicious.
The Verdict: Very Good
From The Tasting Notes:
Cookie itself has faint but noticeable lemon flavor. Good, soft texture for a sugar cookie. The frosting was strong, but otherwise yummy. If you follow the recipe I am sure it would be perfect!
“Just a touch too much.”
LOLed.
Oh, I am so going to have to try this one!
I just had to make these …since I had all the ingredients and all… and they are so good!! I put about 2 1/3 T of lemon juice in the frosting and that’s still pretty puckery, I totally understand the sour lemon face with 4 LOL
I just made these with orange rind and the cranberry cream cheese from the Yule Sandwich Log. It is really good (though the frosting is one to be spread thinly rather than really laid on thick).
Tonight I found 2 lemons I forgot I bought, and when I asked what I should make with them my family said these cookies.. I have made them once already, and will be making them again in the morning. CAN NOT WAIT! yummmmy.. They are unforgettably good!
I was googling for an iced lemon cookie and came across this recipe (and your blog) for the first time. These came out PERFECTLY! Despite loving to cook and bake from scratch I have always guilty-pleasure bought those Lofthouse cookies, but never again! These are a perfect replacement, thank you!
These cookies are wonderful! They’re even as moist and soft the next day! I did notice that you need to take them out of the oven before the edges start browning (otherwise they are a little firmer than desired, but still yummy!)
These are so good! I had a little trouble with baking them because my oven is on the fritz, but they turned out fantastic!
My grandmother used to make very similar cookies, but with orange zest and juice in place of the lemon. Maybe that would be a bit less sour for a change of pace?