Lemon Crinkles

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE cookies. And lemon is one of my favorites. So combining lemon AND cookies is just a win/win for me. That is exactly what I did when I made these lemon crinkle cookies too.

Crinkle cookies have been around since the early 1950s and were initially made with chocolate. Crinkle cookies are rolled in powdered sugar before baking which causes the icing sugar to crack (break apart).  They have a slight crunch on the outside and are super moist inside like a brownie. They are very popular and delicious cookies too. Believe me, I have both made and eaten a bazillion of them. But you DON’T have to make them only as chocolate cookies. You can make them as lemon, molasses or red velvet cookies too. This time, especially for summer, I chose to make them lemon. YUMMY!

Just with anything, there are always a few tricks of the trade to make things consistently “perfect” and magical. Crinkle cookies are no different. There are few helpful hints that I am going to share with all of you too. Follow these tips, and you will have perfect crinkle cookies all the time. 🙂

1. Beat in a lot of air into the sugar and butter. The air will expand in the hot oven, so – more air, more expansion, more dramatic crinkles.
2. The dough needs to be thoroughly chilled, so the cookies stay soft and poofy and don’t melt into chewy-edged pancakes as they bake—at least 2 hours, but overnight or even a few days ahead is fine.
3. Rolling the dough first in granulated sugar means that the confectioners’ sugar has a handy layer to stick to, without absorbing into the dough.

They’re soft, tender and just a little bit chewy, with a delicate exterior that’s coated with a thick layer of powdered sugar. Crinkle cookies get their well-deserved name from the way the cookie splits and cracks along the sugar-covered top and sides as it bakes.

Lemon Crinkles

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks soften butter

1 cup + 2 TBSP sugar

1 large egg

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 TBSP lemon zest

1 tsp vanialla

1 tsp lemon extract

Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Mix the butter and sugar together on medium high for about 1-2 minutes. Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon extract and vanilla and mix for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Add the flour mixture 1/2 at a time, mixing in between each addition. The dough should be thick, creamy and sticky. Wrap tightly and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before using and up to 3 days.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350* F or 190* C. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine 3 TBSP of granulated sugar and 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix well. Take about 1 TBSP of dough and roll gently in your hands to form a ball then roll in the sugar mixture. Continue until all the dough is used.

Place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. I like to flatten my cookies a bit, however these will spread out and flatten on their own too.

You can re-roll them in the sugar mixture before baking too if you like. Then bake for about 15 minutes, or until they are lightly golden around the edges.

Then share with friends. Cookies always seem to bring friends closer. Oh, I have shared so many good times with friends over cookies. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. And EAT your cookies. 🙂 Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.