Driving down the county highways here in Florida I was given the quick reminder that we have entered fall after spotting little unripe oranges decorating all the trees in the groves. My craving for citrus peaked at that moment but I really have had a huge lack of energy to the point I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning. As much as I love baking, to use the few shreds of energy I manage to muster on making a messy kitchen and then having to clean it up just isn’t feasible. So I had to ask myself, what is the simplest item I could make that would still be complex enough to excite my taste buds. The answer… Lemon Drop Cookies.

These cookies are simple and use ingredients that are staples in anyone’s pantry. For such basic ingredients, these cookies possess a very unique texture. They are fluffy and moist but still manage to be sturdy enough to carry around the house without dropping crumbs all over. The lemon flavor gives the cookie a slight tang that finishes with a sweetness that isn’t overbearing. To finish off these soft, cake-like wonders, a very simple confectioners’ sugar glaze tinted yellow and given a slight dose of lemon flavor make this simple confection appear more glamorous than it really is… for at the end of the day it is a cookie… just an amazingly epic cookie.

I promise you if you give these little canary gems a chance they will become a cookie everyone in the family can appreciate and love. The formula yields about 3 dozen cookies. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days.

Lemon Drop Cookies

Cookie Ingredients:

3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Baking Soda
½ tsp. Salt
16 tbsp. (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened
1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
1 cup Sour Cream
2 tsp. Lemon Zest, grated
1 tsp. Lemon Extract

Glaze Ingredients:

2 ½ cups Confectioners’ Sugar; sifted
1 tbsp. Butter
2 to 2 ½ tbsp. Lemon Juice
Milk; enough to create desired consistency
Yellow Food Color; optional
Decorative Sprinkles; optional

Formula:

For the cookies: Adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Heat oven to 375°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
With mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and beat in the sour cream, lemon zest, and lemon extract. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
Refrigerate the dough until slightly firm, about 1 hour. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are just golden around the edges, about 15 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through the cooking time. Cool cookies on the baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
For the glaze: With a mixer, combine the sugar, butter, and lemon juice together. Add enough milk to achieve the desired consistency. Add a few drops of yellow food color if desired.
Once the cookies have completely cooled, use an off-set spatula to spread a thick layer of glaze on each cookie. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Serve.

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Pastries in Paradise