Sparkly Lemon Cookies Food

SPARKLY LEMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Beat in eggs until combined. Gradually add flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Slowly add milk and beat on medium until a dough forms, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until bottoms of cookies are pale golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.
• In a bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush glaze onto cookies. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Let glaze harden, about 20 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

CHOCOLATE SPARKLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over, but not touching, simmering water.
• Remove from the heat.
• Cut the butter into a few pieces and mix into the chocolate until melted.
• Beat the eggs with an electric mixer, gradually adding the sugar until ribbons form (about 4 minutes on medium-high).
• Fold in the chocolate-butter mixture.
• Gently add the ground almonds.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Use a cookie scoop to form the dough into 1-inch balls.
• Roll the balls in granulated sugar, place on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and immediately place in the oven.
• Bake until the center of the cookies is no longer wet, 9 to 12 minutes.
• When slightly cool, lightly dust the cookies with powdered sugar.

CRISPY LEMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Bring lemon juice to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; cook until reduced by half.
• Add in 1/2 cup butter and stir until melted.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
• Cream remaining butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add egg and lemon butter.
• Mix until pale, about 3 minutes.
• Mix in vanilla.
• Add in flour and mix well.
• Form 1-1/2" balls and drop them onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes.
• Cool on rack and store in airtight container, (if they last that long!).

SOFT LEMON COOKIES FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Cream sugar and butter in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, egg, and vanilla extract; mix on low speed to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate everything evenly.
• Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Add to the sugar mixture slowly, mixing on low speed until just incorporated. Mix in the remaining 2 tablespoons flour.
• Place 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Scoop out teaspoonfuls of cookie dough, roll in powdered sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheet, 1 to 2 inches apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are light brown on the edges, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 3 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack and sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.

GLITTERING LEMON SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt.
• Beat together butter and confectioners sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in zest and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture just until a soft dough forms.
• Put sanding sugars in different bowls. Roll a scant teaspoon of dough into a ball and drop into sugar, turning to coat. Reshape if necessary and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat, spacing balls 3/4 inch apart, until baking sheet is filled.
• Bake until tops are slightly cracked but still pale (bottoms will be pale golden), 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to a rack to cool completely.
• Form and bake more cookies on second baking sheet.
• Make filling and sandwich cookies:
• Beat together all filling ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until combined well. Transfer to sealable bag and snip off a corner.
• Turn over half of cookies and pipe about 1/2 teaspoon filling on flat side of each. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently.