Very Lemon Cookies Food

VERY LEMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
• To prepare the dough:
• In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fully. Add the egg, vanilla, baking powder, salt, lemon oil, and lemon powder, beating on medium speed until well blended. Add the flour and coconut, beating until thoroughly combined. Use food color to tint the cookies yellow. Gel-paste food color will give the most intense color; be aware that with paste colors, you only need to add the merest touch. Dip a toothpick in the color, and then dip it into the dough. Repeat a couple of times. Mix the dough, adding more color until it's as intense as you like.
• To shape the cookies: Place the coarse sugar in a small bowl. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls into the bowl, one at a time, shaking the bowl to coat with sugar. Gently roll cookies into smooth balls with your hands, then transfer to the prepared baking sheets.
• To bake the cookies: Bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes, for soft cookies. For crunchier cookies, bake for 12 minutes, until they're barely beginning to brown around the edges. Remove from the oven, and after a few minutes transfer them to a rack to cool.
• Variation: You can make these cookies using fresh lemons instead of lemon powder and lemon oil (though they won't be nearly as intensely citrus-y). Substitute 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (the juice of one medium-large lemon), and the grated rind from one lemon. You may also omit the coconut and/or food coloring, if you like. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, until they feel barely set in the center (for softer cookies); or 14 minutes (for crisper cookies).

LEMON COOKIES FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Cream sugar, butter, and lemon zest together in a large bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Combine eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a cup; mix using a fork until combined. Beat into egg mixture slowly on low speed.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add to egg mixture slowly on low speed until just combined. Do not overbeat; dough will be sticky. Cover and chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes; it will still be sticky after chilling.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Form dough into balls using a cookie scoop or tablespoon and roll each in powdered sugar. Place onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Lightly smash each ball down using your hand.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the middle of each cookie is just barely set, 11 to 12 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack completely before storing in an airtight container.