Sugar Cookie Recipe with Lemon Extract
A soft and flaky sugar cookie with just the right amount of lemon flavor is this sugar cookie recipe with lemon extract. The sweet secret ingredient of lemon extract makes a refreshing and light sugar cookie that's perfect by itself or glazed with any icing!
Servings 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups butter softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 Tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 4 cups flour
- 3 Tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, cream together your softened butter, sugar, eggs, and almond and vanilla extract making sure to scrape the sides at least once. You can also you a large bowl and a hand-held mixer as well. Then mix in the milk and when that's incorporated mix in the lemon extract until it's combined as well.
- Next, in a separate large bowl, lightly whisk together your flour, baking soda, and salt. Then slowly add this to your mixer scraping the bottom and sides until everything is combined.
- Scoop the dough onto the middle of a sheet of plastic wrap making a mound or ball of dough. Next, bring the plastic wrap in on all sides so the dough is completely contained and covered. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours(up to 5 days) before rolling it out.
- Sprinkle your counter with a good dusting of flour and uncover and place the chilled dough in the center of the floured surface. Sprinkle more flour on top of the dough. Taking a rolling pin, roll out the dough into 1/4-inch thickness, and then using your favorite cookie cutters cut out the shapes. Keep the shapes close together so you don't waste dough. Save all scraps for the second round of rolling and cutting. Transfer the cut out cookie dough shapes to a non-stick cookie baking sheet.
- Bake the sugar cookies with lemon in a preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 8-10 minutes. Once the edges are turning golden brown remove the cookies from the oven, let the cookies cool for at least 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Once cooled enjoy these sugar cookies with lemon extract plain or ice them with your favorite icing. We can't get enough of this simple buttercream icing and put it on everything. It's light and fluffy and the perfect addition to these cookies.
Notes
Tips and Tricks:
- I am going to say it again, soften your butter, do not melt it. I always soften mine on our counter by simply setting it out the day before on the counter. However, if your house is too cold, try using your bread-proof button on your oven and place it in there for a few minutes up to 5 minutes. You should be able to dent your butter with your finger.
- When placing the dough on the plastic wrap, the dough will be sticky. The ball forms mainly once you pull up all the sides of the wrap. Placing the dough in plastic wrap saves you time and muscle from trying to get formed hard cookie dough out of a bowl later. Unwrapping it is so much easier!
- Chilling the dough is key. It keeps the dough from getting too sticky and helps the cookies keep their shape while baking. If the dough is getting sticky, chill it. If your shapes are spreading, chill your cut out cookie shapes on the sheets before baking them too.
- Also, try rolling your dough thinner(1/8th thickness) if your shapes are still spreading.
- To roll out the second round of dough, chill the dough in between sets if you have time and add more flour to the counter and top of the dough when rolling.
- You are adding flour to every round of rolling out the cookie dough so make sure your shapes a spaced close together as to not waste any dough.
- If the dough is not releasing from the cookie cutter, try dipping the bottom edges of the cookie cutter in flour first before cutting out the dough shapes.
- Try to bake cookies that are all the same size in each batch. Otherwise smaller cookies could burn while you are waiting on large cookies to bake.