Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 to 4 drops yellow food coloring (or as needed)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar for coating (or as needed)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar for coating (or as needed)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Make the cookie dough ---

2. 2

   Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. 3

   In a stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer, beat softened butter with ¾ cup granulated sugar over medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Turn down the mixer to medium speed, and mix in the egg and vanilla extract until combined. Then, add lemon zest and fresh lemon juice and mix until evenly combined, scraping the sides of the bowl if needed.

5. 5

   Gradually mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on medium or medium-low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl, until fully incorporated and no pockets of flour remain. Do not overmix. The dough will be sticky.

6. 6

   Add about 3-4 drops of yellow food coloring and use a rubber spatula to fold in and combine. Do not overmix. Note: The food coloring liquid will look orange at first, don’t worry. You only need a few drops - if you prefer, start with 2 drops and keep adding more until you get the tone of yellow you like.

7. 7

   Cover with plastic wrap (the plastic should be directly touching the dough) and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight. The colder the dough, the better.

8. 8

   --- Assemble and bake ---

9. 9

   Once the dough has fully chilled for at least 2 hours, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper.

10. 10

    Note: Depending on the size of your sheet pans and oven, you may need to bake these cookies in multiple batches. If so, I’d recommend placing the dough back in the fridge in between batches.

11. 11

    Scoop the cookie dough into 1.5-tablespoons and roll with the palm of your hands. Tip: Use a cookie scoop for ease and convenience.

12. 12

    Coat the cookie balls with a normal layer of granulated sugar (not too little but not too heavy). Then roll them on a GENEROUS layer of powdered sugar. In fact, I roll them in powdered sugar twice to ensure they are thoroughly coated.

13. 13

    Arrange on the prepared baking sheet pan about 2-3 inches apart.

14. 14

    Bake at 350 degrees F for 11-12 minutes until crinkled on top and the edges start to turn golden brown. Let them cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!