I’m kind of in love with these cookies. They are the first sugar cookies I’ve ever made that taste like I imagine sugar cookies should. They’re soft, moist and have a slight vanilla and citrus undertone. A. Maze. Ing. In my opinion, sugar cookies should be thick and soft – and every recipe I’ve ever tried before has come out of the oven thin and crispy. Now, I realize that some of this is my fault. I probably rolled them too thin, and I probably used flour to coat my surfaces instead of powdered sugar. And, I might have even over-baked them. But I’m happy to report that the planets must’ve been in alignment last night because everything came together and worked perfectly.
Just a few tips for you: use a silpat mat. Just do it. You will thank yourself after you’ve successfully removed all of the cookies without smooshing them! Don’t over bake. Take them out as soon as they look done, but before they start browning. Let them cool on the pan for 3 or 4 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. If you store them in a container, layer them with some parchment paper so they don’t stick together. Roll your dough to 1/4 inch or more – no THIN cookies!! And finally, if you don’t like lemon flavoring (although it’s delicate) you can simply omit the zest.
Tiffany says
Just made these today and took your suggestions. They turned out beautifully and I CANNOT make a cookie to save my life! This will be my go to sugar cookie recipe from now on, Thanks! Tiffany (Keithley)Mills
Erin M says
Yay! Glad you liked them! Hope you had a wonderful Easter!
Lynsey James says
Made these for Easter with your buttercream frosting recipe and they were a hit! Very delicious and I loved how thick and soft they were. And the slight lemon & vanilla flavors were wonderful! Blows my old sugar-cookie recipe away!
Lauren says
I LOVE the lemon in sugar cookies. that’s what I use in mine!
tip says
I would have never thought to add lemon but that sounds wonderful! I have been on the hunt for a soft sugar cookie recipe for years so I am going to try these and see how it turns out. Thank you!