Grandma’s Easy Lemon Butter Cookies
If you are looking for a cookie that is light, delicate, and absolutely bursting with fresh citrus flavor, this is the one. Growing up, these lemon butter cookies were one of Grandma’s absolute specialties.
While some lemon desserts can be overpowering, Grandma mastered the art of balance. She combined the rich, velvety wealth of real butter with the bright, zesty punch of fresh lemons. The result is a tender, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread-style cookie that feels incredibly elegant but is unbelievably simple to make.
Why You’ll Love Grandma’s Lemon Butter Cookies
These cookies are proof that you don’t need a massive list of complicated ingredients to make something truly extraordinary.
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture: The high butter content gives these cookies a delicate, tender crumb that practically dissolves on your tongue.
- Real, Bright Lemon Flavor: We skip the artificial extracts and rely on fresh lemon zest and juice for a clean, vibrant flavor.
- Quick & Simple: With just a few basic pantry staples and a quick mixing process, you can have a batch of fresh cookies ready in no time.
- The Perfect Summer Cookie: Light, bright, and refreshing, these are the ultimate treat to serve at backyard picnics, tea parties, or warm-weather gatherings.
Grandma’s Tips for the Perfect Lemon Butter Cookie
To get that ultra-tender, bakery-quality texture, here are a few of Grandma’s old-school baking secrets:
- Use Real, High-Quality Butter: Since butter is the star of the show here, make sure you use real, unsalted butter (never margarine!). Let it soften to room temperature so it creams beautifully with the sugar.
- Don’t Overwork the Dough: Once you add the flour, mix the dough just until it comes together. Over-mixing develops gluten, which will make the cookies tough instead of melt-in-your-mouth tender.
- Zest Before You Juice: It is a million times easier to grate the zest off a firm, whole lemon than a squashed, juiced one! Always zest your lemons first, then slice them to squeeze out the juice.
- Let Them Cool Completely: These cookies are incredibly delicate when they first come out of the oven. Let them rest on the warm baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up before moving them to a cooling rack.
Grandma’s Easy Lemon Butter Cookies: A Bright, Melt-in-Your-Mouth Treat
Equipment
- 2 large bowl
- aluminum foil
- 1 wooden cutting board
- 1 rolling pin
- 1 2 inch cookie cutter
- 2 baking sheets
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp lemon extract
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups sugar
- colored sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- In a large bowl cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the extract, eggs and milk.
- In another bowl combine the dry ingredients and gradually add to the creamed mixture, making sure to mix well. Cover and chill for about 2 hours.
- Roll out on a slightly floured cutting board or surface to about ½ inch thickness.
- Cut with a 2 inch cookie cutter dipped into flour.
- Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired.
- Place in the oven and bake for about 8 or 9 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown.
- Remove them to wire racks to cool.
Nutrition
Share Your Baking!
Are you team lemon-glaze or do you like these cookies dusted with a little powdered sugar? I would love to hear how yours turned out!
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