Variation: Lime Sugar Snap Cookies
These crisp, delicate cookies are packed with lemony flavor, and they are one of my favorites. They really do snap when you take a bite! They are perfect alongside a cup of tea in the afternoon, or served with homemade vanilla ice cream. Find out more about when to grease or not to grease your cookie sheets and how to select the best cookie sheets below!
COOKIE RECIPE HELP
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (1 stick or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3/4 cup superfine sugar (or regular sugar)
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons (1 lemon) finely ground zest or 1/4 teaspoon lemon oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour; spoon into measuring cup and level to rim
1/4 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Position an oven shelf in the lower third and another one in the upper third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare at least two, preferably four GREASED non-insulated cookie sheets or sheet pans.
SARAH SAYS: Instead, you can line them with a silpat (silicone) mat liner or parchment paper (not waxed paper), if desired. Set aside
3. Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, on low until softened.
4. Add the sugar in a steady stream at the side of the bowl, beat on medium speed, until it is lightened in color.
5. Add the egg yolk, lemon zest and extracts, and mix on medium-low until well-incorporated.
6. Add the flour and salt, and blend on low speed until all the dry ingredients are moistened.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, and blend to form a smooth, thick dough.
7. Drop 1/2 teaspoons of the dough, at least 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. The cookies will spread during baking.
NOTE: We used a 1 1/2-inch (1/2 teaspoon) cookie scoop. Using a cookie scoop will give you more uniformly round cookies, of the same size.
8. Bake until the cookies are very lightly colored around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes.
9. Transfer the cookies the cookies to a wire cake rack to cool completely.
STORAGE
Store in an airtight tin or lidded container in between layers of wax paper for up to a week. The cookies can be frozen for a month or more.
VARIATION
Lime Cookies
Simply use 1 tablespoon (a couple of limes) lime zest instead of lemon zest. Leave in the 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract as it will add to the lime flavor.
SARAH SAYS: For an enhanced lime flavor, add in 1/4 teaspoon of lime oil instead of lime zest–lime zest is hard to make, and the lime oil flavor will be unbelievable.
