Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes Glazed Lemon Cookies 4.0 (842) 49 Reviews These easy cookies are packed with lemon flavor. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 9, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 25 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 24 Jump to recipe If you love citrus, you'll love these easy-to-make lemon cookies. They're a simple treat that anyone who loves the bold, bright flavors will adore. No rolling or shaping needed—these treats are a basic drop cookie and come together fast. They bake up cakey, sweet, and packed with lemon flavor—there's fresh lemon juice and lemon zest in the cookie dough. Then they're finished with a two-ingredient lemon glaze made with just lemons (juice and zest) and confectioners' sugar. (Enjoy them without the lemon glaze if you prefer a less sweet dessert.) Everything about these cookies is simple—except waiting those few minutes for the glaze to set so you can eat one. Brie Goldman Our 30 Most Popular Cookie Recipes Ever Drop Cookies Drop cookies are an easy type of cookie to make. They're perfect for beginners or impatient bakers who need homemade dessert fast. They don't require rolling or shaping. Drop cookie dough is easy to transfer from the mixing bowl to the baking sheet using either a spoon or a cookie scoop (or a small ice cream scoop). Many of the best-known and most-loved cookies are drop cookies (think oatmeal-raisin and chocolate chip cookies). Drop cookies contain butter, sugar, egg, vanilla or another flavoring, flour, salt, and a leavener such as baking soda or baking powder. What Is a Glaze? A glaze is a simple touch used to finish a baked good. A basic iteration contains confectioners' or powdered sugar and a liquid. More liquid is added to make the glaze thinner. More sugar is added to make it thicker. The lemon glaze used to finish our lemon cookies has plenty of lemon flavor from the lemon juice that is used as the liquid for the glaze. The most common liquids used for glazes are water or milk. Other types of glaze can be made using sugar and liquid with melted chocolate, extracts, or jams. Always zest the lemons (preferably with a microplane tool) before juicing them for the glaze. The Right Way to Store Lemons Lemons are available at the grocery store year-round and keep well—but they'll keep even better if you store them properly. Doing so results in fresher lemons, which means tastier zest and juice for all kinds of lemon recipes. Lemons can be stored on the kitchen counter, but they will start to dry out after a couple of days. Our advice is to store them at room temperature only if you plan to use them in a day or so. Generally, lemons should be stored in the refrigerator, which helps to maintain the soft texture of the rind and their flavor. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled) ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Lemon Glaze Directions Brie Goldman Preheat oven and whisk dry ingredients together: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Brie Goldman Beat butter and sugar: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Brie Goldman Add egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix: Add egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until combined. Brie Goldman Add flour and mix: With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture. Brie Goldman Drop dough onto baking sheets: Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two baking sheets. Brie Goldman Bake: Bake until edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Brie Goldman Cool cookies: Let cool 2 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Brie Goldman Spread with glaze: Spread cookies with Lemon Glaze and let set, about 1 hour. Brie Goldman Variations For orange- or lime-flavored cookies, substitute equal amounts of the zest and juice of those citrus fruits for the lemon. How to Store Glazed Lemon Cookies These glazed lemon cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Before storing, check that the glaze has completely dried. If you want to prevent the cookies from touching each other and damaging the glaze, we suggest only putting one layer of cookies in the container, rather than stacking them. Frequently Asked Questions Can I use lemon juice from a bottle? Yes, you can use lemon juice from a bottle if you don’t have fresh lemon juice, but we wouldn't recommend it for this recipe. We prefer to use fresh lemon juice because has a fresh, bright flavor that is front and center in this cookie recipe. Bottled lemon juice is convenient but it contains preservatives and doesn't have the same truly lemony flavor. What is the difference between lemon juice and lemon extract? The difference between lemon juice and lemon extract is that juice is brighter, more acidic, and less concentrated than the extract. Lemon extract is made from the essential oil of lemon mixed with alcohol. it is very potent, similar to vanilla extract. While a recipe might call for several tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, one teaspoon of lemon extract is a lot. Can I use a different glaze or icing? Yes, you can add a different glaze or icing for these lemon cookies. The cookies are delicious without a glaze but if you want to finish them with something, add another glaze or frosting, making sure the flavor complements the lemon in the cookies. Other glaze and icing flavors you could use are our Simple Sugar Glaze (which can be tinted in whatever color you prefer), Brown-Butter Glaze, or Simple Vanilla Frosting. Other Lemon Cookie Recipes to Try Lemon-Ginger Cookies With Mint Meyer-Lemon Shortbread Wreath Cookies Crisp Lemon Cookies Lemon Icebox Cookies Lemon Brown Butter Crinkle Cookies Small Batch Lemon Strawberry Cookies Old-Fashioned Lemon Sugar Cookies Originally appeared: Everyday Food, May 2009 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.