Lemon Cookies

OK, it is no secret that my favorite flavor is lemon (well, bacon, but we're talking desserts, so my favorite sweet flavor is lemon). I love lemonheads, love chicken piccata, love lemon on my schnitzel -- ok, so you get it. When I used to go out in the field at Fort Irwin, a lemon cookie was one of the staples of "pogey bait" I would take out.
 
So, when it came time to cooking, I wanted to find a few lemon recipes.  This was a remarkably easy and very chewy and lemony.  I am still working on it to make it even more lemony and less sweet (although I think I am close with the recipe listed here).

 

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons lemon extract
The zest of 1 lemon (or 1 teaspoon of California Lemon Peel)
1/3 cup powdered sugar

 

Cooking Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat 2 eggs with fork in small mixing bowl. Add oil, lemon extract and lemon peel (or zest).

Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in wet ingredients. Mix until well blended.

Refrigerate for at least one hour (it is not necessary for the recipe, just makes it easier to roll into balls).

Use a tablespoon and scoop out dough.  Roll into a ball.  Roll in powdered sugar until they're lightly covered. Once sugared, put them on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 9 minutes. Cool on rack.  The bottoms will be light brown, and the insides chewy.

 

2 Eggs

2 Eggs

 

Beat with a fork and add the oil, lemon extract and zest of lemon (also added California lemon zest)

Beat with a fork and add the oil, lemon extract and zest of lemon (also added California lemon zest)

 

Add cake mix to larger mixing bowl

Add cake mix to larger mixing bowl

 

Add egg mix to the cake mix

Add egg mix to the cake mix

 

Combine into a doughball.  Then refrigerate for about an hour (or more)

Combine into a doughball. Then refrigerate for about an hour (or more)

 

Roll into balls (about the size of walnuts).  Put in powder and coat.

Roll into balls (about the size of walnuts). Put in powder and coat.

 

Coat well.

Coat well.

 

Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes (exactly)

Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes (exactly)

 

Slightly brown on the bottom.  Very soft and chewy.

Slightly brown on the bottom. Very soft and chewy.

 

Allow to cool.

Allow to cool.

 

Lemon Cookies

Lemon Cookies

 

Larger Lemon

I was on a kick making larger cookies (in fact, unless I think that whenever I am making cookies for myself I will make the larger cookie). For this one I added an extra egg yolk - and although these turned out soft, I didn't feel that these were as sweet or sour as their smaller cousins --- so when I make larger cookies in the future, I am going to increase the amount of lemon extract and maybe add 1/4 cup of sugar.

 

Large Lemon Cookies

Large Lemon Cookies

 

Lemon Cookies

Lemon Cookies

 
 

All Recipes and pictures Copyright ©2005 - 2024 by Gregory Motes; All Rights Reserved