Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (Here’s how to juice a lemon the easy way!)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 4 teaspoons coarse sugar
Step 1: Prep Ingredients
Start by preheating your oven to 350°. Then, in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, then the lemon zest and juice. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar. Finish the dough by gradually beating the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.
Editor’s Tip: Want a stronger lemon flavor? Add 1/2 a teaspoon of lemon extract to give your batter a boost.
Step 2: Form the Dough
To make an oversized cookie you need to use a lot of dough! Shape 1/4 cupfuls of dough into balls and place them six inches apart on greased baking sheets. Use a drinking glass or the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten the cookies to a 3/4-inch thickness. Lightly brush the top of each cookie with water, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. (Get our guide to the different types of sugar here.)
Editor’s Tip: Instead of greasing your baking sheets, try lining ’em with parchment paper for perfect cookied every time.
Step 3: Bake Cookies
Pop the baking sheets in the oven and bake until the lemon cookies are a light brown, about 12-15 minutes. Let them rest for a few minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool completely.
Editor’s Tip: Avoid over-baking the cookies. The centers may look a little underbaked, but the moment the edges are set and just barely showing color, it’s time to take these beauties out of the oven. The centers will finish baking on the pan as the cookies cool.
You can store any leftovers—although we doubt there will be any—in airtight containers at room temperature. Your cookies will stay fresh and soft for up to a week.