There are very few cookies in this world that get my attention.
I literally will choose any dessert over cookies. Ice cream, pies, cakes, pastries. Pretty much anything feels more exciting than a cookie, unless it’s a macaron, in which case I’m all in.
And when it comes to baking cookies, I have basically no skill and very little instinct. I made the exception for these Almond and Blood Orange Cookies five years ago and today I finally have a second cookie that is worth it to me. It’s because they’re lemony and light and really quite perfect for a sad, snowy winter day. That’s why I found myself making them this weekend.
If you’re wondering about that 3/4 cup of cornstarch that’s in these cookies, I don’t blame you. I also had my doubts. In fact I would have been sure it was a typo had the original recipe writer not emphasized that it was, in fact, correct. And now I can safely say that 3/4 cup of cornstarch really does make for a lovely cookie. Who knew? Not me, I don’t understand anything about cookies except that this one is delicious, and that we ate all of them over the course of 2 days. But whose counting.
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup cornstarch (not a typo, it really is this much cornstarch)
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice, plus more if too thick
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large bowl, beat butter until it becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Add powered sugar and beat until fully combined, scraping down sides as needed. Beat in lemon zest and vanilla. Slowly add flour and cornstarch, beating until fully combined and scraping down sides as needed. The dough may look dry at first, but the butter will eventually melt into the dry ingredients.
- Form the dough into 1 inch balls and place them onto a baking sheet, leaving about 1½ inches between each cookie. Bake for 15 minutes, until the bottoms are slightly browned. Cool cookies on wire rack.
- In a small bowl, beat together butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Slowly add sugar, a ¼ cup at a time, and beat until frosting is smooth. If it's too thick, add a bit more lemon juice to thin out.
- Once cookies have cooled, dip the cookies round side down into the frosting. Let sit for 20 minutes to set before serving.
Recipe from What’s Cooking America.
This is exactly the recipe I needed in my inbox today – I bought half a dozen meyer lemons on a whim (they smell so good!) and they’ve been sitting in the fridge since! This is perfect!
writes JenniferThat’s awesome! I also cannot resist the smell of meyer lemons, so this is the new default :)
writes Vicky