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Ingredients:
For the cookies
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, softening
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
4-5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
A pinch of salt
Instructions:
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Next, begin to make the cookies. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Once the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, set that bowl aside.
In a separate bowl, beat together the butter, vegetable shortening and sugar until it is light and fluffy. If you have an electric mixer, using one will make this step much easier. Once those three ingredients are mixed together, add the vanilla, egg and lemon zest and beat them together.
Next, add the dry ingredients from the separate bowl to the mixture and begin to combine them all. Then, add the milk and lemon juice. Mix all the ingredients until they are just incorporated.
Then, once the dough is prepared, begin to shape the cookies. Do so by rolling the dough into one-inch sized balls and place them on an ungreased cooking sheet. Then flatten the balls with your hand.
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies just begin to brown.
Once the cookies are baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool before frosting them.
While the cookies are baking, begin to make the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese together until a smooth consistency is reached. Then add the vanilla and a pinch of salt. Next, begin to slowly add the confectioner’s sugar with the mixer on low, if you’re using one. Finally, add the fresh lemon juice, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
Once the cookies have cooled down and the frosting is made, frost the cookies and enjoy!
Commentary:
Lemon is one of my favorite Springtime flavors, and these cookies are a perfect Spring cookie. They are also easy to whip up. All the ingredients are fairly standard in your cupboard, so if you’re looking for something basic to bake, these are great for that.
These cookies are great for something small and are easy to take and share with friends and family. This recipe makes about three to four dozen small cookies, but you can make as many as you want depending how large you want your cookies to be.
This recipe can be altered for convenience as well. So, if you don’t have fresh lemon juice, you can simply use lemon juice from a bottle. You can also use store bought frosting, vanilla or lemon.
You can also customize the cookies, and decorate them as you like. You can use some yellow sprinkles, for example, to add a pop of color.