Lemon Sugar Cookies with Lemon Royal Icing
An easy lemon sugar cookie with a sweet yet tangy lemon royal icing.
I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend! We had beautiful weather in Tennessee on Sunday so all of the little girls at church were just adorable in their Easter dresses 🙂 I even got to see my precious friend's baby girl all dolled up for Easter Sunday!
I surprised Michael with a new book I knew he would love instead of candy and just couldn't help but pick up this Emily Ley one for myself too! I've been dying to read this so I will give you a review once I finish!
After a great service spent glorifying and thanking our Savior, we had a delicious Easter lunch by Grandma. (Our car also wouldn't start, but let's focus on the good stuff!) Her menu consisted of the Easter ham, broccoli casserole, sweet potatoes, deviled eggs, baked beans, rolls, my Mom's banana pudding and coconut cake, and I think I'm even missing a few!
If you have a southern grandma then you know that I got a call a few days before that said, "You don't need to bring anything, just bring yourselves". But if I have learned anything from my Momma, it is that you don't show up to someone's house empty handed. Especially when they're cooking a whole holiday feast for you!
So in attempts to make something Easter themed I made the most addictive Lemon Sugar Cookies. I've decided that the addictive part is the lemon royal icing. Don't get me wrong, the cookie itself is good but y'all... this icing! If you live around here, it would remind you of the Ham 'n Goodys lemon icing! P.S. This is one of my first times piping royal icing so don't judge too hard! 🙂
Some photos from the traditional family Easter photo shoot below!
To make these precious cookies start by beating butter and sugar on high speed using an electric mixer until well combined. Add in egg yolk, egg, lemon zest, lemon extract and vanilla extract. Beat until just combined. Lower mixer speed and begin adding in salt, baking powder, and flour until combined. Form dough into two disks, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 2 hours. Once chilled let dough come to room temperature about 3 minutes before rolling out on a lightly floured surface. Begin cutting out your desired shapes (I used an egg, tulip, and bunny) and lay onto your parchment lined baking sheets. Bake cookies at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Make icing while your cookies cool. Beat egg whites with electric mixer (or hand mixer) until they are frothy. With mixer on low speed, begin slowly adding in the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time. Add lemon extract and lemon juice and continue mixing until smooth. This thicker consistency is perfect to line your cookie shapes. To thin the icing for filling in the cookie add one teaspoon (I only used 1-2 teaspoons) of lemon juice at a time until the icing is slightly runny. Recipe card below! Enjoy!!
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Lemon Sugar Cookies with Lemon Royal Icing
- Yield: 2-3 dozen (depending on size) 1x
Ingredients
Lemon Sugar Cookies
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 and ¼ cups unsalted butter (cold and cut into ½ inch pieces)
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 lemon (zested)
Lemon Royal Icing
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons lemon extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- food coloring gel if desired
Instructions
Lemon Sugar Cookie
- Beat butter and sugar on high speed using an electric mixer until well combined.
- Add in egg yolk, egg, lemon zest, lemon extract and vanilla extract. Beat until just combined.
- Lower mixer speed and begin adding in salt, baking powder, and flour until combined.
- Form dough into two disks, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 2 hours.
- Once chilled let dough come to room temperature about 3 minutes before rolling out on a lightly floured surface.
- Begin cutting out your desired shapes (I used an egg, tulip, and bunny) and lay onto your parchment lined baking sheets. Bake cookies at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Lemon Royal Icing
- Beat egg whites with electric mixer (or hand mixer) until they are frothy.
- With mixer on low speed, begin slowly adding in the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time.
- Add lemon extract and lemon juice and continue mixing until smooth. This thicker consistency is perfect to line your cookie shapes. To thin the icing for filling in the cookie add one teaspoon (I only used 1-2 teaspoons) of lemon juice at a time until the icing is slightly runny.