Description
Delightfully tangy and sweet, these Lemon Cranberry Cookies combine zesty lemon flavors with the tartness of dried cranberries for a refreshing twist on classic cookies. Perfectly soft and lightly golden with a sweet lemon glaze, they make a beautiful treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup (90.91 g) dried cranberries, chopped
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar (for glazing)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 whole lemon)
- ½ cup (113.5 g) salted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (for dough)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (for glaze)
Instructions
- Mix Sugars and Zest: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, and lemon zest. Rub them together with your fingers for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and the zest is evenly distributed throughout the sugar.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Add the softened butter to the sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until light and airy, about 3 minutes. This creates a fluffy base for your cookies.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice until fully combined, ensuring the dough is smooth and cohesive.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Slowly add the salt, baking soda, and all-purpose flour to the mixture. Stir gently and avoid overmixing; stop mixing when you still see some flour remnants to keep cookies tender.
- Fold in Cranberries: Chop the dried cranberries and gently fold them into the dough to distribute the tart bursts of flavor evenly.
- Shape and Chill Dough: Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, form large dough balls. Place them on a tray and chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours to let the flavors meld and dough firm up.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Bake Cookies: Arrange 6 cookie dough balls on each lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges turn a light golden brown, indicating they’re perfectly baked with a soft center.
- Cool Cookies: Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare and Apply Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over each cookie or dip the cookies into the glaze. Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can substitute the lemon zest and juice with orange zest and juice for a sweeter, citrusy variation.
- Using grams for flour measurement is more accurate; if you don’t have a kitchen scale, lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup instead of packing it for best results.
- Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours is important to enhance flavor and maintain cookie shape during baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
