SPARKLY LEMON COOKIES

Sparkly Lemon Cookies

Rating: 3.48 stars

A one-bite wonder, they measure less than two inches across but these cakey cookies don't skim on lemony flavor. A sweet-tart glaze and coarse sanding sugar adds a gentle sparkle.This recipe appears in our cookbook "Martha Stewart's Cookie Perfection" (Clarkson Potter).

Yield:

Makes 40

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 
  2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 
  1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 
• 
  1 stick plus 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 
  1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 
• 
  3 lemons, zested and juiced (1/3 cup juice) 
• 
  2 large eggs 
• 
  1/4 cup whole milk 
• 
  2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted 
• 
  Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling (optional) 

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• 
  Step 1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Beat in eggs until combined. Gradually add flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Slowly add milk and beat on medium until a dough forms, about 5 minutes.
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  Step 2 Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until bottoms of cookies are pale golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.
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  Step 3 In a bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush glaze onto cookies. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Let glaze harden, about 20 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)