Lemon-Glazed Butter Cookies

Can you lot believe I'm non actually a fan of cut-out cookies? But the butter cookie dough inward these Lemon-Glazed Butter Cookies has changed my mind! It's oh therefore rich, tender, in addition to amazingly-delicious.

That's correct folks. I've publicly admitted it. I'm non a fan of cut-out cookies.

Their decorated niggling selves ever hold off therefore beautifully tempting sitting on a cookie platter or inward the cookie jar, amongst their colorful frosting in addition to sprinkles in addition to other embellishments simply calling out "eat me, consume me! ... I'll live soooo yummy!" Oh yes, they hold off pretty in addition to all ... in addition to therefore ... you lot accept that seize amongst teeth ... all excited for the yumminess that simply must be bottled upward within nether all that beautiful adornment ...

Just. to be. disappointed. Because the sense of savor in addition to the texture don't alive upward to the decoration.

That's been my sense amongst many of the cut-out cookie dough recipes out there. But allow me assure you, texture in addition to flavor's failure to alive upward to the beautiful ornamentation volition not be a occupation amongst these amazingly-delicious Lemon-Glazed Butter Cookies!

I cruel inward absolute dearest amongst this butter cookie dough when I showtime used it to exercise Raspberry Jam Sandwich Cookies a few weeks back. So I decided to exercise a glazed non-sandwich cookie version amongst it. A lemon-glazed butter cookies version, to live exact.

The dough really is therefore rich, therefore tender, in addition to therefore amazingly delicious. It rolls out simply beautifully ...

... in addition to cuts therefore nicely.

I used a bloom shape to brand my Lemon-Glazed Butter Cookies, but whatever shape would live fabulous.

I whipped upward a quick glaze amongst confectioners sugar, fresh lemon juice, in addition to lemon zest, spread the glaze all over the cookies, in addition to therefore sprinkled the tops amongst a deport on of brilliant yellowish sanding saccharide ... simply a deport on to give 'em a niggling sparkle. Aren't they pretty all sparkly?

The tartness of the lemon glaze in addition to sweetness richness of the butter cookies become therefore good together. Lemon-Glazed Butter Cookies really are ane amazingly delicious cookie!

And ane whose texture in addition to flavour totally live upward to the beauty of their decoration. No affair what adornments you lot give them.

Lemon-Glazed Butter Cookies

Source: Cookie dough adapted from Cook's Illustrated Baking Book: Baking Demystified

(Printable recipe)

Ingredients
For the cookies:

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
16 T. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened & cutting into sixteen pieces
2 T. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the glaze:

1 c. confectioners sugar
5 to vi tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
small pinch salt
bright yellowish colored saccharide for sprinkling {optional}

Directions

PREPARE COOKIE DOUGH: Place flour, sugar, in addition to tabular array salt inward the bowl of a stand upward mixer (or large mixing bowl); mix on depression speed most 10 seconds until good combined.
With the mixer running at depression speed, add together 1 slice of butter at a fourth dimension dropping them inward most iii seconds apart. Once all the butter is added, move along mixing most 1 to 2 minutes to a greater extent than until the mixture resembles moist crumbs. Beat inward cream cheese in addition to vanilla for most xxx seconds until dough starts to shape large clumps.
Use your hands to knead dough until it comes together into a large ball, most iii or iv turns.
Divide dough into 2 equal pieces, press each slice into a circular slightly flattened disc, roll each inward plastic wrap, in addition to chill inward the fridge for xxx minutes until occupation solid but yet pliable.
CUT & BAKE COOKIES: Working amongst ane dough slice {keep the other ane inward the refrigerator}, curl to 1/8-inch thick betwixt 2 pieces of parchment newspaper or on a lightly floured operate surface. Peel away overstep sail of parchment {if using}.
Use a 2-inch fluted circular or flower/wreath cookie cutter {or other shape, if desired} to cutting cookies from the rolled dough. Place on a baking sail in addition to bake at 375 degrees until low-cal golden brown, most 8 - 10 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sail for 2 - iii minutes in addition to therefore transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
PREPARE GLAZE: Whisk together confectioners sugar, v teaspoons of lemon juice, salt, in addition to lemon zest amongst a fork until smooth. Whisk inward additional teaspoon of lemon juice if needed to brand glaze easily spreadable. Spread on cooled cookies in addition to sprinkle amongst yellowish colored sugar, every bit desired. Let glaze develop for at to the lowest degree xxx minutes earlier serving.

{NOTE: For fifty-fifty to a greater extent than lemon punch, add together upward to 1 teaspoon of finely chopped lemon zest to the butter cookie dough, added it when you lot musical rhythm out inward the cream cheese.}

Enjoy!

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