Italian Lemon Cookies
Perfect melt in your mouth Lemon Cookies. If you love anything lemon then you are going to love these cookies. Light and easy to make, with a tasty lemon glaze, they are sure to satisfy any lemon lover!
When I first started thinking about recipes for my cookbook Authentic Italian Desserts, I knew I had to include a few lemon recipes. And these cookies are one of our favourites.
Italians cannot live without lemons. It’s difficult to hear of a sweet recipe from a Cake to a Pastry Cream that doesn’t include fresh lemon zest.
And these Italian Lemon Cookies are definitely not short on Lemon. These buttery shortbread type of cookie are even better with a simple lemon glaze or if you prefer a dusting of powdered sugar.
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour – all purpose with a strong protein percentage at least 11% protein
- Cornstarch
- Lemon – fresh lemon
- Salt
- Butter – I use salted
- Powdered Sugar – also known as icing or confectioners sugar
Why is cornstarch added to a cookie recipe?
I have recently discovered that a lot of people add corn starch to cookie recipes, the reason is because it helps create a crumbly and tender texture. It is also considered to help cookies from spreading.
The difference between lemon juice and zest
I use both lemon juice and lemon zest in this recipe. Some insist that the zest has more lemon flavour than the juice. The zest is the oil of the lemon and is therefore filled with the pure lemon flavour.
The juice holds the acidic tart taste of the lemon. Just be sure to grate only the yellow part of the lemon and no white part. The white part will add only bitterness. And you don’t want that!
How to make Lemon Cookies
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, zest and salt. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until fluffy about 2-3 minutes. Add half the dry ingredients and lemon juice and beat together.
Then with a wood spoon or spatula mix in the remaining flour until combined. Move the dough to a large piece of parchment paper and form the cookie dough into a log.
Wrap in the paper and refrigerate for an hour.
Remove the dough from the fridge, and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate again for about 20 minutes, while the oven is pre-heating.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Once the cookies have cooled completely, then you can top them with a little lemon glaze if desired.
These cookies are delicious anytime, the perfect dessert or even with an afternoon tea. Or why not add the recipe to your Christmas Cookie baking list.
How to keep cookies from spreading
To keep cookies from spreading it helps to chill the dough before baking and the percentage of protein in the flour is a major culprit of flat cookies. I would advise that your flour has a percentage of at least 11% or even higher if possible.
It is also a good idea to chill the dough and also the cookies while the oven is pre-heating.
How to store Lemon Cookies
If the cookies are unglazed then they should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they will last up to 5-6 days. If glazed then they should keep stored in an airtight container, in a single layer for about 3-4 days.
If your home is warm then I would advise refrigerating in an airtight container. If the cookies are refrigerated they will last up to 7 days.
How to freeze the cookies
You can always freeze them in either a freezer bag or an airtight container, they will keep for up to 4 weeks. The unbaked cookie dough will last 2-3 days in the fridge and two months in the freezer. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and place in an air tight bag.
I had a great time making and deciding on the perfect Italian Desserts that I thought everyone would love to try. I also shared a delicious Italian Brownie Cake / La Torta Tenerina that you also may enjoy.
But if you like anything lemon, then I think you will enjoy these Lemon Cookies, and of course I would love to know what you think. Enjoy!
More Lemon Cookie Recipes you may enjoy!
- Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Easy Lemon Drop Cookies
- Italian Lemon Stuffed Cookies
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Italian Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
LEMON COOKIES
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch (50 grams total)
- zest & juice of one lemon (approximately 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2-1 tablespoon zest)
- 1 pinch salt
- ¾ cup +2 tablespoons butter (softened)* (185 grams total)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
*I use salted butter, if you use unsalted then increase the salt to 1/4 teaspoon. Be sure to use a good quality butter, apparently this year 2022, store brand butter quality is not what it used to be. Less fat could mean a dry not so tasty cookie.
LEMON GLAZE
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (strained)
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 zest lemon
Instructions
LEMON COOKIES
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, zest and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat on medium speed the butter and sugar until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Then add half the flour and the lemon juice beat to combine. Then add the remaining flour and with a wooden spoon or spatula combine to form a dough (the dough will be a little sticky, if the dough is too sticky then add 1-2 tablespoons of flour).
- Transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment paper and roll the dough into a log approximately 1 1/2 inches (4cm) wide. Wrap the dough in the parchment paper and refrigerate for one hour.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) slices. Place the slices on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 320F (160C).
- Bake the cookies for 5 minutes, then raise the oven temperature to 350F (180C) and continue to bake for 9-10 minutes. The should be light gold in colour. Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be either dusted with powdered sugar or spread with a lemon glaze. Enjoy!
LEMON GLAZE
- In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, powdered sugar and zest until smooth.
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from August 9, 2019.
Can I ice the cookies and then freeze them? or should they be iced after thawing?
Hi Tammy I usually freeze them and then ice them after they have thawed. I don’t know how well the icing would hold up.
If I don’t want to bake them all right away, could they stay in the log in the fridge and baked off a little bit at a time?
Hi Aaron, cookie dough will last about 2-4 days in the fridge, a better option might be slicing the dough, then place them on a parchment paper lined cookie dough, freeze until firm, place them in a freezer safe container (separate with parchment paper) and then remove them whenever you need or want to bake them, they can be baked from frozen, they may take a few more minutes to bake though. Hope that helps.
The cookies are very good and easy. They don’t even need the icing!
Thanks so much Emilia, glad you like them. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Can bread flour be used instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Marie, sure that would work. They might be a bit chewier, but still delicious. Let me know how it goes.
Literally the PERFECT cookie. I am obsessed! Not too sweet, so zesty, they freeze beautifully… everyone went NUTS for these! My new go-to!
Hi Emily, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed them. Have a great weekend.
Thank you Rosemary for this absolutely outstanding recipe. My son has a dairy allergy so I replaced the butter with vegan butter; they turned out perfectly. Best lemon cookie ever!
Hi Barbara, thanks so much, glad it worked out for your son. Take care.
Can I use cookie cutters with these
Hi Kim, I think you could, what I would do is instead of forming into a log I would roll the dough into 1/4 inch thick rectangle (between 2 sheets of parchment paper) and then refrigerate, cut out the cookies place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and chill again for 20 minutes as per the recipe. Let me know how it goes.
I love this recipe it gets a 10. One thing I wish it was more specific on how much lemon juice bu itself and how much zest by itself. Lemons are different sizes. It would take the guess work out. Thanks
Hi Marlens, thanks so much, I just updated the recipe to indicate amount of zest and juice. Have a wonderful Sunday!
Yum!!!! I didn’t see the note about the protein content in the flour but I don’t care. These are fantastic even though they spread slightly. I used tapioca starch because I always have it.
Hi Emily, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed them. Haha as long as they taste good. Take care.
I’m baking this tonight. Are they good? Are they too sour or are they just right?
Hi Hallie, well they are the most popular cookie on the blog, and if you like lemon then I think they are just right. Let me know how it goes.
THESE are without a doubt, THE BEST cookie recipe I have ever made! We are lemon lovers so that was the perfect start.
I left the room to get my cell phone to take a pic and all were gone, with the exception of three! LOL
Hi Diana, thanks so much, glad you and everyone else liked them. Have a great week.
Kudos for this recipe. The cookies turned out perfectly: subtle lemon flavor, delicate texture, nice round shape, beautiful light golden color. My comments on the recipe itself: A simple recipe that I simplified more. I didn’t weigh anything, just roughly used the volume measurements. I didn’t bother worrying about protein content of the flour, just used Bob’s all purpose. (Who, other than a professional, even has the luxury of having different flours handy?) I threw all the flour at once into the mixing bowl and had the electric mixer do the entire job (no wooden spoon hand mixing half of the flour). I rolled out the dough slightly by hand but mostly by rolling in the parchment paper, then squeezing the ends of the rolled parchment paper to fill out the dough cylinder. I refrigerated the rolled out dough in the parchment for 24 hours. When I baked the cookies, I didn’t bother changing the oven temperature (my oven’s not that precise): just 350 F. for 15 minutes (opening the door twice to check the progress). Voila–the only problem is they’re hard not to eat all at once.
Hi James glad you liked the recipe, I’m sure though that Bob’s all purpose has at least 11% protein, because trust me if you don’t have a high enough protein count in the flour, you won’t get separate cookies you will get one large flat one. 🙂
Baked them with a bunch of others for Christmas, but it was these cookies that everyone wanted the recipe for.
Hi Janis, thanks so much, so glad everyone enjoyed them. Happy New Year.
I’m curious where you find such high protein All purpose flour? I can only find it topping out at 11.7%. To go any higher would be bread flour, not all purpose.
Hi Miranda, 11.7 is fine as close to 12% works. Let me know how it goes.
I believe King Arthur All-purpose flour has 13% protein.
this recipe is fabulous! Recently stumbled upon this and have already made this three times already this season! thank you for the great recipe
Hi Marissa, thanks so much, so glad you like it. Merry Christmas.