I feel that you should know this about me-I hate lemon extract. I think it has an alcohol-flavor to it, and when added to baked goods, it pretty much makes them taste artificial.
OK, so now that’s out of the way we can get on to today’s recipe. Earlier this summer I was whipping up an assortment of cookies to bring to a party. I was making these awesome funfetti cookies from Avery Cooks, and these to die for chocolate sugar cookies from Handmade Charlotte.
I was thinking to myself that I needed a third cookie to round out my cookie tray and since it was the start of the summer I thought, a fruit flavor would be ideal. After taking stock of what I already had in the kitchen I decided to pair my lemons with some white chocolate chips that had been sitting in my baking pantry.
I used the funfetti cookie recipe as my base and the recipe below is the result. They were such a big hit at the party that I decided to make them again and bring them to another get together. Throughout the summer whenever I needed to bring a dish to share or a dessert I made these lemon cookies, and every time they were a crowd-pleaser. After making them a few times I am finally ready to share this recipe with you.
Now, this is not the easiest cookie recipe you’ll ever make, but follow the instructions closely and the result will be a fluffy cookie with a cake-like texture packed with a fresh lemon flavor.
Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
- zest from 2 large lemons
- 3/4 c granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 c white chocolate chips
Directions:
In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine the flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix the butter and lemon zest on a low speed for 1 minute to spread it around the bowl. With the mixer running slowly add the sugar and beat on a medium speed until it has lightened in color and increased in volume slightly. Add the egg and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the speed to low and add the lemon juice, mix to combine. Next, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Mix on low for 30 seconds. Add the white chocolate chips and beat momentarily to incorporate, less than 1 minute, or fold in by hand.
Fair warning to all; this dough is quite sticky but do not worry. This next step is a bit messy, that’s part of the fun, right?
Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls (this is an approximate measurement, above all else try to keep the dough in uniform size so they bake evenly and don’t let them get too big), and flatten slightly on a lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (do not skip this step!).
While the cookies are chillin’ like villains in the fridge, let’s talk about baking cookies. I’m going to confess to you that cookies are not my strong point, and it took a lot (seriously, A LOT) of practice to get these just right. As one of my bosses used to say, cookies are just a touch thing. Meaning, it takes practice to know when to take them out of the oven at just the right time. These cookies are cakey, and soft. When you take them out of the oven, they are going to look raw to you. BUT trust me, and trust your baking instincts. The edges of the cookies should look set. The center of the cookies will look under cooked, aka pale and glossy. However, this is OK. You do not want the cookies to become very brown on the bottom. The cookies will firm up while they cool.
Here is what my cookies look like when I pull them out of the oven:
Now on to my next point, not all ovens are created equal. I’m sure you know this but, baking times vary depending on both the size of your cookie and your oven. The suggested baking time works for my oven, so I recommend starting there, but you have the description above of what they should look like so use your judgement, if they need another minute or 2.
OK, back to the cookies. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread the cookies out on lined baking sheets (do not skip this either, you should either be using parchment paper or a silicon baking mat), and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan half-way through the baking time.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
If you like this cookie recipe, stay tuned, I’ve got another cookie recipe coming in a few weeks as well as some great dishes to kick of the fall season with! To make sure you don’t miss these posts, be sure to subscribe and become a Reckless Subscriber!