Cooking Lesson #359: Italian Lemony-Sour Cream Drop Cookies

… from the California Kitchen

How you doin’? When you are in a “lemony” mood, here is the perfect melt-in-your-mouth Lemon Cookie. If you love the freshness of tart lemons, then you’re going to love these cookies. They’re light and easy to make. With or without a tasty lemon glaze, they are sure to satisfy any lemon lover!
 
This cookie is very close to the original Girl Scout cookie from nearly 80 years ago.
 
In 2020, Savannah Smiles, the powder sugar-dusted lemon cookies that were brought back in 2012, were retired by Girl Scouts of America and replaced by a new lemon cookie—Lemon-Ups. The Girl Scouts organization works closely with its licensed bakers to replace cookies and bring new ones on to the market based on sales, flavor trends, and consumer preferences. Now you can try the lemon cookie that started all the fuss.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  10 minutes
Added time:  5 minutes
Yield:  24 cookies
 
Ingredients
For the cookies
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
 
For the lemon glaze
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (strained)
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
 
Directions
To make the lemon cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Use a Silpat pad on 2 cookie sheets.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
4. Cream the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed.
5. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
6. Beat in the sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract and lemon extract.
7. Reduce speed to low; beat in the dry ingredients just until blended.
8. Use a #30 scoop (about 2 tablespoons) and drop the dough on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are set and edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets; then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
10. Dip the top of the slightly-cooled cookies into the glaze, twist and place on the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set up before storing them. 

To make the lemon glaze

1. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, powdered sugar and zest until smooth.

Chefs Secret:  For best results, when making the cookie dough, add the granulated sugar after you’ve already creamed the butter.

Quip of the Day: “You know you’re getting old when you go to bed at about the same time you used to get dressed up to go out.”
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                                           ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

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