Crisp Lemon Thin Cookies
Lemon Thin Cookies are, as the name suggests, crisp, thin and lightly lemony. This lovely little cookie is the perfect tea-time or snack-time treat.
This is a simple little cookie. It has no nuts or chunky chips or gooey filling, and that simplicity is exactly why I worked so hard to perfect this recipe.
Like all “simple” recipes, for example Angel Food Cake, Shortbread Cookies or a perfect Creme Brulee, when a recipe is short on ingredients, the quality of the ingredients and the technique becomes even more important. With no extraneous ingredients to hide behind, this cookie all all about getting that one perfectly light and crisp bite.
How to create the perfect Lemon Thin Cookie recipe:
I started my Lemon Thin quest a few months ago as I was perusing my old recipe notebooks looking for inspiration. I started keeping these notes at my first job out of pastry school. In these binders I collected techniques and recipes from all my pastry jobs over the years. I can’t tell you how often I refer back to these books.
At the back of one book I found a folded up recipe for “Lemon Thins” that I used to make when I worked for a local caterer. I remembered liking those cookies and set out to make them for the blog.
The first step was to resize the recipe from one that made several hundred cookies to one that made several dozen. I baked a batch and was sorely disappointed to find that, although the cookies looked pretty, they didn’t have the texture that I remembered. I wanted a classic thin and crisp lemon cookie with a light open texture. The cookies I baked had a cakey, soft crumb.
I soon got sidetracked testing the recipes for my book, Easy Baking From Scratch and the Lemon Thin recipe was put on the back burner (no pun intended). So now that my book is all done, I decided to tackle this recipe again.
Click through the step-by-step process photos to see how to make Crisp Lemon Thin Cookies:
Experimentation leads to a great Lemon Cookie recipe:
My first thought was to adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe. I know that more sugar generally leads to a crisper cookie, so I upped the sugar a little bit.
The cookies were better than the original recipe but still not quite what I was after. Although the cookies were less cakey, the centers were still soft and chewy and the cookies were more dense than I wanted.
I reduced the eggs from 2 to 1 to reduce the amount of moisture in the dough. Less moisture means more crispness.
I also decided to add a little baking soda. Even though I wanted a flat cookie and not a puffy cookie, I wanted a light texture.
So why doesn’t the baking soda make the cookies puffy? We know that, baking soda will react with acidic lemon juice and release carbon dioxide into the batter. The carbon dioxide expands the air bubbles in the batter which should cause the cookies to rise.
But, once again, this is why baking is both a science and an art. I figured that the soft batter would not be able to hold onto the bubbles and I was right. The bubbles ended up popping and the cookies collapsed a little as they baked.
Normally we don’t want things collapsing in the oven. But I was happy to see it happen this time. The result is a cookie that has a light open crumb, but is still nice and thin.
I made one last test batch. I had been working with confectioner’s sugar in the recipe because, with it’s smaller crystals, confectioner’s will more readily absorb moisture in the dough. When the sugar absorbs more moisture, the cookies spread more. For this Lemon Thin Cookie recipe I wanted the cookies to spread because I wanted them to be, well, thin.
But I also know that more folks keep granulated sugar in the house than confectioner’s sugar. For convenience sake, I decided to test the recipe with granulated sugar. Right out of the oven the cookies made with the granulated sugar seemed pretty close in texture and crispness to the one’s made with confectioner’s sugar.
But I found that the cookies made with the confectioner’s sugar held on to the crisp texture longer than those made with granulated sugar. Even the next day they had a good crisp bite.
Finally, after baking about 101029102190 Lemon Thins, I had the exact texture and flavor I was after. Put on the kettle and enjoy a couple of these little beauties.
You might also enjoy these adorable Checkerboard Cookies, Coconut Thins or wonderful Vanilla Wafers.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please consider giving it a 5-star review.
Lemon Thins
Ingredients
- 5 oz unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 6 oz confectioner sugar (1 ½ cups)
- finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- ¼ tsp table salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 5 oz all purpose flour (1 cup, see note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (see note).
- Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl. Add the lemon juice and lemon extract mix until well combined. Add the egg and mix until well combined. Scrape the bowl. Add the salt, baking soda and flour and mix until incorporated.5 oz unsalted butter, 6 oz confectioner sugar, finely grated zest of 1 large lemon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon extract, 1 egg, ¼ tsp table salt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 5 oz all purpose flour
- Use a .75 oz scoop or a tablespoon to scoop the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2" between the cookies. They will spread as they bake so make sure to leave enough room.
- Bake until the edges are golden brown and the middle of the cookies are set, about 8-10 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the pan to set then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
- Store at room temperature in a covered container.
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Notes
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2 things:
1) Is the batter supposed to have the consistency of frosting?
2) I increased the yield calculator to 48 cookies and while the weights of ingredients updated, the volume measurements did not!
I don’t like this new trend of baking measurements by weight!
1) Yes it’s a soft batter.
2) Weight measurements are not new at all. But I can update the card to have the volume measurements adjust as well.
I have been looking for the perfect thin crispy lemon cookie recipe. This turned out perfect, thank you so much for sharing!!
Hi Eileen,
Stumbled on your lovely recipe which I haven’t yet made. I try to substitute butter for olive oil in as many recipes as possible as we’re trying to reduce our cholesterol intake. I don’t imagine it would work with these lovelies but would appreciate your expertise. You are a true scientist!
Thank you
No, I wouldn’t recommend using oil instead of butter. It would totally change the texture of the cookie. This cookie is all about the crisp texture.
Perfect thin, crispy, lemony biscuits
Can these beautiful cookies be made using gluten free flour?
I haven’t tested it so I couldn’t say for sure. I think it would probably work if you use a commercial GF flour.
Jackpot! This recipe is perfection!
I used ultra high quality butter (grassfed Irish) and Bob’s Red Mill organic AP. I didn’t bother w the lemon extract as I too find it gives a metalic flavor (as noted in previous comments). I just used lemon juice for that 1 tsp measurement. I did chill the dough a bit which I typically find makes for an excellent cookie. They turned out perfectly browned and crispy on the edges with the most sublime lemon flavor. I used the zest of three Eureka lemons for maximum punch. Depending on your oven, you may need to rotate the baking sheet. This is a keeper!
Been searching for one as close I could get to my grandma’s and this looks and sounds like the one for me. Best recipe I have looked at after many. Ty
Great recipe, nice taste of lemon, crispy but make sure you cook them until the edges slightly brown and then cool completely. Definitely leave the 2 inches as they will spread. Will make them again 🙂
has anyone tried these with gluten free flour that’s a 1:1 substitute?
Has anyone noticed an artificial lemon taste from the lemon extract? I have often found this to be the case with using lemon extract. This is just a question, I have not yet tried this recipe.
It depends on the brand you use. Look for natural lemon extract. I use Nielsen Massey and it has a nice floral lemon flavor. Try a few brands to find one that you like. Otherwise, if you really don’t like extract at all, just use fresh lemon zest for lemon flavoring. The flavor is in the oil in the zest more than in the juice.
Great recipe, this is the exact lemon piece of heaven I’ve been looking for 🙂
I have kind of a slow oven, so had to bake a bit longer, like 15-18 minutes to get nice crispy edges. Also I’ve noticed that first batch was a bit thinner than expected, but second one was perfect, since I had to put dough to the fridge in between. Slightly chilled dough make veeeeery big difference. Will let it chill nicely next time before baking, worth waiting.
These turned out perfect!! Followed the recipe and baked them as directed!! They do spread! My husband went back for more! They are sweet and lemony! Thx for your hard work so we could have this recipe!!!
My wife needed some cookies for a midmorning ladies’ gathering at our home, so I went to your site since everything I’ve found here has been very good and easy to do with your thorough directions and photos. I thought the Coconut Thins would be great. My wife agreed, but thought the Lemon Thins would be good too, so I made both.
They were both delicious and I’m not sure which ones I like better.
Thanks for the great recipes I’ve been able to use, all 5 star, and I look forward to trying more.
I plan to place this review on the Lemon Thins recipe also.
Love lemon cookies. One question about the ingredients. Is it 5 oz. of flour or 1 cup as you state on the recipe ? 1 cup = 8 oz, not 5. Maybe I’m missing something.
If you are weighing your ingredients there’s no reason to worry about the cup measurements. Those are provided for folks who don’t own a kitchen scale so they measure their ingredients using volume rather than weight. That being said, a cup of water weighs 8oz. But a cup of a solid ingredient can vary based on the density of the ingredient. A cup of flour weighs 5 oz. Visit this post to learn more about how to measure baking ingredients.
Outstanding! Just pulled them out of the oven. Made sure they were nicely browned around the outside and man are they good! Perfect crispness and just slightly softer on the inside. I did add the grated rind from 2 whole lemons and the juice from 1/2 a lemon (just over 2 tablespoons). I used 1 tsp Watkin’s Pure Lemon Extract as directed in the recipe. My baking time was well past the 10 minute mark. More like 15 minutes, but I didn’t really go by that. I went by the brownness of the outside of the cookie. They spread out nicely to a beautifully rounded, on the thinner side, classy lemon cookie. My son was wondering what it would be like using Limoncello. I wonder…. Thank you for sharing your fabulous recipe! This will definitely become one of our Christmas traditions!
The flavor is good but these are not a crispy cookie. We made these yesterday and the cookie is very pliable.
They are very crispy if the recipe is followed. Did you make any ingredients or instruction changes?
What an excellent recipe! I love the light lemony flavor & thinness of the cookie. I didn’t bake the first tray enough & they weren’t crisp (but chewier & more moist), but I baked until brown around edge & they were crisp (pays to read the Entire recipe!!). I will surely make these again! Thanks for sharing!!!
Delicious lemony cookies that are crunchy around the edges and just a little softer in the middles. I didn’t have lemon extract so I used 10 drops of lemon essential oil and it could have used a bit more. I’ll try them again after I have some extract in hand. Definitely a keeper!
Delicious! I enjoyed the story of how you perfected these.
I followed your recipe exactly, except I have to eat gluten free, so I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour. The cookies turned out perfectly! Thought someone might like to know about making them gluten free.
This recipe is so good! I am in love and am immediately making another batch! I did not have lemon extract so I subbed 10 drops of lemon essential oil and it was perfect! They do spread out so leave lots of space between! A new favorite recipe!
I’ve made these cookies and they came out really good they weren’t quite as crunchy I was trying to match him to the Dewey’s Meyer lemon cookies. I also made them with orange instead of lemon and put mini chocolate chips in them and they came out very good also. I’m sure it would work with a lime as well.
Perfection! Came out of the oven super flat and so delicious. Easy and quick recipe. I have my eye on some other recipes here that I will try since this one tuned out so well. Thank you so much for posting this recipe and the story of how you came up with the recipe. Very interesting.
Taste great. These are my new favorite lemon cookies. One suggestion… give an amount for the lemon zest. “Large” lemon won’t be the same size to everyone.
Hello and thank you for posting your recipe for us to try. I tried the recipe today and loved the cookies. Does the recipe use 5 ounces of flour or 1 cup? I see you have 5 oz with 1 cup in parenthes. Thank you!
1 cup of flour weighs 5oz. I give both measures so those who use volume and those who weigh ingredients have the measurement.
@Eileen Gray, thank you for responding!! Planning on baking them again this week
The cookies came out yummy in spite of me! My butter and flour wouldn’t cream, so I added more butter and that helped. Also, I didn’t have lemon extract, so I mixed without it. I did have to bake them for 14 minutes, but they are thin and crispy. So they are more like lightly flavored lemon butter cookies—and there’s nothing wrong with that! I’ll try them again and see if they better comply with expectations. I live at 7,000 ft. and in a dry climate.
@Liebchen, You don’t cream the butter and flour together……..
I followed the instructions exactly and the cookies turned out wonderful!!! I love crispy cookies and these were crispy and satisfy my lemon craving. Getting ready to make them again! Great recipe!
What can be used in lieu of lemon extract?
More lemon zest or Lemon Oil for Cooking.
These look delicious. I have a question. Can the cookie dough be made ahead of time and left in the refrigerator for a few days, until ready to bake.
I will be honest that I haven’t tried this. But I don’t think it would be a problem. I would say scoop the cookies and let the dough warm up a bit while you preheat the oven. Let me know how they work out.
Although they were delicious… they are not crispy!
They should be. Perhaps you didn’t bake them long enough.
I would like to make these as a Christmas gift. My sister just loves lemon cookies, these sound so good. Would have to mail them to her, will they be okay to freeze after baking?
I haven’t tried freezing them after baking, but the best part of these cookies is the crisp texture. I’m a little worried they’d soften in the freezer. It might be possible to freeze and them re-crisp them in the oven. But I haven’t tried it so couldn’t say for sure. Also, you’d have to pack them very carefully to prevent breakage. Again, they are thin and crisp. If she loves lemon cookies another more sturdy option would be Lemon Curd filled shortbread.
I grew Myers Lemons this year and was looking for uses when I found this recipe. I did brush on a simple lemon glaze for a little kick. They sre amazing. Thank you for the post.
Mmmm, these would be wonderful made with Meyer Lemons.
I made these for friends. They came out wonderful and everyone loved them. I am considering them for a church event where we need to make 500 cookies I have question, can these be made in advance and frozen? Appreciate your help.
I haven’t tried to freeze pre-baked cookies. If they become soft after freezing you could try to crisp them in the oven briefly.
Made these today. Super easy and just a perfect cookie, light and crispy with a little chew. Substituted two drops of lemon oil. Also used a soup to measure. I think I lucked out making them on a cool day. Just delicious and picture perfect.
Wonderful. I just posted a Coconut Thin recipe today.
I am very picky about cookies ever since I was a kid and back then I would only eat one store bought cookie: trader joes lemon crisps. They were soft sugar cookies with barely lemon in them and stripes of chocolate on top. I made the above recipe (very straightforward, good instructions thank you) but left out the lemon extract so it would have just a hint of lemon. One thing to note for amateur bakers like myself is it may take some trial and error in your oven! The top rack of my oven turned brown much faster and less evenly than the bottom which looked more like the pictures but had darker bottoms. Regardless, theyre delicious cookies. I put some chocolate stripes on them and theyre very good in coffee. Great recipe 5/5
Incredible! They are amazing!
Recipe changes;
I added three tbsp of lemon zest and 3 tbsp of lemon juice and 1/4 cup more sugar.
They were delightfully crisp around the edges and softer in the middle. Just the way I like them. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
If you chilled the dough could you cut this out for a shaped cookie? I want to use for a star themed dessert.
I don’t think that would work. Even if the batter is chilled it probably would be too soft to roll and cut. Even if you managed the cut-outs the cookies will spread and you’ll probably loose the shape.
@Eileen Gray, The recipe was easy to put together and I did chill just a bit because of soft dough but after baking the cookies fell apart whileI tried to place them on the cooling rack. Was I supposed to leave them on the parchment paper to cool before placing on wire rack?
You should give the cookies a moment to set before transferring them to the cooling rack. Sorry if that was explicit in the recipe. I’ll edit the recipe. But they should crisp up as they cool. Did you use confectioner’s sugar in the batter?
@Judee, Yes, let them sit on the parchment paper cookie sheet for five minutes before you attempt to move them off.
Made these using exact ingredients but they were puffier than I thought they would be and not as thin. It made 3 dozen and the last dozen I flattened the ball of dough before putting in the oven, those turned out crisper and thinner. They have a good flavor but we’re not the thin crispy cookie I was looking for
@Carol, Didn’t turn out crisp for me either and I followed direction. I baked a second tray and left in the oven a bit longer and left on the baking sheet placed on wire rack to cool. I’m hoping this will produce a crisper cookie.
I’ve made them 4 times now. They came out great every time. Your instructions were terrific. I am still trying to get them more consistent in size. But they still taste awesome. I also made them with lime since I didn’t have a lemon. They are just as good.
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Thanks, Theresa. Do you use a cookie scoop? That’s the best way to get consistently sized cookies.
@Eileen Gray, I am trying to make a thin crispy key lime flavored cookie similar to “Thinsters”. I made this recipe which has the right texture, but was a bit too buttery; so, I dusted them with confectioners sugar. They were delicious, and they may make me forget about those store bought cookies that are never at the store. (I feel guilty about eating my cousin’s stash and will make her some of these instead.)
Very good recipe and delicious. There is, however, a learning curve: adjusting baking time for your particular oven; I used a teaspoon and knife to place on parchment paper, that way I could adjust the size of the cookie and there was less spreading and ; instead of placing 20 cookies on a tray, I will place 16 or so. With these adjustments, I plan to use this recipe quite often.
Am baking these right at this moment. I made sticks to go with a panna cotta dessert I’ve made. These thins are better than I expected! Thanks for sharing your recipe. My only change is that I’ve added the zest of 2 lemons instead of just one and added additional lemon juice, because I didn’t have lemon extract.
These cookies are addictive in the best way! I made them exactly as written and they came out perfectly. They were a little puffy right out of the oven, but with cooling they flattened and became crispy. So quick and easy to prepare & done in minutes with minimal clean up required. This recipe, like all of the recipes on this site, is a keeper! This is a great cookie to give as a small thank you gift, too.
i tried these, fantastic and easy to make. lemon flavour was mild, but they were tasty. only managed to get 20 though, this could be because i used the tablespoon rather than the scoop. a winner with the family as they ordered more. i wonder if i can use the same recipe but with Carambola (5 finger) instead of lemon?
Made these and they were great! I agree to an increase in the lemon extract. Any ideas how to keep these crisp? ( rainy weather and humidity had them lose their crunch pretty fast) I would definitely make these again!
You can try briefly rewarming them in the oven.
@Doris, keep them in an airtight container
I made these exactly as written…Amazing! We love them…I had envisioned a “Thin, lemon, crispy cookie”, googled it and found this recipe…will be serving with fresh fruit salad…Yum!!
Sorry to report that these didn’t work for me. My measuring cup didn’t register 5 oz of flour, but only 4.3, so I weighed out the 5 oz. I’ve gone over the recipe several times and can’t figure out why the cookies never flattened out,and were cakey. The taste was minimal.
(Even tho I doubled the zest )The second batch to go in I flattened with a fork . They still dodn’t flatten out. I got three dozen +, so maybe I should have made them bigger?
Sorry you didn’t get a good result. Your measuring cup won’t register 5 oz because it measures volume, not weight. How you fill the cup will affect how much weight is in the cup. But weighing out the 5 oz of flour should work. The dough for these cookies is so soft it’s this close to being a batter. You can see the texture in the process photos. You shouldn’t really be able to flatten the cookies with a fork because the dough is too squishy. I put the cookies in the oven still in the ball shape from the scooper. Did you make any ingredient substitutions? Were your butter and egg at room temperature? Did you bake on a silpat or parchment paper?
Have made them twice. The first batch barely tasted of lemon so I doubled both juice and extract and while a bit more lemony, it still doesn’t register ads a lemon cookie. Any suggestions?
Did you use the lemon zest? You’ll get the most lemony flavor from the zest. If you want to up the lemon flavor try using finely grated zest from 2 lemons. Especially if your lemons are very small.
Hi – I wonder if you used 2 egg whites and eliminated the yolk if that would help with the crispiness. I have recently been buying Tate’s Lemon Cookies. They are very light and crispy and the ingredients lists only egg whites. I am going to try your recipe only using the whites and I will report back!
Ok, let us know how they turn out.
I grew up in Los Angeles in the 50s and 60s when an iconic bakery would send out trucks to the surrounding neighborhoods. Many growing there at that time could probably tell you without hesitation what their favorite treat was. Mine were the lemon thins.
As an adult, I was always on the lookout for a lemon thin (recipe or ready-made) that recreated that wonderful taste and texture. Never successfully. I don’t know what led me to your site, but I feel really optimistic. How you describe them and how they look are just like the cookies I remember.
Sadly, my oven is broken right now. Once I get it repaired, I will report back. And like Angie, I wondered about bakers ammonia if the soda doesn’t get the exact texture I remember. Now that I’m retired, I have the time to experiment. Thank you so much for the work you put into this recipe and detailing the reasoning all along the way. You’ve made this Grandma very happy!
These sound fantastic. Did you consider baker’s ammonia? I wonder if subbing a small amount in for the baking soda would achieve more crispness – maybe even more thin?
That could work. I generally try to develop my recipes using the most widely available ingredients. Most people have baking soda and baking powder in their pantry. Baker’s ammonia is a little less available.
Cannot wait to try this lemon thin recipe. thank you
These are the best lemon cookies I have ever tasted! I went right by your recipe and will make them again soon.
My bake time was at least 12 minutes at 350. One cookie sheet with 12 cookies took over 14 minutes! And with my small scoop, I had 36 3-inch cookies from one recipe. I didn’t have lemon extract, so I added 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.
@CliffS, were they still lemony or do you think they need more lemon juice or zest?
@teresa, I subbed vanilla too, but added extra lemon juice to ensure a bright, lemony flavour
@CliffS, Hi! I use cookie sheets that have two layers with air between them…my boyfriend found them at a yard sale (I have no idea what they’re called, I’m sure someone here will know!). They’re great for baking cookies evenly with less chance of burning, but they do require a lot more time in the oven, almost double for some things. Happy baking!
If you like lemon, but don’t want it to yell at you (the way lemon bars do) and if you like sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, these cookies are a delight. They are delicious and the texture is a wonderful mix of soft and crunchy.
Tech question: Would it make them crunchier to replace (maybe) ¼ of the flour with rice flour?
Hi Robert, not sure. If you try it let me know how it works out.
Best lemon cookies ever!! 5 stars for sure
I just made these crispy cookies and would like them to stay crispy. I live in Florida and baked goods do not stay crispy for long. I store them in a glass container with an air tight lid. Do you have any other suggestions to keep them crispy? Thanks.
Storing them in a closed container should help. Also, using confectioner’s sugar in the batter helps the cookies stay crisp longer. As a last resort you could reheat them briefly in the oven and then let them cool to recrisp them.
@Laurie, try packing/sealing with a paper towel or 2
I made these and the flavor is delicious and they are very crisp. If I make them again, I’ll consider chilling my dough slightly before scooping the cookies. When I made them last night, the dough was so soft sticky that it didn’t come out of the scoop easily.
Am making these now. I have been looking for a lemon cookie recipe and am thrilled to have found this one.
My batch will be more than 24 cookies (probably 36) and they’re taking 10 minutes to bake, but the flavor is spot on!
Hello there! I’ll be trying this today. I don’t have any lemon extract at the moment. But can I add on 2 tbsp of lemon juice instead?
No, the lemon juice would change the texture of the batter and alter how the cookies bake. Also, lemon juice is mostly acidic. You get the most lemon flavor from the oil in the zest. I would either just make the cookies without the extract or use the zest of another lemon. But don’t add extra juice.
Hi. If I made these slightly smaller, could I then make sandwich cookies out of them using a lemon filling?
Yes, I make sandwich cookies with the same batter for my Homemade Milanos.
Mine came out more Cakey. I didn’t have enough unsalted butter so I used half and half. When it called for salt I didn’t put any in because since I used some salted butter. Could the butter have made it more cakey??
No, the half and half has much more water than butter, so that’s what made it cakey.
I *think* she meant half salted and half unsalted butter.
Oh, duh! I don’t know why they were more cakey, then. Salted or unsalted butter would mostly make a difference in flavor.
Great recipe! Wondering if it can be adapted to orange cookies using the same ratio of ingredients?
Yup, in fact, here is an orange version with chocolate filling to make homemade Milano cookies.
Hi. The recipe sounds fabulous. Do you think an egg substitute will work – 1 tsp baking powder+1 tsp oil+2 tbp water. Also, can I use brown sugar
Those changes will drastically change the cookie. I couldn’t say exactly how to substitute the egg without doing extensive testing.
I just made these today and followed all the steps listed; however, my cookies spread to about 3 1/2 inches across and ran into each other. I had to bake them about 15 minutes to get the edges to start turning brown. I used the size scoop called for. They are really good, but I think I’ll use a smaller scoop next time
My cookies are usually about 3″ across. What type of pan did you use? Did you use a silpat or parchment paper?
I really hit the ditch when I tried to calculate what size your scoop was. My first batch were a generous tbs – huge and needed forever to bake. I made the next batch about 1/2 tbs – the size was still too large. Next time I’ll try a tsp. Otherwise, very tasty.
The scoop is a .75 oz scoop as listed in the recipe. There’s a link to the exact scoop I use at the bottom of the recipe. My cookies spread to about 3″ across. You can use a smaller spoon or leave more room between the cookies. Also, if your butter is very very soft when you start mixing the dough the cookies will spread more. “Room temperature” butter should be about 65-70F and pliable but not greasy and melting.
Mine did not come as perfectly shaped as yours, but they are delicious.
It makes a big difference if you use the cookie scoop. But delicious is more important than pretty!
I made these tonight, I loved them. I think that I used salted butter. When I try this again, I will try unsalted. Mine didn’t crisp and wasn’t very thin, but I blame that on me, not the recipe…the first try on a recipe is a learning curve. I don’t think my butter was warm enough. Thanks for sharing, I will work out my errors, Hubby said they are quite tasty. Thank you for sharing. I will try again. Probably tomorrow.
As long as they taste good, right? Good luck with round 2. You can use salted butter if that’s why you have on hand. Just eliminate the salt listed in the recipe.
Superb cookie!
Thanks!
My cousin just brought some of these to our house and they are amazing! I had to hurry to pinterest to find the recipe.
Thanks!
I lost my other lemon cookie recipe that my daughter wanted to make. I search the internet and came across yours. We made them last night and it was a hit. So we made another batch for giving! Thank you for the recipe and the work you put in to get the perfect thin lemon cookies! I like crisp cookies.
Thanks for the feedback Lida. Happy holidays!
Cookies were delicious I did the vegan version of it substituted the butter for country crock plant butter and egg for Egg Replacer Ener-G. My daughter is vegan and I didn’t want her missing out on the holiday sweets, I also did snowflake imprint with cookie cutter right out of the oven perfect thanks.
That’s great to know that you successfully veganized this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Can lemon oil be substituted for the lemon extract?
Probably. I haven’t used lemon oil so I can’t say for sure. As long as it’s a small amount it shouldn’t change the texture of the cookie too much.
Thanks!!
Do you think this batter would work in a cookie mold pan. I would like to try this making witches fingers
It should work if the mold is fairly thin. Give it a try and let us know how it works. I’d love to see a photo if you do it. Just tag Baking Sense on Facebook or Instagram.
When I read the lengths you went to in perfecting the bicuits, I had to have a go, gorgeous thanks.
Thanks. I do the work so you don’t have to!!
Excellent! Crispy, thin and not overbearing lemony flavor. I will double recipe next time as these disappeared quickly. I followed your recipe exactly as online. Thanks.
So glad you liked them, Emma.
Would one be able to infuse or add lavender to these? If so, what would be the best way to do so?
Yes, that’s a great idea. I would pulse the lavender with the sugar in a food processor and then do the recipe as written.
Looks yummy!!! If I would substitute the flour for a gluten free cookie what would you recommend?
Hi Michele, The only gluten free flour I’ve worked with is Pillsbury gluten free flour. I’ve only tested it with my pound cake recipe so I can’t say for sure how it will work in cookies.
I made these yesterday. They were the thin that I was looking for, but weren’t crispy, they were more chewy. Also my friend said it left an after taste, probably the extract.. I even cooked them 2 minutes longer than suggested. What do you recommend to make them crispy. Next time I’ll leave out the extract and opt for more lemon juice.
Yes, the brand of extract can make a difference in the taste. I know it’s a little expensive, but I love Nielsen Massey extract. Instead of adding more lemon juice I suggest adding more lemon zest. The zest has the oil and that’s where the lemony flavor comes from and more lemon juice would add more moisture to the cookie. Did you use confectioner’s sugar or granulated sugar in the batter? I found that cookies made with confectioner’s sugar stayed crisp longer.
I made a monster cookie at first when I underestimated the spread and everything kind of morphed together. But everything tasted delicious and delicate and lemony as hoped. Thanks for the recipe!
Yes, they do spread quite a bit, that’s how they get so thin and crisp. Just give yourself a little more room between cookies and/or make the scoops smaller. Also, if the batter is too soft you’ll get more spread. I’ve had this happen to me before. You can chill the batter briefly to firm it up a bit before scooping. But even an ugly cookie is still delicious!
I made two batches. THe first were slightly brown on the edges and almost spread too much. However, the second batch I chilled and spread more and were more brown. Any idea why? Otherwise delicious.
Hmmm, strange that the chilled batch spread more. Were they in the oven longer? Do you have a oven thermometer to check if the temperature is accurate? Also, if you bake on a darker colored sheet pan the cookies will brown faster. I have two older, darker sheet pans and two newer, shinier sheet pans and there is a significant difference in how they bake.
The cookies turned out not as thin as the cookies showing in the picture. What would be the reason?
I can’t say without knowing exactly how you measured and mixed the dough. My first thought would be if your butter or egg was too cold the batter might not spread as much.
Thank you for sharing your delicious lemon cookie recipe and chemistry. I am not a big fan of recipes with lemon extract, and this had just enough extract to punch up the lemon flavor. I used the ripe Ponderosa Lemons, that have been hanging perilously on their pendulous branches in my backyard. The cookie flavor was superb. The cookie married just a bit of puff with edge crispiness – it was perfect. Warning: these cookies disappear very quickly! I knew I had succeeded when my husband requested that I make the recipe again for his company’s Christmas party.
Lisa, how lucky you are to have fresh lemons. I can only imagine how lovely they smell and taste.
Can I double the recipe? Or do I have to change anything in the recipe
Yes, you can double the recipe.
These are delicious and easy to make. Thanks for this recipe.
You’re welcome! These are a new favorite of mine.
Are they really over 1400 calories for two cookies?
Oh boy! No, Mary Lou. I just switch recipe programs and the calories must have been calculated based on the entire recipe. I ran the recipe through a calorie calculator it looks like there are about 180 calories for two cookies. I’ve updated the recipe, thanks!
I made these today and they were delicious!
Thanks!
These turned out just like the picture and they are delicious!
Thanks!!
Wow, It,s looking yummy. I can’t wait to try this. Hope so my kids and my husband love this. Thanks for the sharing this.
You’re welcome.