Tenderness.
Chewiness.
Warmth.
Sweetness.
The problem is, so many times I happen across the perfect-looking recipe with promises of soft bites and chewy bits, only to OVER-bake the final product. It's such a bad habit of mine that my husband is forever teasing me about the brown bottoms of my cookies. He eats them anyway, because they're still delicious -- just often disappointingly crispy.
So this time, with THIS recipe, I vowed to plant myself before the oven and willfully under bake the life out of some cookies. Perfection ensued.
If you're a crunchy-cookie-lover, I must ask you to avert your eyes. Or, better yet, I must ask you to make these cookies anyway. They might convert you. They're so delicate and light in flavor, which makes me wonder how they can possibly be so overwhelmingly delicious. And the chewy-factor is outrageous.
Lemon and cookie-lovers, enjoy!
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350, and prepare baking sheets with parchment or a light coating of cooking spray.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar just until the sugar is mostly incorporated. Add the vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice, mixing well. Add dry ingredients except powdered sugar and mix just until combined and smooth.
Refrigerate dough (at least 1 hour) for easier handling, then form into 1-inch balls to be rolled in a plate covered in the powdered sugar. Place on baking sheets, about two inches apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or just until the cookies have lost their glossy tops -- the bottoms should not be brown at all. Cool before eating. And then eat them all. Every. Last. One.
Now be honest: do you have a crispy-cookie, or a chewy-cookie kind of sweet tooth? I promise to hide my confusion if you answer crispy. Better yet, I promise to try your favorite crispy cookie recipe, so DO SHARE!
I'm a crispy-cookie lover, but after reading this I might be willing to be converted...
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness those sound like heaven! I love lemony treats, and lemons here are really expensive, so if we do get some, we'll keep them in the freezer in case we can use the rind for zest or a little squeeze in something else. I would run downstairs and start baking those RIGHT NOW except I don't have powdered sugar. Ever since the floods, there are still some products we can't get and powdered sugar is one of them. One of these days I should just get a grinder (separate from our one for coffee!) and see if I can make my own.
ReplyDeleteThose sound so delicious...I might just be tempted to make lemon cookies without the powdered sugar...they might not be so light and fluffy, but how far wrong can you go with lemony sugary cookies?
Yummmmmm. Lemony chewy goodness. I may just have to make these. Poor me. (thanks)
ReplyDeleteMy first thought when seeing this recipe was 'Crinkle'=crunchy but after reading the post I simply must try them. I LOVE soft chewy cookies! Oreos are only good after soaking up lots of milk to make them soft and mushy if you get what I'm sayin. Gotta go get a lemon now so I can try these ;)
ReplyDeleteEmily - Now I know why we're such good friends: because opposites attract ;) Seriously, though: make these cookies and just overbake them. The flavor will carry them through, and because I love you, I'll forgive your crispy tendencies...
ReplyDeleteJade - Should I mail you a powdered sugar care package? I'll totally do it...but also, yes -- you can make these without the powder. They make the crinkle, and that's just embellishment on top of an already perfect cookie!
Kate - You're welcome!! Please make them so we can drool together :)
Katie - Oreos and milk. Now you're talking dirty. And I have a lemon! Shoulda brought it to you today!