Description
These Cool Whip Cookies are delicate, soft lemon-flavored treats with a signature crackled sugar coating. Made with simple ingredients like butter, sugar, lemon juice, and zest, these cookies offer a perfect balance of sweetness and tang with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Ideal for tea time or any occasion, they’re easy to prepare and bake to perfection with a light, crackled appearance.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 300 grams of all-purpose flour
- 6 grams baking powder
- Castor sugar for rolling
- Icing sugar for rolling
Wet Ingredients
- 110 grams butter, softened
- 120 grams sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 lemon (45 ml juice plus zest)
Instructions
- Prepare the Butter Mixture: In a large salad bowl, place the softened butter. Add the egg yolks and beat with a mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add Lemon and Sugar: Zest the lemon and add it to the mixture. Squeeze out 45 ml of lemon juice from the lemon and pour it into the bowl. Then, add the sugar and continue beating until everything is fully combined and smooth.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the flour and baking powder to the wet mixture. Mix gently until the dough becomes compact and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and place it in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes. Chilling helps the dough firm up and makes the cookies easier to handle.
- Shape the Cookies: After resting, take the dough out and roll it into balls approximately 3 cm in diameter. Arrange the balls on a baking sheet, spacing them well apart to allow for spreading during baking.
- Coat with Sugars: Roll each dough ball first in castor sugar, then in icing sugar, making sure they are generously coated for the signature crackled sugar exterior.
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes; they will swell and crack on top without browning. Baking for about 12 minutes is ideal for the best texture.
- Cool Completely: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking tray before handling or serving. This preserves their delicate texture.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened but not melted for best mixing results.
- Don’t overbake to avoid losing the soft texture; cookies should crack but not brown.
- Chilling the dough improves handling and cookie shape.
- For extra lemon flavor, you can add a little more zest or juice, but be careful not to add too much liquid.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
