These lemon meltaway cookies may be a sweet treat, but they are light and simple, with a bit of vitamin C from the lemon and no heavy frosting , just a bright little bite of happiness.
I have learned that the key to perfect lemon meltaway cookies is using room temperature butter and not overbaking them. They should come out of the oven looking almost underdone, with pale edges that are just barely set. The residual heat finishes the cooking process, and you’ll end up with cookies that have the most incredible tender crumb.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Quick and Effortless: These cookies come together in about 15 minutes of active work time, making them perfect for busy schedules or last-minute entertaining needs.
- Pantry-Friendly Ingredients: Everything you need is probably already in your kitchen – butter, flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and fresh lemons.
- Make-Ahead Magic: The dough can be prepared days in advance and kept refrigerated, ready to slice and bake whenever you need fresh cookies.
- Naturally Light Without Frosting: These cookies shine on their own with just a dusting of powdered sugar, making them feel less heavy than frosted alternatives.
- Foolproof Results: Even beginner bakers get consistent results with this straightforward recipe that doesn’t require any special techniques.
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Ingredients
- For the Cookie Base:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
- For the Lemon Magic:
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2-3 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
- For the Sweet Finish:
Extra powdered sugar for dusting
Additional lemon zest for garnish
Directions
- Bring your butter to room temperature and measure all your ingredients.
- Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350°F. The parchment prevents sticking and makes cleanup so much easier.
- Zest your lemons using a microplane or fine grater, being careful to only get the yellow part of the peel. The white pith underneath is bitter and will affect the flavor of your cookies.
- Cream the room temperature butter in a large bowl using an electric mixer until it becomes light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This step is crucial for creating the right texture.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar to the creamed butter, beating until well combined. I add it slowly to prevent a sugar cloud from forming in my kitchen.
- Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice until everything is well incorporated. The mixture might look slightly curdled after adding the lemon juice, but that’s completely normal.
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a separate bowl to ensure even distribution. This prevents any lumps of cornflour from forming in your dough.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture gradually, mixing on low speed just until the dough comes together. Overmixing will make your cookies tough instead of tender.
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a log about 2 inches in diameter. I find it helpful to use the plastic wrap to help shape the log evenly.
- Wrap the dough log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. The dough needs to be firm enough to slice cleanly without falling apart.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and slice it into rounds about 1/4 inch thick using a sharp knife. If the dough is too hard to slice, let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.
- Place the cookie rounds on your prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. These cookies don’t spread much during baking.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are just barely set but still pale. The cookies should not brown at all – they should look almost underdone when you take them out.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. They’ll be very delicate when hot, so this cooling time is important.
Variations I Love
- Citrus Medley Version: I sometimes use a combination of lemon and lime zest for a more complex citrus flavor that’s especially refreshing in summer.
- Vanilla Bean Enhancement: Scraping the seeds from half a vanilla bean into the butter mixture creates an incredibly elegant flavor combination.
- Almond Extract Twist: Adding 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract along with the vanilla gives these cookies a sophisticated bakery-style taste.
- Mini Bite-Sized Treats: I roll the dough into smaller logs to create tiny cookies that are perfect for parties or gift-giving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted?
Yes, just omit the salt in the recipe. Salted butter works fine, but unsalted gives you better control over the final flavor.
Why do my cookies spread too much during baking?
This usually means your butter was too warm or your dough wasn’t chilled long enough. Make sure the dough is firm before slicing and baking.
Can I make these without cornstarch?
You can substitute with equal amounts of flour, but you’ll lose the signature meltaway texture that makes these cookies special.
How do I know when they’re properly baked?
The edges should be just set but still pale. They should never brown – if they do, they’re overbaked and won’t have the right texture.
Can I double this recipe?
Absolutely! This recipe doubles perfectly. Just make sure to mix thoroughly and bake in smaller batches for even results.
Lemon Meltaway Cookies (Without Frosting)
Course: Dessert24
cookies15
minutes2
hours10
minutes2
hours25
minutesIngredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Extra powdered sugar for dusting
Directions
- Cream butter until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until combined.
- Mix in vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Whisk flour, cornstarch, and salt in separate bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Shape dough into 2-inch diameter log and wrap in plastic.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Slice dough into 1/4-inch rounds and place on prepared sheet.
- Bake 8-10 minutes until edges are just set but still pale.
- Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
- Dust with powdered sugar when completely cool.
