When our family’s favorite vendor, Erin, stopped selling these Lemon Drop Cookies at our local farmer’s market, I had to find a way to recreate them myself. They have just the right texture – crunchy and soft, without being cakey. The crushed up Lemonhead candies and icing are the perfect addition to basic lemon cookies.
I tried to recreate them a few times, then I got super busy and forgot all about it. Thankfully, my daughter and her husband didn’t forget, and, after a bit of experimentation, they found a recipe for these near-perfect replicas. The kids passed it on to me and, of course, I tweaked it a bit to make it more lemony (and a bit more like I remembered Erin’s cookies.) Now I can make these anytime I want- and so can you!
Lemon Drop Cookies
40
cookies15
minutes18-20
minutesIngredients
- For the cookies:
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter flavored Crisco shortening
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp fresh lemon juice OR 1 tsp bottled lemon juice
zest of one lemon
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
15 oz Lemonhead candies
- For the icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 medium lemon, freshly squeezed OR 4 Tbsp bottle lemon juice
Directions
- To make the cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350° F and prepare 3 Silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheets.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar, butter-flavored shortening, and eggs.
- Add the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add to the cream/sugar mixture in the mixing bowl.
- Crush the Lemonhead candies briefly in a food processor or blender. Watch carefully – you want candy pieces, not powder. Add the candy pieces to the dough and mix.
- Roll the dough into 2 1/2 inch balls, place 12-15 on each cookie sheet, then flatten slightly with the back of a measuring cup.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and quickly move them to a cooling rack.
- To make the icing:
- Mix the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Put the cooling rack, with the cookies, on top of an empty cookie sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush the icing over the tops of the cookies. Allow to cool completely.
Notes
- These cookies tend to stick to the pan because of the melted lemon candy. Either use a Silpat mat or parchment paper sprayed liberally with cooking spray.
My husband makes these all the time now and we are obsessed. 😍🙌😍
Obsessed with lemon is good thing! And even better when your hubby makes them!