Why do the cookies need to be frozen before baking?

Freezing the dough balls for 12 to 15 minutes before baking produces an extremely cold dough that melts and spreads more slowly in the initial moments of oven heat. This slower spread allows the cookie structure to set more completely before the dough has spread excessively, resulting in the most beautifully defined and perfectly round cookies with crisp clean edges.

Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh?

Fresh lemon juice is strongly recommended for both the cookie dough and the glaze for the most vibrant and genuinely refreshing lemon flavor. Bottled lemon juice has a flatter and less aromatic flavor and a slightly fermented quality from the preservation process that is noticeably different from the bright and completely alive flavor of freshly squeezed juice.

Why must the cookies cool completely before glazing?

A warm cookie will melt the glaze almost immediately on contact rather than allowing it to coat the surface evenly. The glaze must be applied to a completely cool cookie for it to set into the most beautiful and cleanly defined pink glaze puddle that holds its position in the indentation rather than running down the sides of the cookie.

Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies Easy Buttery Lemon Spring Recipe

Name: Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies The Most Beautiful Buttery Lemon Spring Cookie You Will Bake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 26 min
Total time: PT-497457H18M21S
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour; 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar divided; 1 tsp Kosher Salt; 1 cup Unsalted Butter softened to room temperature; 2 tbsp Finely Grated Fresh Lemon Zest; 3 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice; Extra Powdered Sugar for dusting; 1 1/4 cups Powdered Sugar for glaze; 2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice for glaze; 2 Fresh Raspberries mashed for pink color

Description

The most beautiful and refreshing Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies made with a buttery lemon shortbread dough of unsalted butter powdered sugar vanilla fresh lemon zest lemon juice flour and salt rolled into 1-inch balls frozen 12 to 15 minutes baked at 325°F for 10 minutes then indented and baked 16 to 18 more minutes dusted with powdered sugar and filled with a vivid pink lemon raspberry glaze of powdered sugar lemon juice and 2 mashed fresh raspberries. A completely charming and easy spring cookie recipe.

Ingredients

Scale

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

3/4 cup Powdered Sugar divided

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1 cup Unsalted Butter softened to room temperature

2 tbsp Finely Grated Fresh Lemon Zest

3 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

Extra Powdered Sugar for dusting

1 1/4 cups Powdered Sugar for glaze

2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice for glaze

2 Fresh Raspberries mashed for pink color

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and salt. Set aside.

2. Beat room temperature butter, remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

3. Add flour mixture on low until dough just forms. Do not overmix.

4. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on parchment-lined sheet.

5. Freeze 12 to 15 minutes.

6. Bake chilled balls 10 minutes.

7. Remove from oven. Immediately press indentation into each cookie center with back of teaspoon.

8. Return to oven. Bake 16 to 18 more minutes until edges just barely golden.

9. Cool completely on wire rack.

10. Whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, and 2 mashed raspberries until smooth and vivid pink. Adjust consistency.

11. Dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar.

12. Spoon or pipe pink glaze into each indentation.

13. Allow to set at least 10 minutes before serving.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 26 minutes
Category: Dessert, Cookies
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 120
Sugar: 10g
Sodium: 80mg
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Unsaturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 15g
Fiber: 0g
Protein: 1g
Cholesterol: 20mg

Keywords: pink lemonade thumbprint cookies, lemon thumbprint cookies with pink raspberry glaze, pink lemon shortbread thumbprint cookies spring, easy lemon cookie recipe