Lemon Wafer Cookies

These Lemon Wafer Cookies are fresh, light, and lemony. They are a thin melt-in-the-mouth chewy cookie with crisp edges and the bright flavor of lemon.

The secret lies in layering up the lemon flavor. These delicious lemon cookies contain lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract. But don't worry, the sugar balances the lemon to give you a cookie with a delicious sweet lemon flavor. 

These are so easy to make; everything is mixed together in the stand mixer (or electric whisks) and is ready in under 30 minutes. These Lemon Cookies make the perfect afternoon tea or snack-time treat.

Ingredients

• Salted butter: Salted butter balances the sweetness and brings out the lemon flavor. If you have unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of salt to your flour when you add it to the mix. Make sure your butter is at room temperature. You want to be able to push your finger into the butter easily. 
• Granulated sugar: This helps the cookies have that balance of crisp and chew.
• Flour: Use All-purpose flour or Plain Flour for those, not in the US. You don't want the cookies to rise.
• Baking soda: This helps with the texture of the cookies. Don't get it confused with baking powder.
• Egg: I use a large room temperature egg.
• Lemon Zest and Juice: Use fresh lemon; it will have much more flavor. Zest the lemon before you cut it, as it is tough to zest a cut lemon. A small lemon will give you more than enough juice.
• Lemon extract: This amps up the lemon flavor and brings out the natural lemon in the juice and zest. Use a good quality one for the best lemon taste.

Recipe Tips

• There is no need to chill the dough; just mix the ingredients and roll it into balls.
• Use a tablespoon measure to scoop out the dough. This will give you even-sized cookies that bake in the directed time.
• Place the cookies on a lined baking sheet with at least 3" between them as they will spread. 
• Flatten the cookie dough balls slightly into disks (see picture above). I use the back of my cup measure to do this.
• I use a baking sheet; this allows the cookies to spread easily without hitting an edge and getting a flat side. If you only have edged trays, you can use them upside down.
• Line the baking sheet with parchment paper as this help the cookies to spread, so you get a thin cookie rather than a cakey cookie. Lightly spray the cookie sheet with oil to stop the paper from moving.
• The oven temperature is for a conventional oven on the bake setting. If using a fan oven, reduce the temperature by 70ºF/20ºC.
• Don't overcook the cookies; they want to be just starting to turn a light golden at the edge, while the inside will look almost soft. 
• Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before gently transferring them to a cooling rack.

How to Make Lemon Wafer Cookies 

(see recipe card below for full instructions and ingredients)

1. Preparations: Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest: Use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together until light and fluffy. 
3. Combine the dry ingredients: While the butter, sugar, and lemon zest are creaming, measure out your flour and add the baking soda (and salt if using). Mix to combine. 
4. Add the lemon juice and lemon extract: Add the lemon juice and lemon extract, then mix to combine thoroughly.
5. Add the egg: Add the egg to the butter mixture and mix well.
6. Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter and mix slowly until the dough just comes together. Don't overmix.
7. Roll your cookies: Use a tablespoon measure to scoop out cookie dough balls. Roll them in your hands to create a neat ball.
8. Flatten your cookies: Place the rolled ball onto the lined baking sheet and use something flat to flatten the cookies. 
9. Bake: Bake your cookies for 8-10 minutes, until the edges turn light golden and the center is still slightly soft.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes when you first remove them from the oven. After 5 minutes, transfer them to a cooling rack.

How do I store Lemon Cookies?

These lemon cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature. For freezing, transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. If you want to be able to remove one cookie at a time, I recommend sandwiching the cookies with a square of parchment paper.

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