Lemon Drop Cookies

These cookies were among the refreshments at a recent book group meeting.  Everyone was raving about them, but since it wasn’t my day to eat sugar, I did not have the opportunity to eat one myself.   Usually I can let  things like uneaten cookies and cakes drop from my memory quickly…these were different though.  I found myself daydreaming obsessing for days about these cookies I'd never even tasted.  I kept wondering what a lemon cookie tasted like and I soon decided that I must make these as soon as possible (on my next sugar day).  I emailed my friend Katie who sent me over to her sister Jane's blog  (See Jane in the Kitchen) for the recipe.  If you haven’t checked out her blog full of  tasty  treasures yet, then I highly recommend going there now! 

Most of the time when I obsess over a recipe like this, I usually end up disappointed.  Not so with this one though!  These cookies were delicious!  They had a pleasant chewy texture and a fabulous lemony flavor.  In fact, we dubbed these lemony cookies...the BEST {non-chocolate} cookies EVER!  We ended up freezing our extra cookies and thought they were out-of-this-world even straight out of the freezer! 

NOTE:  LemonHeads also worked great.   I had a hard time tracking down the lemon drops, so take my advice and skip the grocery store and go straight to a drug store.  I found mine at CVS, while Katie said she found hers at Walgreens.    Thanks Katie and Jane!    

Click here for printable recipe.

The ingredients:

COOKIES
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups butter-flavored shortening (like Crisco)
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. lemon extract
4 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. finely chopped lemon zest
1 package (6-ounces) lemon drops, crushed in blender (LemonHeads also work fine)

GLAZE
2 cups powdered sugar
juice of two lemons

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, cream sugar, shortening, and eggs; add vanilla and lemon extract.  Stir in dry ingredients, lemon zest, and crushed lemon drops.

Roll into balls, flatten slightly , and bake on parchment lined baking sheet for 7-9 minutes.  Let cool for about 5 minutes in pan.  For glaze, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice.  Brush glaze over warm cookies.  Cool completely before serving. 

Enjoy!