Description
Soft, thick lemon cookies flavored with real lemon zest and juice, topped with naturally colored blueberry cream cheese frosting. For best results, don’t skip chilling the dough and be sure to use freeze-dried blueberries (not simply “dried”) for the frosting.
Ingredients
Lemon Cookies
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon (15g/ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Blueberry Frosting
- 1/2 cup (about 15g) freeze-dried blueberries*
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat block-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 and 1/2 cups (300g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15g/ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, to taste
- optional: lemon slices and fresh blueberries for garnish
Instructions
- Make the cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. The mixture will look curdled; that’s ok.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Dough will be thick and sticky. Cover and chill cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (and up to 3 days).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If the dough has chilled for longer than 2 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
- Scoop dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons (30g) of dough each, and roll into balls. Arrange cookies 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 11–13 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. The centers will look very soft and slightly underbaked. That’s key for a soft texture. Do not over-bake.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the blueberry frosting: Using a food processor or blender, process the freeze-dried blueberries into a powdery crumb. Sift it through a fine mesh sieve to rid larger seeds/pieces. You should have about 2 Tbsp, or around 10g, of blueberry powder.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy and combined, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, blueberry powder, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then gradually increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Spread or pipe frosting on cooled cookies. I used a small offset spatula on the pictured cookies. Garnish with a lemon slice and a fresh blueberry just before serving, if desired.
- Store unfrosted cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Store frosted cookies tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: For the cookies: You can make the cookie dough ahead and chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough. Baked (unfrosted) cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. For the frosting: Use immediately or cover tightly and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting on medium speed for a few seconds so it’s creamy again. After thawing or refrigerating, beating in a splash of heavy cream or milk will help thin the frosting out again, if needed. (It stiffens in the refrigerator.)
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack | Food Processor | Fine Mesh Sieve | Small Offset Spatula
- Where to Buy Freeze-Dried Blueberries: I always find them in my regular grocery store in the aisle with the dried fruit. Target, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s carry them, and I’ve also found them in some health food stores. You can also find them online, but they tend to be much more expensive that way. Do not use the chewy/gummy dried blueberries. You need FREEZE-dried berries, which grind into a powder. If you can’t find them, try the raspberry frosting from my lemon raspberry cupcakes but swap out the raspberry jam for blueberry jam.
- Can I Skip The Cream Cheese in the Frosting? Yes, you can skip the cream cheese in the blueberry frosting to make blueberry buttercream. Replace with just 4 Tablespoons (57g) of softened butter, bringing the total amount of butter you need to 3/4 cup (170g).
- Can I Use Freeze-Dried Strawberries Instead? Yes, for strawberry frosting, you can replace the freeze-dried blueberries with freeze-dried strawberries.