Description
Strawberry Lemonade Cookies feature a soft, thick, and chewy lemon sugar cookie base topped with a bright, tart strawberry buttercream frosting. These delightful cookies combine refreshing summer flavors of lemon and strawberry to create a sweet and tangy treat perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Lemon Sugar Cookies
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp (42g) vegetable or canola oil
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cup (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp (10g) cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Strawberry Buttercream
- 1 ½ cup (33g or 1.2oz) freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 ½ cup (300g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (60mL) heavy cream
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
For Decorating the Cookies
- Freeze-dried strawberries, crushed
- Lemon zest
Instructions
- Prepare Lemon Sugar Cookie Dough: Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Combine granulated sugar and lemon zest by rubbing them together with your fingers to release the lemon oils. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, lemon sugar mixture, vegetable oil, whole egg, egg yolk, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract until incorporated and the mixture lightens in color, about 1 minute.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, mix until all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated into the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the dough, making it easier to scoop and shape.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Shape Cookies: Using a #24 cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons), scoop out the dough and roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on the baking sheets spaced at least 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly by pressing down with the palm of your hand. Keep any unused dough refrigerated until ready to bake.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes until the centers are no longer wet and the edges start to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets before frosting.
- Make Strawberry Buttercream: Using a food processor, grind freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter on medium speed until smooth for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Combine Frosting Ingredients: Add powdered sugar, ground freeze-dried strawberries, heavy cream, fresh lemon juice, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to the creamed butter. Start mixing on low speed to avoid sugar spilling, then scrape the bowl. Increase to medium speed and mix for an additional 2 minutes until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Decorate the Cookies: Use a cookie scoop to add a dollop of strawberry buttercream onto each cooled lemon sugar cookie. Spread the frosting out evenly to the edges using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, finishing with a swirl pattern in the center. Garnish with crushed freeze-dried strawberries and fresh lemon zest if desired.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is key to preventing cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Melted butter is used to provide a tender texture to the cookies.
- Using freeze-dried strawberries gives an intense strawberry flavor without adding moisture to the buttercream.
- Ensure eggs are at room temperature to help with emulsification and smooth dough texture.
- Cookies should be completely cooled before frosting to prevent buttercream from melting.
- Cookie scoop size (#24) measures approximately 3 tablespoons for uniform cookie size.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
