Lemon Meltaway Cookies

Lemon Meltaway Cookies are an easy homemade treat that truly melt in your mouth. Each buttery bite is finished with a bright lemon glaze that adds just the right pop of citrus. If you love simple cookies that feel special enough to share, these belong on your baking list.

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I have been baking from scratch for decades, starting in restaurant kitchens as a teenager and continuing in my own family kitchen today. I develop and test my recipes carefully so the texture is spot on and the flavors shine without being fussy. My family are honest taste testers, and I do not share a recipe until it earns their full approval. You can trust these cookies to turn out beautifully in your kitchen, too.

Lemon Meltaway Cookies Recipe Ingredients

• Salted Butter
• White Sugar
• Large Egg
• Pure Lemon Extract
• Lemon Zest
• Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• Corn Starch
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Powdered Sugar
• Lemon Juice

How to Make Lemon Meltaway Cookies

1. First, preheat oven to 350°F and line cookies sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a large bowl and hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This will take 2-3 minutes.

3. Next, add the egg, lemon zest and lemon extract. Mix until fully combined scraping sides of bowl as needed.
4. Now add the dry ingredients: all purpose flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed just until evenly combined.

5. Using a small cookie scoop, or 1 tablespoon, place cookie dough 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
6. Then roll the dough into smooth balls and slightly flatten them with the palms of your hand.
7. Bake cookies in preheated oven on center rack for 8-10 minutes or until cookies look set and no longer glossy in the center. The edges will barely be golden brown.
8. Let cookies cool for 2 minutes on pan then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

9. Once the cookies are cooled, in a medium bowl combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice and some water to create a glaze.
10. Either drizzle the glaze over top of the cookies or spread it over to cover the top of the cookies.
11. Let cookies rest until glaze has set, about 30 minutes.

If you love lemon treats, be sure to check out my Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies, Glazed Lemon Pound Cake, Lemon Cheesecake Bars, and Classic Lemon Bars. Each one is packed with bright citrus flavor and is perfect when you are craving something bright yet sweet.

Storing Lemon Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Storing: Once the glaze has set and hardened, place completely cooled cookies in an airtight container between layers of wax paper. Keep them in a cool dry place and they'll last at least a week.

Freezing: These cookies freeze well, with or without the glaze. Place the cookies in a freezer safe airtight container in single layers, between pieces of wax paper or in a freezer bag. Label, date and freeze. Cookies will last 3-4 months in the freezer.

Thawing: To thaw the frozen cookies, place them on plate or sheet pan in a single layer and let them sit at room temperature.

Tips for Meltaway Cookies

• Gather all the ingredients before you start. It is so much easier to bake when all the ingredients are ready. There is also less room for error, like forgetting an essential ingredient. I'm not saying I've done this, however, I am speaking from experience!
• Read the recipe from start to finish before you start. Again, I am speaking from experience.
• Use room temperature ingredients. It helps the dough come together better, and also helps with even baking.
• To get the juices flowing in your lemon, roll it on the counter or microwave it for 15 seconds.
• Always fluff your flour and then spoon and level it to measure. Doing this will prevent too much flour being added and ultimately making the cookies too dry and crumbly. To fluff your flour, just scoop it and dump it a few times and then measure it out, or give it a fluff using a whisk.
• Use a cookie scoop to get the same size cookies, that way they will all bake evenly. I like to use the Pampered Chef small scoop which is equal to about 1 tablespoon.
• If using cookie sheets more than once during baking, make sure the cookie sheet is completely cooled before adding scoops of cookie dough on it.
• For best results don't over bake the cookies. Over baking will cause the cookies to be dry and crumbly.

More Cookie Recipes:

• Lemon White Chocolate Chip
• Iced Oatmeal Cookies
• Snickerdoodles
• Chocolate Chip and M&M
• Double Dark Chocolate Chip
• Maple Cookies
• Triple Chocolate Chip