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 offer a refreshing summer twist, blending tangy lemon with sweet strawberry flavors for a perfect treat.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Lemon Sugar Cookies
- 1/2 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 yolk at room temperature
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp (10g) cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Strawberry Buttercream
- 1 1/2 cups (33g or 1.2 oz) freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 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 Cookies: Melt the unsalted butter and allow it to cool slightly. Using your fingers, combine granulated sugar and lemon zest, rubbing them together to release the lemon oils, enhancing the flavor. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, lemon sugar mixture, vegetable oil, eggs (whole egg plus yolk), fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated and the mixture lightens in color, about 1 minute.
- Add Dry Ingredients: To the wet mixture, add all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a rubber spatula to fold and mix until fully combined and no dry patches remain.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This helps the dough firm up, making it easier to shape and improving the cookie texture.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: While dough chills, line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Shape and Bake: Using a #24 cookie scoop (approximately 3 tablespoons), portion out the dough. Roll each portion into a ball and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Flatten each dough ball slightly with your palm. Keep any remaining dough refrigerated until use. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 12-13 minutes, or until the centers no longer look wet and edges turn golden brown. Remove and let cookies cool completely before frosting.
- Make Strawberry Buttercream: Place freeze-dried strawberries into a food processor and grind into a fine powder. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Combine Frosting Ingredients: Add powderized freeze-dried strawberries, powdered sugar, heavy cream, fresh lemon juice, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to the creamed butter. Start mixing on low speed to avoid powdered sugar flying out. Scrape down the bowl well. Increase to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.
- Decorate Cookies: Using a cookie scoop, place a dollop of strawberry buttercream on each cooled cookie. Spread frosting out evenly to the edges with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, then create a swirl pattern in the center. Garnish with crushed freeze-dried strawberries and fresh lemon zest if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- For best results, use room temperature ingredients where specified to ensure proper mixing and texture.
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Freeze-dried strawberries can be purchased online or from specialty grocery stores; grinding them fresh yields the best flavor and color for the buttercream.
- The frosting can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature and re-whip before using.
- If you don’t have a #24 cookie scoop, use approximately 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie for uniform size.
- For a stronger lemon flavor, you may increase lemon zest or juice slightly, but be cautious not to affect the dough consistency.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
