Blue Ribbon Lemon Almond Cookies

These are my absolute favorite cookies! Soft, sweet, sour, lemony, and almondy all at the same time! And so so simple.

I even entered them at a local fair last fall and they won a blue ribbon! That's how insanely delicious they are :)

This recipe makes 24 cookies. It has 15 min of active time and 12 min of bake time (~30 min total).

So without further ado... let's get started!

For these cookies you'll need:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• 3/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• a handful of almond slivers
• powdered sugar, for dusting

You'll also need:

• a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer
• a medium size bowl
• a spatula
• a whisk
• a sifter
• a cookie scoop (recommended) or 2 spoons

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 C).

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine your butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest. Cream on medium speed (I used setting 4) until light and fluffy. This should take around 5-7 minutes. See picture three for how it should look.

Scrape down the bowl once done.

Add in your egg and almond extract. Beat until combined.

Then, add your lemon juice while the mixer is running. It shouldn't curdle, but if it does, that's okay. You won't be able to tell once it's baked and it'll still be just as yummy.

In a separate medium bowl whisk together your salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour.

Don't add the powdered sugar! That will come later.

Incorporate the dry ingredients in 3 additions.

So, while the mixer is running on medium low (level 3) pour in 1/3 of your dry ingredients. Once it becomes incorporated, add in the next third and so on.

You can kind of see in the photos how the batter gets fuller and smoother with each addition. By the last third it should have the consistency of thick frosting (aka sticky but spreadable). 🧁

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

Using your cookie scoop or 2 spoons divide the batter onto the sheets in 24 balls.

Sift your powdered sugar over them and press an almond sliver on top of each mound.

Bake for 10-15 minutes on the middle rack (mine took 12 min).

Take them out when their bottoms are are golden brown. They'll still be pale on top, it's the bottom that matters.

Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to completely cool.

Aaaaaand you're done!!! Enjoy them with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea. They make great gifts too... if you can resist eating them all ;)

Thanks for following along! Until next time...