Lemon Sugar Pastel Glaze (Printable)

Lemon-infused sugar cookies with pastel glaze brighten dessert tables and delight with soft texture.

# What You Need:

→ Cookies

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Glaze

10 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
13 - Pastel food coloring (pink, blue, yellow, or green)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - Beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Add egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Beat until fully combined.
05 - Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing just until combined.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly with your palm or bottom of a glass.
07 - Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Cool on tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. Adjust consistency with more milk as needed.
09 - Divide glaze into bowls and tint each with pastel food coloring.
10 - Dip cooled cookies into glaze or drizzle glaze over tops. Allow glaze to set for at least 20 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Lemon zest tricks your senses into thinking spring has already arrived, whatever the weather.
  • These cookies vanish in a blink at any gathering, making you suddenly popular.
02 -
  • Overmixing will give you tough cookies—stop stirring as soon as the dough forms.
  • A squeeze more lemon juice in the glaze turns the pastel colors a touch brighter and brings more puckery joy.
03 -
  • A microplane for lemon zest brings out the most flavor, so don’t skip this step.
  • Mix glaze in small batches to keep colors bright and avoid waste.
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