Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl; set aside.
Put sugars and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed 30 seconds. Add butter; mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, and then the lemon juice. Reduce speed; gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
Scoop dough using a 2-inch ice cream scoop; space cookies 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten cookies slightly with a spatula. Sprinkle tops with sanding sugar, then lightly brush with a wet pastry brush; sprinkle with more sanding sugar.
Bake cookies until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks using a spatula; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
These cookies are great! I put less sugar on mine and we can't stop eating them.
Easy and excellent! You will never buy sugar cookies from the store again.These chewy cookies have become something we crave every once in a while and only this recipe can deliver.
Made these today..turned out GREAT! I also substituted the lemon with vanilla and baking them for 14 minutes did make them turn out better. I let mine sit over night in the fridge and the dough was a little stiffer just had to let it warm up a bit.
Tasty. I substituted lemon juice with vanilla extract and they came out great!
These were absolutely delicious! I made three different versions of them for three batches because I made small cookies. I made a vanilla bean version, spice version and lemon version. For the vanilla version, I omitted the zest and added one whole vanilla bean and these were a favourite. For the lemon version I doubled the zest and for the spice I added half the normal zest and one teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. Simply delicious, light, chewy and perfect!
I can't wait to make these - but one question - can I put in fridge and roll out and make cut out cookies???
When I made these, I used granulated sugar instead of sanding sugar, and I didn't do the wash and extra sanding sugar before baking. I did, however, make buttercream icing using fresh lemon juice and whipping cream and made sandwich cookies out of them ... a little messy, but well worth it!
Watched you make this cookie on your television show. When I saw the new apps and the gorgeous cookies I couldn't wait to make a batch! They were the BEST sugar cookies I or my family have ever tasted! Tried a test taste with a packaged mix and your "Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies" recipe and hands down yours is by far the winner! I did try one thing different, instead of the sugar, I used strawberry frosting YUM! My Grandchildren think I'm the best cookie maker! Thanks Martha:-)
I just made these cookies this afternoon and everything went out great. My nephew just loved them. They?Ǭ
I just finished cooking my first batch, and I must say: Boy, oh boy! They are extraordinarily soft with a slight crunchy top. One of my favorites ever by Martha. So excited to share them at work tomorrow!
So delicious! I will definitely be sharing these over the holidays! Thanks!
I used a smaller scoop sized for 2 3/4 " diameter cookies. The cookies were thinner with crisp edges and chewy center. Also, produced a larger batch using smaller scoop. I will keep this and use again. I used hand mixer and it worked just fine.
THESE TURNED OUT GREAT!! USED 11/3 GRANULATED SUGAR SINCE MY HUSBAND IS DIABETIC. THE LAST BATCH I PUT CINAMMON SUGAR ON TOP INSTEAD OF PLAIN. GOOD!! GOT "34 " THREE INCH COOKIES. I WILL KEEP THIS ONE. IT IS SOOOOO EASY. THANKS!!!
I made these last week, they were fabulous! We gobbled them up quickly. They were chewy and flavorful...no subs needed. I gently flattened the tops prior to baking.Will certainly make these regularly!
The M stands for margaine. I never use margarine. Butter - unsalted. If you used salted butter that my be why Iknowhuh' were too salty. I can't wait to try them. I wanted to read the comments first.
i want to use this sugar cookie recipe to put my favorite candy in-- Ritter Sport white chocolate w/rice crispies
perfect! mine are way thicker than the photo but they are superb! Great recipe!
I'm not an expert at cookies (I'm more of a cupcake person) and so I am not really good at this. The first batch I put in the oven had too much butter and the cookies got runny. For the second batch, I added more flour (a bit too much I think but they are still in the oven). Theu have been baking for over 15 minutes and they are still uncooked at the bottom. I took the out and flattened them, and I am hoping for good results. If those don't work, I'm gonna try a splash of milk.
this is great! i am new and luv harry potter!
martha can u please make a harry potter cake?
there not very sweet
Oh, I wanted to add..do NOT overbake these. They are meant to be chewy. I really like the fact they they call for brown sugar in this recipe. It makes them even more chewy. Once again, an EXCELLENT recipe and cookie!
Wow..MS has one other sugar cookie recipe that I really like, but I think this is my FAVORITE one to date. The first time I made them, I did everything as is, and yesterday I made them again and wanted only a SUBTLE lemon flavor, so I used only the zest and substituted a teaspoon of vanilla for the lemon juice. I love my cookies big, so I use a medium scooper. I also used rainbow sprinkles instead of sugar. I have both but like the jimmies better. LOVE these cookies!!!
My cookies really spread out! Used a small scoop but they came out the size of a saucer. Wasn't impressed by them.
love these, what is sanding sugar?
Forget it................never print it anyway
Sanding sugar is larger crystals than regular sugar.
2 sticks of butter is 8 ounces
What is Sanding Sugar?
Just made these cookies. They are very good:) I didn't have any lemon zest so I put Madagasgar Vanilla and they came out great.
Sub 2 tablespoons of vanilla for the lemon. Very good. Better 24 hours after making them.
Just made a batch, and they are delicious! I bought my sanding sugar at Sur la Table
i also wanted to say that i made well over 20 cookies, more than twice the amount.
i just made these and they turned out great.
not as crackly as the picture, i should have baked them longer.
they taste delicious though (:
i think it would work fine without lemon, and if you want to substitute it, maybe just put 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. something like that.
I made these last week and used granulated suger. Turned out fine.
I am trying to make these cookies but do not have sanding sugar..is it ok to just use granulted?? for the top
My son is allergic to lemon. Have you tried this recipe without the lemon, or maybe substituted something else?
I have made these cookies many times over with fantastic results. My one challenge is that no matter how small I seem to scoop them they always come out HUGE! But I've had nothing but compliments on this recipe-it's wonderful and fun to make!
I think the lemon zest and lemon juice give this cookie that extra touch. I brought these to work for a halloween celebration and they ate those bad boys up like they have not eaten in days. This a definite favorite of mine. I love sugar cookies and the sanding sugar which you can find a michaels is what makes the cookie special as well.
M for margarine??
I want to make these cookies for my son, but I too would like to omit the lemon juice and zest. Can anyone tell me what M stands for.
I didn't add the lemon juice or zest and instead added 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Then I added two cups of M
I switched the lemon juice and zest for two teaspoons of vanilla, then added two cups of m
These were just right for hot summer day-the lemon is so refreshing and they contrast of the inner chewiness with the outer crunch was great. My husband really loved them. I took them out of the oven at between 13-14 minutes. 15 minutes was just a little too long and the chewiness disappeared. They stored nicely but I can't vouch for 3 days; the half batch I made didn't last that long!
These were just right for hot summer day-the lemon is so refreshing and they contrast of the inner chewiness with the outer crunch was great. My husband really loved them. I took them out of the oven at between 13-14 minutes. 15 minutes was just a little too long and the chewiness disappeared. They stored nicely but I can't vouch for 3 days; the half batch I made didn't last that long!
even if you skip the lemon, these are easily the best sugar cookies I've ever had.
These were easy and delicious.
After a wind storm blew all the lemons down from our tree, we've been baking many lemon recipes. This recipe is one of the best. They are great for after school snacks! They will become a mainstay in our home.
My 12 year old granddaughter and I made these delicious cookies during her spring break. They disappeared so quickly. We added the sprinkling of raw sugar at the end. It really adds a great crunch. We will make them again.
When my dad was in the army during WWII, I used to bake lemon sugar cookies to send to him. They were his favorite cookies. I was so proud to bake and pack and take the packages to the post office. I was twelve, and it was a really big deal. I lost track of the recipe and am so happy to find it again. Thank you!!
I baked these cookies for Easter and they are simply divine. They have crispy edges and wonderful chewy centres. Will continue baking these cookies every year as an Easter tradition!
I made these with four young girls and we had so much fun! They were the prefiect beginner cookie lesson. The girls were surprised by the lemon addition and they turned out delish!! I love the second sugar sprinkle and the combination of crisp and chewy. Even though my all-time favorite sugar cookie is more cakelike. BTW the new COOKIE book by MS is fabulous!!!
I thought these were good, but not the best I have ever had. I think they are best if not cooked the entire 15 minutes...they are much better taken out of the oven a little early. The get crispy on the outside as they cool, so if you don't want a super crispy cookie TAKE THEM OUT A LITTLE EARLY. I don't like my cookies that crispy.
I substituted orange zest for lack of lemons, they turned out fantastic!
I did not care for these at first but this morning they tasted better with my coffee. They almost had a too salty or too buttery taste. My grandma thinks it could be because we used Meyer lemons off her tree. They are delicious with coffee though. The texture of the cookie seems great for snickedoodles so next time I think I will modify the recipe for that.
My family LOVES these cookies! I found this recipe when it was a cookie of the month in a MS magazine a few years ago, and have made it ever since. I always use is as the "crust" to my fruit pizzas now too. so gooood!
These cookies are fabulous. I made them with whole wheat pastry flour and reduced the white sugar a bit -- very good with coffee in the morning!
I did the same recipe but changing the lemon for orange zest and juice and the result was excellent as well.
This recipe is just so yummy! The small hint of lemon is so addictive and the sugary, sparkly tops are so very gorgeous. Definitely a must-try for those of you that haven't made them already.
this recipe makes great cookies, love the mild lemon flavor.