Hello there! I’m thrilled to share my personal signature sugar cookie recipe with you. While some may be anticipating grandiose claims such as “This is the best recipe you’ll ever find!”, “This always turns out perfectly,” or “There’s no spreading,” my recipe is unique in that it has been tailored to suit the tastes of my loved ones. I’ve been utilizing this Lemon Roll-Out Sugar recipe for 6 years, and after continuous modifications, I’ve settled on this specific version. It works best for me because I have complete control over the spreading, and it has become my go-to recipe. Although I have experimented with other recipes, I always return to this one because it holds a special place in my heart, and my family prefers it since it has been a part of our tradition for as long as I’ve been making cookies.
I love to pair this roll-out sugar cookie recipe with my royal icing recipe.
About the Ingredients
Cream cheese: Is one of my favorite ingredients for roll-out cookies. It adds a hint of tanginess and richness to the cookie dough. Keep in mind to not let it reach room temperature.
Butter: I use brand-name butter cut into squares and keep it cool before using it to prevent spreading. Once I’m ready to use it, I wait until it reaches a soft consistency, but I don’t let it reach room temperature.
Flavors: Feel free to experiment with different flavors, swapping them out for your personal favorites. I use LorAnn for their Emulsions and Nielsen-Massey for top-quality vanilla paste.
Eggs: To ensure consistent results, large eggs are a standard size, so using them helps maintain consistency in the recipe’s proportions and moisture content. I use two egg yolks because they have more fat, and a higher fat content adds moisture and tenderness to my cookie. The fat in egg yolks helps emulsify the ingredients in the dough. Also, using only egg yolks reduces the protein content in the recipe, resulting in a softer and moister cookie.
Flour: I prefer King Arthur’s All-Purpose Flour as my primary flour choice due to its consistent quality and reliability. This flour has a protein content of approximately 11.7%, which is higher than other all-purpose flour. The added protein provides stability and structure to your roll-out cookie dough, resulting in better shape retention during baking and less spreading. Additionally, the protein content of flour has an impact on the texture of baked goods. In general, higher protein content results in a slightly chewier texture.
Confectioners’ sugar: It helps control moisture, provides stability to the dough, and gives your cookies the perfect texture and appearance. Plus, it helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking, so you get perfectly shaped treats every time.
A few tips about my Recipe
Here are some tips that, as a non-baker, I didn’t know when I started baking cookies in 2012.
Creaming Butter: Creaming the butter, cream cheese, and sugar for the perfect cookie is crucial. The air pockets expand during baking, resulting in a softer and more delicate texture. This process also establishes a stable structure in the dough. As the sugar crystals dissolve and mix with the fat, they trap air and create a semi-solid matrix that supports the cookies while baking. Consequently, they hold their shape and don’t spread excessively.
At first, I was puzzled by the term “room temperature” when trying out new recipes. However, after experimentation, I learned that slightly warmer cream cheese and butter make for a much smoother spread.
I used to roll out my dough to a thickness of 3/8“, but I’ve discovered that it tends to spread out too much during baking. Therefore, I have decided to go with a 5/16” thickness instead.
To prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin, I suggest using powdered sugar or plastic wrap instead of flour, which can dry the dough and make the cookies too hard.
To minimize the number of scraps, I recommend cutting shapes as close together as possible, maybe cutting minis if you have big spaces. Additionally, I’ve learned that the more I roll out my dough, the more the cookies spread. So, it’s best to avoid kneading the scraps when re-rolling them and try not to handle them too much since the warmth from your hands may cause the dough to spread more during baking.
I like using almost frozen dough to cut out precise shapes and avoid spreading. I even pop the dough back in the freezer when I re-roll it for consistency. And let me tell you, using Chua mats has made a huge difference in my baked cookies. My cookies come out with a delightful texture on the bottom and barely any spreading.
Lastly, as soon as my cookies come out of the oven, I use a fondant smoother to flatten the surface and cover them with a sheet lid to trap the moisture. I learned this last trick from Casy.
Lemon Roll-Out Sugar Cookie
Description
Welcome to a burst of citrusy sunshine! Our Lemon Roll-Out Sugar Cookies are the perfect blend of sweet and zesty, with a soft and tender texture that melts in your mouth. These delightful cookies are a breeze and even more fun to decorate. Brighten up your day with this tangy twist on a classic favorite – a recipe sure to add sunshine to your baking adventures!
Ingredients
Instructions
- In your stand-alone mixer bowl, add butter, cream cheese, and sugars. Use your paddle attachment at medium speed and mix until light and fluffy. Note that butter and cream cheese must be soft to the touch but not at room temperature.
- Whisk the egg, egg yolks, vanilla, and almond emulsion in a medium bowl.
- Once the mixture is combined, gradually add it to your butter, cream cheese, and sugar at a lower mixing speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.
- Add lemon zest, baking powder, and salt, and mix until incorporated.
- Add 4 cups of flour and mix. While the mixer is still running, add the additional 2 cups of flour, one cup at a time. You will know your dough is ready when it doesn’t stick to the sides of the mixing bowl but is still tacky. If needed, add the remaining ½ cups of flour.
- Roll out your dough on parchment paper to the desired thickness with a precision rolling pin. I roll all my cookies at 5/16”. Don’t use flour when rolling your dough, as it may dry it. It is better to cover it with saran wrap and then roll your dough.
- Place your rolled-out dough between parchment papers on a baking pan, cover with saran wrap or/a sheet lid, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes – 1 hour, more if needed. I love freezing my dough because it is easier to handle, maintains shape, reduces spreading, and saves me time by allowing me to prep my dough a few days ahead if needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or Chua Mats. I like to use Chua Mats; they even provide baking and less spreading.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Leave at least 1″ space between each cookie. Once you cut out the shapes, save the scraps and reroll your dough again.
- Poke holes in the center of your cookies before baking with a fork. Poking holes is a good idea because it prevents air bubbles, provides more even baking, controls spread, and reduces cracking.
- Bake for 14 – 16 minutes, until the dough has a matte look or longer if you like golden edges. When you remove them from the oven, these cookies might appear soft but will firm up as they cool.
- Pull cookies out of the oven and use a fondant smoother or a flat kitchen utensil to smooth out the cookie’s surface.
- Leave your cookies on your baking sheet to cool before transferring them to a cooling rack or decorating.
I’m confused on room temperature and cold for butter and cream cheese. Is it cold or room temperature? How long do you suggest to leave on counter before using. Please clarify. Thanks 🙂
hi, the cream cheese because is softer than the butter could go straight from the refrigerator, the butter could be “room temperature” not too soft, not too cold.
(trying to help) 😊
Hello. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I am confused as towards the top you said you don’t bother to have have your butter and cream cheese to room temperature but your recipe says cold cream cheese, and then down at the direction you note that both the butter and cream cheese needs to be room temperature. I don’t know which you’re recommending. Just wanted some clarification. Thank you.
Hi! Sorry about the confusion, I just fixed it. I use the butter and cream cheese not at room temperature, but they do need to be soft to the touch. Hope this helps.
Hi Judit. Do these cookies freeze well after baking but before decorating? If so, what do you recommend for defrosting before decorating?
I have never frozen the cookies before decorating, I froze my cookies after decorating them
Thank you for this blog!! Very much appreciate your time and expertise! I’ve got a question about the Grams of Flour: 5 1/2 c = 660g which is 120 g/cup, so shouldn’t the extra 1/4 c be 30 g, not 60? Thank you!
Yes! Thanks for catching that, I fixed it!☺️
Hola! Don’t know if I missed it. My question is if we omit the lemon zest will it change the recipe a lot besides the flavor.
No, it wouldn’t change anything else besides the flavor
Ok..if you don’t add the lemon and did vanilla or an almond flavoring..how much would you add?
Do you always use the lemon flavor for your cookie? And do you buy a lemon zest you buy or do you actually grate lemon?
Not all the time, but majority of the time I use lemon flavor. I grate the lemons
Hi, how much lemon flavor would you use instead of zest? Also what brand Lemon flavor would you recommend?
Thank you, so excited to give your recipe a try!
Hi! I use the Lemon Emulsion by LorAnn that we have on our website. I would use probably 1-1/2 TSP of lemon emulsion instead of the lemon zest.
Ok…what flavoring do you use in the frosting of each of these recipes?
The flavor that I use is under my royal icing recipe, which is cream cheese.
You mention the use of cornstarch in the beginning of your post, but I don’t see cornstarch listed in the ingredients.
Also, I’ve never zested a lemon. My husband says you grate the lemon until you see white, is that correct. Thank you so very much for all your help!! You and your family have been in my thoughts every day ♥️
I only use cornstarch when humidity is high, but you can add a teaspoon to the recipe if needed. Yup, your husband is right!
Thank you so much, me and my family appreciate it so much.
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Hi! I accidentally used granulated sugar instead of confection sugar. How will that affect the recipe?
Hi! Using granulated sugar instead of confectioner’s sugar might affect the texture and sweetness of your recipe slightly, but it’s usually not a significant problem.
Hi! Is that 6 cups of sifted or unsifted flour?
I use them unstifled, but you can do stifled
I see you use almond emulsion and vanilla which I love ans and was wondering how much lemon flavor the zest actually gives the cookies? Is the almond emulsion take away the lemon flavor?
Not in my opinion! You can still taste the lemon flavor from the zest
How long do you keep the lid on your cookie pan after they come out of the oven?
Until I’m ready to decorate the cookies
Hi there! I love that this recipe really holds it shape for me! My kids dont like lemon, have you ever tried the recipe without it? Thanks for always sharing your recipes with us
Hi Tracy, I love that about this recipe as well! I haven’t tried it without the lemon…
Hi! Can this recipe be doubled, tripled?
Hi, yes, it can!☺️
I am definitely going to try this recipe as my family loves lemon flavor however i have a question, I have 2 customers who have requested and almond flavored cookie, can I make this recipe and leave out the lemon zest so that the cookies are just almond flavored? Thank you!
Yes!☺️