Lemon snaps are a very crisp, tangy cookie that are very reminiscent of a ginger snap in texture and shape.
These were a very popular cookie about 100 years ago, often being used for afternoon tea or served at card parties.
Lemon snaps travel well and make a great gift to send in the mail, packed into a lunch box or taken on a picnic. They can be served with or without a lemon sugar glaze.
Lemon Snaps :
Ingredients :
- 1/2 cup butter (room temp)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 med eggs
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp salt
Method :
- Pre-heat oven to 350
- In large bowl cream butter and sugar together
- Add in eggs and stir until fluffy
- Mix in lemon juice, lemon extract and lemon zest
- In a small bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
- Add flour to butter mixture in 3 additions, mixing well after each addition
- Scoop heaping teaspoons of dough and roll by hand into balls
- Cover baking sheet with parchment
- Place rounded dough balls on baking sheet about 2" apart
- Bake 10 min until golden
- Remove from baking sheet immediately and place on cooling wrack
- When cookies are cooled, top with lemon glaze if desired
Lemon Glaze :
Ingredients :
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
Method :
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved
- Apply to cookies with a pastry brush
Although lemon is the traditional flavor for these cookies, other flavors work well and can give a nice variety.
Suggested flavors :
Replace lemon with orange for the juice, extract and zest
Make Key Lime cookies by replacing lemon with key lime for juice, and zest (regular lime extract may need to be substituted for lemon extract). Sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar after they have cooled
Orange passion fruit thumb prints. Make orange cookies as above, before baking make a well in the center of each cookie with the back of a spoon. Put 1/2 tsp passion fruit jam in the imprint in each cookie
Lemon thumb print cookies can be made using the same method as above. Add 1/2 tsp lemon curd to the well in each cookie
Vanilla crisps; omit lemon zest, replace lemon extract with vanilla and lemon juice with half and half
Raspberry vanilla thumb print cookies. Use the above substitutes for vanilla, make a well in the top of each cookie with the back of a spoon before baking and add 1/2 tsp raspberry preserves to the top of each cookie
Jackie Milligan - My name is Jackie and I am a foodie. As a small child, my mother inspired me with the love of good fresh food made from scratch. I ...
