Reminiscent of buttery shortbread rounds, these glazed lemon-almond cookies have a double shot of lemon. Fresh lemon zest is ground with toasted almonds and then added to the batter, perfuming it with natural oils. Once the cookies are baked, a glaze of fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar gives the tops a smooth finish.
Glazed Lemon-Almond Cookies
Adapted from Serious Eats
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 Tbsp grated lemon zest
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Pulse almonds and lemon zest in a food processor until coarsely ground, then set aside.
Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar; beat just until combined. Beat in vanilla on medium-high speed, then add flour, salt, and almond-lemon mixture. Beat until dough comes together, about 1 minute more. Cover dough and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Lightly press cookies down to 1/2-inch thickness. Bake until cookies are golden brown on bottom and pale golden on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets for several minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar and juice in a small bowl until smooth. Dip tops of cookies in glaze, then transfer to wire rack for glaze to set, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container up to one week.
Yield – 48 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)
Calories – 78
Carbs – 7
