Directions: |
Directions:Set the wire rack slightly below the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.
Cookies
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use your hands to form a wide hole in the middle of the flour so that you can see the bottom of the bowl.
To the hole, add the sugar, lemon zest, oil, milk, egg, vanilla, and lemon extract. Using a fork, beat the wet mixture only, keeping it inside the hole you’ve created, until well mixed.
Using your fork, gradually pull a little flour from the sides of the bowl into the wet mixture.
Keep pulling in some flour, a little at a time.
Once a wet dough has formed, give it a few presses with your hands to bring it together. (Do not work it too much, because you don’t want to activate the gluten proteins in the flour. When glutens form, they make the cookies chewy instead of soft and crumbly.)
Let the dough rest.
Meanwhile, apply a thin layer of butter to a large baking sheet.
Roll the dough into roughly 1 1/2-inch balls, slightly smaller than a ping pong ball. Lay them on the greased baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
Cook until the bottoms brown, for about 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking.
Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze
Combine the confectioner's sugar, milk, lemon juice, and lemon extract in a medium bowl. When you lift a spoon from the mixture, it should flow quickly. If it’s too thick, add 1 tsp. of milk at a time until the desired consistency.
Set a wire baking rack over a baking sheet.
Holding the bottom of the cooled cookies, dip the cookie tops into the glaze, shaking off excess.
Lay the cookies, frosting-side-up, on the baking rack.
If you choose, top with nonpareil or sprinkles while still wet.
Let sit until the frosting dries. |
This recipe for Italian Lemon Drop Cookies is from