Lemon Cake Cookies

Lemon Cake Cookies

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups plus 1 T cake flour
3/4 t. baking powder
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
9 T butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 T sugar
1 T grated lemon zest
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 whole large egg, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sour cream, at room temperature

Glaze:
6 T unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
3 T fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a small bowl and set aside. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest in a medium-size bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl. Add the egg yolks and mix on medium speed until blended, about 10 seconds. Scrape the bowl, then add the whole egg and mix until blended, 10 seconds more. Add the sour cream and mix on medium-low speed until blended, about 8 seconds. Fold in the dry ingredients by hand, then turn the mixer on low speed for 5 seconds. Scrape the bowl with the rubber spatula and mix on low until the batter is smooth and velvety, 10 seconds. Give the batter a stir or two with the spatula. Drop the batter by large rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake until the cookies puff up, are firm to the touch, and just begin to turn golden, about 12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the sheets with a spatula and place them on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely. Meanwhile prepare the glaze: Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Place the sugar in a medium-size bowl. Add the butter and lemon juice to the sugar and beat vigorously with a whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Once the cookies have cooled, dip the entire rounded top of each into the glaze. Place the cookies on the cookie sheets and allow them to sit until the glaze hardens, several hours. Makes 36 cookies.

Note: Although cake flour gives these cookies a superior texture, you may substitute 2 cups plus 3 T all-purpose flour for it.
submitted by: Ellen Patton