Frosted

We are on Day 4 of 5 of my Christmas Cookie Week! That’s right, this week I will be posting 5 of my favorite Christmas Cookie recipes!

Glazed Lemon Cookies

We have the cutest little lemon bush in our back yard and it holds a special place in my heart as it was a housewarming gift from some of our friends when we built our house 6 years ago. Every year come December, it never fails, the lemons are ready for picking. For that reason, these glazed lemon cookies have become a staple in our holiday cookie rotation. They are so soft and light and I just love the zestiness the fresh lemon brings to them. While I love making these around the holidays they are also perfect for spring or summer.

Note: I recommend placing some paper towels or wax paper under the cooling rack before taking the cookies out of the oven. When you do the glazing you will get some drippage and the paper towels or wax paper will help to catch that excess sticky goodness that make cleanup so much easier.

COOKIE INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 c flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c butter, softened
1 1/4 c granulated sugar
zest from 2 lemons
2 eggs
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

GLAZE INGREDIENTS
1 c powdered sugar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350º.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl beat together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla to the butter mixture and continue to beat until evenly incorporated.
Gradually add in the dry ingredients until combined.
Form small balls with the dough and place at least 2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Bake for 8–10 minutes or until they just start to get a light golden color on the bottom.
Allow cookies to sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Once the cookies have completely cooled, whisk together the powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice to make the glaze. (You want to be able to drizzle the glaze so add a tad bit more lemon juice or water if needed to thin it, or more powdered sugar if you need it thicker.)
Transfer the glaze to a transfer to a piping bag with a very small opening or a Ziploc bag. (If using a Ziplock bag, you will want to cut a small tip off one corner.)
Drizzle the glaze back and forth over the cookies.
Allow the cookies to rest for at least an hour so the glaze has time to set.
Enjoy!

Last month we celebrated my son’s third birthday. I knew I wanted to send him to school with some sort of treats to share with all his friends. Well, his birthday is the day after Valentine’s Day so that week is already pretty hectic for me. I didn’t have tons of time to spend on baking and frosting individual mini-cupcakes like I wanted to. I needed something easy that I could make a lot of, and fast. I stumbled upon a recipe for sugar cookie bars. I knew they would be perfect! They had a cute festive look to them and were so easy to make. They turned out perfect! They were just the right size for a bunch of toddlers and I didn’t have to frost them all individually. These sugar cookie bars are perfect for any occasion. Have fun with different festive colored frostings and sprinkles. (I love sprinkles!)

COOKIE BAR INGREDIENTS
1/2 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

FROSTING INGREDIENTS
1/2 c butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
2 c powdered sugar
2–3 tbsp milk
food coloring
sprinkles

STEPS

Preheat oven to 375º.
Using an electric mixer beat together the sugar and butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla making sure to mix well.
In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking soda and stir to combine.
Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the creamy mixture.
Line a xx” x xx” baking dish with parchment paper going both directions.
Press the cookie dough into the lined baking dish.
Bake for 12–14 minutes.
Allow cookie bars to cool completely.
Using an electric mixer beat together the butter, vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar until well combined.
Gradually add in the milk until your frosting reaches the desired consistency. (If it becomes too runny just add in a bit more powdered sugar.
Once your frosting reaches desired consistency beat in the food coloring.
Spread the cookie bars with the frosting and top with sprinkles.
Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour and use a pizza wheel to cut into squares with ease.