Lemon Snowflake Cookies
Makes 30-36 cookies
Adapted from From My Bowl
2½ cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
If you’re using European butter, that has a higher fat content, increase the flour by ½ cup
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1 packed tablespoon lemon zest (3-4 lemons)
½ cup (115 grams) salted butter, softened
If you use unsalted butter, increase the total salt to ½ teaspoon
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup (60-65 grams) applesauce
¼ cup (60 milliliters) fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup (120 grams) powdered confectioner’s sugar
In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, turmeric, and salt and whisk everything together. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use your hands to massage the lemon zest into the sugar until the sugar is yellow. This will create a stronger lemon flavor.
Add the softened butter and mix on low speed, using a stand or electric mixer, until creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the olive oil, applesauce, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the bowl and mix until blended, about 1-2 minutes. The mixture should be mostly uniform, but may look slightly separated due to the lemon juice.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough should be very soft and look slightly crumbly, but it should not be sticky and should ball together when pinched.
Form the dough into a large ball and cover with plastic wrap.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Add the powdered sugar to a small bowl and set aside.
Scoop out a small portion of the cookie dough and roll the dough to form a smooth 1 inch (2½ centimeter) ball. This won’t seem like a lot, but the cookies will expand while baking, so avoid using too much dough.
Dip the cookie dough ball into the powdered sugar so that it is completely covered. Place the coated cookie dough ball on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat until the baking sheet is filled. Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet and space each cookie about 3 inches (7½ centimeters) apart. I can usually fit 12 cookies on my baking sheet. Cover the cookie dough that hasn’t yet been used and put it in the refrigerator.
Bake the cookies in the middle rack of the oven for 10-14 minutes. If you’re using European butter, your bake time might be closer to 12-14 minutes.
The cookies will seem very soft when you take them out, but they will firm up once they cool, so avoid overbaking them.
Your first batch might need to bake a bit longer, but you can reduce your baking time for the later batches.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool and set on the baking sheet for a few minutes. This allows them to retain their soft, chewy center with a slight crisp on the edges.
Continue baking the cookies in batches until all the cookie dough is used up.
Enjoy!