Meyer Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Meyer Lemon Cookies are melt-in-your-mouth crinkle cookies. Rolled in powdered sugar, with the delicate flavor of lemon, the texture is light and soft with a scrumptious crispy bottom. An after dinner dessert, a perfect cookie for afternoon tea, or a just a mid-day snack -- you definitely don’t want to miss these!

I love Meyer lemons and use them as much as possible in the winter when they're at the peak of their season.

These Lemon Crinkle Cookies are made with Meyer lemons, but you can use other lemons too.

There’s a touch of olive oil in the cookie dough, which is what sets these lemon crinkle cookies apart from others. It’s what helps to create an unforgettable texture that you’ll want to experience again and again.

I almost always go for cookies with chocolate before anything else, but these lemon cookies are truly hard to beat, and if given a choice between the two, it would be a toss up for sure.

The Ingredients

• Meyer lemon zest- Try to choose lemons with a very smooth skin and no green.
• Meyer lemon juice
• granulated sugar
• unsalted butter
• olive oil - Regular or extra virgin.
• eggs
• salt - I bake and cook with Kosher salt. I prefer it over other salts for a few reasons: its larger flake size makes it easy to pick up and sprinkle over food, it's less refined and usually doesn't contain additives, and it does a great job enhancing the flavor of foods without making it taste salty. If you use regular table salt, use half of the amount listed.
• pure vanilla extract - I like this one.
• all-purpose flour - Gluten-free all purpose flour is okay too. (See Substitutions below.)
• baking soda - If you don’t bake regularly, it’s a good idea to check to be sure it's still good. Pour a couple of tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice over about ¼ teaspoon of the baking soda. If it starts to fizz, it’s still good.
• baking powder - Like the baking soda, if you don’t bake regularly, it’s a good idea to check to be sure your it's is still good. Pour a couple of tablespoons of boiling water over about ¼ teaspoon of the baking powder. If it starts to fizz, it’s still good.
• powdered sugar (also called confectioners sugar)

Substitutions

• Meyer lemons are ideal, but any lemon variety can be a substitute.
• Gluten-free? This recipe has also been tested with Cup4Cup Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour and it works very well. Use 2 additional tablespoons of it.
• If you’re pressed for time, you can skip step 1 of rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar (see below recipe instructions), and use 1 teaspoon of lemon extract instead.

Recipe Tips

• Don’t forget to wash and dry the lemons before zesting them!
• Always zest before you juice the lemons.
• Do not use more than the instructed amount of lemon juice as it will change the texture of the cookies.
• This is a somewhat sticky dough, so it must be refrigerated before it can rolled into balls and then in powdered sugar. As you’ll see in the instructions below, I scoop the dough, refrigerate and then roll it. Alternately, you can refrigerate the dough, then scoop and roll. I don’t think either one is easier or less time consuming than the other, it’s just a matter of preference.
• Don’t shake off excess powdered sugar after rolling the dough in it. Too much is okay, while too little will result in a cookie with mostly bare areas. The powdered sugar is the key to the appearance of lemon crinkle cookies.
• Since all lemons vary is size, it’s impossible to say exactly how many you’ll need, which is why the measurements are in cups and tablespoons. I do give estimates.
• When measuring the lemon zest, do not pack down. We want ¼ cup that is lightly packed, meaning full, but not pressed down so that it's compressed.

How to Make Them

- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

- Add the lemon zest to the sugar in a small bowl, and use you fingers to rub the two together.

- Combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk to blend and set aside.

- In another bowl, combine the melted butter, olive oil, vanilla, lemon-sugar and salt. Mix just until until it’s smooth. Add the eggs and whisk again just until smooth. Then whisk in the lemon juice.

- Use a large spoon or spatula to fold the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Only mix until you no longer see dry spots.

- Use a 1¼-inch cookie scoop to shape the batter into small mounds, dropping them onto the parchment-lined baking sheet as you so. They can be close together at this point. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (and up to 2 days).

- After the 6 hours, or when you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F, add the sifted powdered sugar to a shallow bowl, and line another baking sheet with parchment paper.

- One by one, roll the shaped dough between your palms to form smooth balls. If they are sticking to the parchment, use a small flat-bottomed spatula to help release them.

- After each one is shaped, drop it into the powdered sugar and roll it until it’s completely and generously coated with it. Place them about 3 inches apart on the newly lined baking sheet as you go.

- Bake in the preheated oven just until the edges look slightly golden, about 13 minutes.

- Let them sit for at least five minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer them to a baking rack to cool to room temperature.

Meyer Lemons vs. Regular Lemons

• The flavor of a fresh Meyer lemon is a touch less tart and a touch more sweet than regular lemons.
• Meyer lemons have a much thinner and smoother skin and often fewer seeds, which ultimately results in a much juicer lemon.
• Meyers are typically a deeper yellow color (like an egg yolk), often almost orange — especially the skin, though typically inside and out.

Serving Suggestions

• Though citrus season is winter, and that’s when Meyer lemon trees are usually full, these lemon crinkle cookies are fantastic all year long. (This is why the substitution of regular lemons, which can be found all year, is suggested.)
• These cookies are excellent with tea in the afternoon, or for dessert any time. (Like all day long!)

More Lemon Dessert Recipes

• Frozen Lemon Custard with Lavender
• Gluten-Free Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake
• Lemon Bars with Coconut Crust
• Vanilla-Meyer Lemon Hot Milk Cake
• Meyer Lemon Flan

Making Them Ahead and Storing Them

• The dough can be made a few days in advance and refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic, or in an airtight container.
• Room temperature. In a tightly sealed container, the cookies can be kept at room temperature for 3 days.
• Freezer. Sealed tightly, you can store the cookies for about a month in the freezer. (Of course they’ll last longer than that frozen, but will taste the best for up to a month.)

(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)

I hope you think these Meyer Lemon Crinkle Cookies are as fabulous as my family and I do!