This recipe is adapted from a mid 1980s Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that is still one of my go-to references for great recipes. I’ve used it so frequently over the last 40 years that the pages are stained and practically falling out. I’m never getting rid of this cookbook!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 6 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk (we use 2%)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (Tip: Buy the best vanilla you can afford, it really makes a difference… and for sure do not buy imitation vanilla. Yuck. My favorite is Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon pure vanilla extract.)
- The zest of one lemon (this is the game changer, in my opinion)
To prepare the dough:
- Combine flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Beat butter and shortening until smooth.
- Add egg, milk, vanilla and the lemon zest and beat until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Do not overmix!
- Divide dough in half and wrap both halves in plastic wrap.
- Chill dough for at least three hours or up to one day. Alternatively, you can also freeze the dough for future use.
To shape the cookies:
- Divide dough halves in half again and roll on a lightly floured surface. I use a silicone mat and aim for approximately 1/8″ thickness; however, my house is divided, so the thickness varies intentionally – some of us like a thicker, softer cookie and others prefer a thin and crispy cookie.
- Cut rolled dough into desired shapes. I can’t pass a baking supply store without buying new shapes, so we have cutouts for virtually every occasion!
- Once you begin to cut the dough, you can reuse the scraps once or maybe twice, but the more flour you use, the more dry your cookies will become, so proceed with caution. If you have family members who like to eat the raw cookie dough, you will rarely reuse the scraps.
- Place cutouts on an ungreased cookie sheet. I’ve used Airbake cookie sheets my entire adult life and I swear by them. It’s more difficult to burn the cookies and they come out of the oven nice and fluffy.
- Bake in a 375 degree oven for eight minutes. The cookies may appear slightly underdone, but that’s what you want. If the edges are slightly browned, you’ve gone too far.
- Let the cookies rest (and basically finish baking) directly on the cookie sheet for at least two minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To prepare the icing, combine several cups of confectioners sugar with a few drops of vanilla and a small amount of milk. Nothing is exact with the icing. You just need to whisk in more milk or sugar until you achieve the desired consistency. I aim for slightly runnier than toothpaste. I then pour the icing into a squeeze bottle. You can buy inexpensive squeeze bottles online. To ice the cookies, first squeeze a border and then fill in the border. If you’re going to add sprinkles, place the cooling rack on top of a rimmed sheet pan to catch the extras for easier clean up. These cookies keep well for days, even outside of an air tight container. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Best,
Lisa