Lemon Ginger Blossom Cookies Recipes

LEMON GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 1 minute. Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Beat in 2 Tablespoons of chopped crystallized ginger. Dough will be thick and sticky. Scoop small sections of dough (about 1 scant Tablespoon of dough each) and roll into balls. Very lightly dip the tops of each into remaining crystallized ginger. (You don't want too much- just a few pieces.) Place dough balls onto a large plate or lined baking sheet.
• Cover and chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (and up to 4 days).
• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
• Arrange chilled cookie dough balls 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft.
• Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Whisk the glaze ingredients together. If desired, add more confectioners' sugar to thicken or more juice to thin out. The thicker the glaze, the whiter (and less translucent) it will be. Drizzle on cooled cookies. Icing will set after about 1 hour, so these are convenient to store and transport.
• Cookies without glaze stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Cookies with glaze stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

GINGER-LEMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Set the oven at 325 degrees.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• In an electric mixer, cream the butter with the 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar.
• When the mixture is smooth, beat in the egg, lemon rind, and vanilla.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt.
• With the mixer set on its lowest speed, add the dry ingredients to the batter.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or until well chilled.
• With floured hands, using heaping teaspoons of the dough to form balls, roll them until smooth.
• Arrange them 2-inches apart on the baking sheets.
• Put the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl.
• Dip the bottom of a glass first in cold water, then in sugar and press the balls to flatten them to a 1/3-inch thickness.
• Bake the cookies for 18 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
• Cool on wire racks.
• Store in an airtight container.

HEALTHIER LEMON-GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine sugar and canola oil in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add molasses and egg and beat until fluffy. Stir in flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest; mix until well combined. Use a small cookie scoop to measure out teaspoonfuls of dough; place 2 inches apart on an insulated baking sheet and flatten slightly with a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges just start to brown, 12 to 15 minutes; do not overbake.
• Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool, 8 to 10 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, mix together icing sugar, margarine, lemon juice, 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons milk for the glaze. Mix thoroughly until desired consistency, adding more milk if needed. Drizzle glaze onto cooled cookies.

GLAZED LEMON AND CRYSTALLIZED GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375.
• Mix sugar, crystallized ginger and lemon zest and process about 30 seconds in food processor.
• Add flour, salt and baking powder and pulse until combined.
• Add butter in chunks and pulse until mixture resembles fine cornmeal.
• In small bowl beat lemon juice, egg yolk and vanilla with fork. Add slowly to ingredients in running food processor. Continue running until mixture forms a ball.
• Turn onto counter and knead briefly to even out dough. Shape into 2 inch diameter log, wrap tightly in parchment and chill for 45 minutes in freezer or 2 hours in refrigerator.
• Slice into 3/8 inch thick discs and bake on parchment paper until centers just begin to color and edges begin to brown - 14-16 minutes.
• Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then completely on cooling rack before glazing.
• Make glaze by whisking cream cheese and lemon juice until smooth, then whisking in sugar. Spread about 1 tsp glaze on each cookie and let stand about one hour until glaze is set and dry.