Amazing Lemon Drop Cookies

Remember my favorite Lemon Tree?

Well, I finally picked my last two lemons and I just knew what I wanted to make with them.

Curious about the difference between meyer lemons and store bought lemons?

Well, they look a little different.  My meyer lemons are very round.  They are also very soft and smooth.  But as far as taste goes, they taste just like a normal lemon.

So, once I "harvested" my bounty of two lemons I was trying to decide the best way to eat up these lemons.

Immediately I thought of the Best Cookie Shop in the World (I'm probably not exaggerating).

I went online and I googled, "Recipe for Ruby Snap Lemon Cookies".

Unfortunately Ruby Snap has not released any of their recipies.  

What??  I know, I was as surprised as I'm sure you are right now.

So I went on to plan B.-- which was googling, "Lemon Drop Cookie Recipes".

I searched through a couple recipes before deciding this one from Make It Do looked the best.

Here's her Recipe:

LEMON DROP COOKIES

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 – 1/3 cup sugar
• Zest of one lemon – reserve juice for glaze
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 – 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 4 ounces lemon drop candies, crushed

For the glaze:

• 1 – 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix flour, soda, and salt until well blended, set aside.   In a separate bowl add sugar and lemon zest.  Using your fingers, rub together until well blended and fragrant.  Add softened butter and cream together.  Blend in eggs, vanilla, and lemon extract.  Mix in crushed lemon drop candies.  Add flour mixture in batches until mixed in.  Do not overmix.

Using a cookie scoop or a spoon drop 1 inch balls onto a greased cookie sheet.  Flatten balls slightly with your hand.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes until slightly browned.

Cool and spoon glaze on top.  Allow glaze to set up before serving.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

The one thing I thought that was kind of weird was when it tells you to add sugar and lemon zest together and then rubbing it with your fingers to blend.

I thought it was sort of strange.  But then I did it and it smelled So yummy.  Then I licked my fingers when I was done.  Yum-- lemon sugar.

Another step tells you to mash up the lemon drops.  I got out my lemon drops, put them in a ziplock bag, then did one hammer with my mallet.  Immediately my husband was at my side, eagar to mash up some lemon drops.  He thought that was quite fun.

I decided to leave my lemon drops a little chunky, because I was thinking bigger chucks would be fun.  Next time I make this (probably this afternoon) I'll probably smash them up smaller.

Also, I will mention these cookies grow a lot during their baking time in the oven.  Be warned.

After they're cooled, you add a lemon glaze.  So good!  My husband said they were even good enough to replace chocolate chip cookies.  And we're pretty serious about chocolate in this home.  So that's very high marks indeed. 

Oh, and in case you're wondering, my lemon tree is growing two new baby lemons.

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