Speckulatus Sugar Cookies

These lemon sugar cookies became a family favorite and tradition when my dad was a kid back in the early 1950’s. My Grandma Virginia found this recipe in a magazine and decided to try it out. The magazine had named them “Speckulatus Cookies”, but I think that word is technically a Dutch or German spice cookie (rather than a lemon sugar cookie). However, for nostalgia reasons, I have continued calling them “Speckulatus”.  Also, the recipe originally called for the cookies to be rolled to 1/4″ thickness, but my grandma goofed and rolled the dough paper thin. My Dad and Grandpa Jerry fell in love with the super thin cookies, and our family’s traditional annual Christmas cookie was born. I remember making batch after batch every year with my Grandma Virginia using her favorite yellow mixing bowl. It’s one of my favorite childhood memories.

This is still my go-to sugar cookie recipe- I’ve never found another recipe that beats it- it’s so yummy with its hint of lemon and has a great buttery texture. If I make them for my family, I still roll them paper thin and decorate them with the original icing recipe & sugar sprinkles. However, I also love to use this recipe for 1/4″ thick cookies that I decorate with royal frosting.

A few weeks ago, I was in the mood to decorate cookies, and wanted to make something whimsical. I had acquired a VW Beetle cookie cutter a few years ago, but had never found a reason to use it. Feeling nostalgic, I set to work to recreate a “groovy” 70’s cookie set in honor of my old ’73 Volkswagon Beetle that I drove from 1985-1988 (my first car). 🙂

For these cookies I used a Lemon Royal Frosting. It really gave the frosting a little bit of tart to offset the sweet in the frosting!

Since I had 3 rindless lemons left after making the dough, so I thought I would try substituting lemon juice for some of the water in the royal frosting. It was a wonderful addition to the frosting!

I boxed up the cookies in a set of 3, and attached a “Have a Groovy Day” tag to the packages before I took them in for my coworkers.

Speckulatus Sugar Cookies

A delightful lemon sugar cookie with a great butter texture and flavor

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

Cookies

Triple Batch Cookie Dough:

• 2 cups Butter
• 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar + 3 Tbsp
• 3 Eggs
• 3 tsp Grated Lemon Rind
• 6 cups Flour
• 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
• 3/8 tsp Salt

Single Batch Cookie Dough:

• ⅔ cup Butter
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar + 1 Tbsp
• 1 Eggs
• 1 tsp Grated Lemon Rind
• 2 cups Flour
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Baking Powder
• ⅛ tsp Salt

Icing

• 3 Tbsp Boiling Water
• ½ tsp Vanilla
• ½ cup Powdered Sugar

Instructions

 

To Make Cookie Dough:

• Cream Butter and Sugar well in large mixing bowl.
• Add Egg(s) and Grated Lemon Rind and beat thoroughly
• Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl; add to butter mixture and blend until thoroughly incorporated.
• Wrap dough in wax paper and chill for several hours (if making a triple batch, you will need to divide the dough into 2 or 3 sections and wrap separately).

To Bake Cookies:

• Roll dough ¼" thick (or paper thin for my family's favorite cookie)
• Cut out with cookie cutter
• Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet
• Bake in 325° F oven for 10-12 minutes (or 6-8 minutes if rolled paper thin)

To Make Icing (if using):

• Add Vanilla and Powdered Sugar into hot/boiling water, and mix until sugar is dissolved (icing will be very running)
• While hot, brush icing on cookies, and decorate with colored sugar sprinkles, non-perils, and/or jimmies.

Notes

Tips: 

1.  A “dash” is 1/8 tsp (so 3 dashes would be 3/8 tsp – or a scant 1/2 tsp).
2.  It’s best to use a zester for the lemon rind.  However, it will work to use the smallest holes on the side of a box grater. 
3.   The icing in the original recipe is basically runny sugar water that is meant to be brushed on with a pastry brush so that the sprinkles will stick to the cookies. When using this type of icing on my cookies, I only make a single batch of icing at a time (rather than tripling it, even if I make a triple batch of cookie dough) because it is best to brush it on when the icing is still hot (or at least warm).  It’s super easy and quick to make, and making it in small batches ensures that it won’t dry in the bowl before you are ready to brush it on your cookies.  
4.   When I make 1/4″ thick cookies, I decorate them with royal frosting rather than with the sugar water icing. (I only use the icing listed in this recipe if I am making my super thin cookies for my family). 

Keyword Cookies

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!