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Speckulatus Sugar Cookies

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

Ingredients
 
 

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
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