Campfire Journeys

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Here is a simple from scratch recipe for Lemon Sugar Cookies that you can share with your fellow camping neighbors throughout the summer, and for many full timers and snowbirds, summer is almost all year round!!
These lemon sugar cookies when fresh out of the oven will be warm and chewy and after cooled will be nice and crisp!
This recipe is in two parts. The first part is for the dough that will make around 35 – 40 cookies and the second part is for the fresh Lemon Zest Sugar that will be enough for a double batch!

*note: If your lemons are on the small side add the zest from 2.5 lemons and the juice with pulp from 1.5 lemons in the dough.
Then use the zest from 1.5 of the small-ish lemons for the lemon sugar.
*note: Organic lemons typically have better flavor.

Dough Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks softened)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of two large lemons
juice of one large lemon with some fine pulp about 1 tablespoon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉ (convection setting if available) and line cookie sheet (I use 16" aluminium pizza pans for multi-use) with Parchment Paper.
(It’s always easier to get SUGAR cookies off sheet when lined with PP and helps with cleanup too (easy cleanup means less water)).
Mix together softened butter and sugar till creamy then add egg and mix well. Now add in lemon zest, lemon juice w/pulp, vanilla, salt, and flour till well mixed. (should be very soft but not to sticky).
Roll dough into one large ball in the mixing bowl and let sit for a few (5-10) minutes so the lemon zest can seep into dough better.
Use a teaspoon to scoop out dough and roll into balls about 1-1.5 inches round. (the bigger the ball the bigger the cookie and the less cookies you’ll get).
Roll your cookie balls as you make them into your lemon sugar in a large bowl till completely covered in lemon sugar and place on the parchment paper.
Press the balls down with your hand till they are fairly flat.
Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until the edges are turning a little tan/brown. (all ovens bake differently, especially at different altitudes while traveling)
Let cookies set for a couple of minutes on sheet before placing them on a cooling rack.
Store in an air tight container and for long term storage put air tight container in freezer!

Enjoy handing out smiles to your soon to be new friends!

Lemon Sugar Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
Zest from 1 large lemon

Mix lemon zest and sugar.. done!!