Lemon Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1 lemon
3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 1/4 cup(s) sugar
1 cup(s) butter (no substitutions), softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
Ornamental Frosting (optional)
Decorative sanding sugar (optional)


Directions

• From lemon, grate 1 tablespoon peel and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice. Set peel and juice aside.
• On waxed paper, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat sugar and butter until blended. Increase speed to medium-high; beat 3 minutes or until light and creamy, frequently scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low; beat in egg, vanilla, and lemon peel and juice until mixed. Beat in flour mixture, just until mixed, occasionally scraping bowl. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; flatten each into disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight, until firm enough to roll. (Or place dough in freezer 30 minutes.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 disk of dough to scant 1/4-inch thickness. With floured 2 1/2- to 4-inch favorite springtime cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; wrap and refrigerate trimmings to reroll later. Place cookies, about 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.
• Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. With wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.
• When cookies are cool, if you like, prepare Ornamental Frosting (optional); use along with sugar to decorate cookies. Allow frosting to dry completely, about 1 hour. Store in tightly sealed container (with waxed paper between layers) at room temperature up to 2 weeks or in freezer up to 3 months.

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