3/4cupunsalted butter, softenedDairy-free option use Smart Balance butter. Depending on how soft your dairy-free butter is, you may need to chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes. The cookie dough balls should not be super soft and should hold their shape.
1cupgranulated sugar
1largeegg
2tablespoonslemon juice
1teaspoonpure lemon extractIf you do not have lemon extract, you can add another 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in its place.
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
1teaspoondried lemon peelYou can find dried lemon peel with the seasonings at the grocery store. You can substitute with 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.
2dropsgluten-free yellow gel food coloring (optional)For a more yellow cookie, you can add two drops of gluten-free gel food coloring.
1 3/4cupsall-purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gumI like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray the baking sheet with gluten-free cooking spray.
In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy.
Mix in the egg, pure vanilla extract, pure lemon extract, lemon juice, and dried lemon peel until fully combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed. For a more yellow cookie, you can add two drops of gluten-free gel food coloring.
Whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the gluten-free flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until smooth.
Drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoon or use a greased cookie scoop. (I used a greased 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop). Place the cookies 2-inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. If you are baking one batch at a time, place the cookie dough back into the refrigerator.
Bake the cookies on the middle rack for 12-13 minutes or until cookies starting to lightly brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool cookies about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Please watch your cookies because all ovens are different.
Once the cookies are cooled, drizzle the glaze over the cookies.
Store the leftover cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Glaze
Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cookies.
Video
Notes
I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
Use the "spoon and knife" method to measure gluten-free flour.
I always use a greased 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop.
You can substitute 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for the lemon extract.
You can substitute 1 tablespoon of lemon zest for the dried lemon peel.
I use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop.
I like to use Reynolds Kitchens Cookie Baking Sheets. It has a smart grid that makes it super easy to line up your cookies on your baking sheet.
For the dairy-free option, I used Smart Balance butter. Depending on how soft your dairy-free butter is you may need to chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes. The cookie dough balls should not be super soft and should hold their shape.
Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
The cookie dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 6 months.