Lemon Drop Sugar Cookies

The Inspiration…

I have a guilty pleasure and it is Panera Lemon Drop cookies. If I stop for lunch and they offer me the $1 baked good, you can bet your bottom dollar I am getting a Lemon Drop cookie. There is just something about the bright lemon flavor mixed with the sweet, rich white chocolate that I can’t resist. This chewy sugar cookie is bound to be a new favorite!

We start out here with a basic sugar cookie recipe. Butter and sugar are creamed together until light and fluffy. Then we start adding the good stuff. The lemon and vanilla extract provide the essence of the flavor and the lemon zest really kicks it up a notch.

I like to use a hand mixer until I am ready to add in the white chocolate chips. The dough is pretty dense, and the wooden spoon helps your muscle through and mix those chips evenly throughout the dough. By the time it is all mixed together the lemon smell will have you drooling, and you’ll be tempted to dig in!!

(Disclaimer: The CDC recommends not eating raw or undercooked cookie dough as both raw flour and eggs have the potential to make you sick.)

Once you scoop out your cookies, you’ll want to roll the dough into balls between your (clean) hands. Then you can pop them in the oven!

While the cookies bake your house will smell heavenly. When they come out of the oven, they will be slightly golden on the bottom and a little crinkly. They will deflate slightly as they cool. You’re going to want to eat one warm. Go ahead. You’ve earned it. But, save room for another once they’ve been dusted with powdered sugar.

This recipe makes quite a few cookies so package some up and share with your neighbors, family, and friends. This is a great recipe for a church potluck or a bake sale. A unique flavor that will have people coming back for more!

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Lemon Drop Sugar Cookies

Yield: 32

Author: Julia Goodrich

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 33 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 58 Min

These copy-cat Panera Lemon Drop cookies will melt in your mouth and leave you wanting another! The smooth, sweet white chocolate chips are the perfect accompaniment to that bright lemon flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 TBSP vanilla extract
• 1 TBSP lemon extract
• the zest of one lemon
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• 3 TBSP powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the sugar and butter with a hand mixer (or stand mixer).
3. Add your egg, egg yolk, vanilla and lemon extracts, and lemon zest and mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together your flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well.
5. Add in your chocolate chips. If using a hand mixer, you may want to switch to a wooden spoon to incorporate the chips well.
6. Scoop out the dough using a 1/8 cup cookie scoop (or use spoons). Roll the dough between your hands to form a ball. Place about 2 inches away from each other. Each tray should hold 12 cookies.
7. Bake each tray for 11 minutes on the middle oven rack. If you back two trays at once, I recommend rotating the trays halfway through. I prefer to bake my trays one at a time.
8. Let cool on the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool.
9. Dust with powdered sugar.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

174.55

Fat

8.67

Sat. Fat

5.23

Carbs

22.61

Fiber

0.35

Net carbs

22.26

Sugar

14.92

Protein

1.84

Sodium

56.20

Cholesterol

28.48

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.