These Lemon Meltaway Cookies truly melt in your mouth! A soft, delicate cookie with the most amazing subtle lemon flavor. Don’t miss my 50 Best Cookie Recipes if you want more ideas!
What is a Meltaway Cookie?
Traditionally meltaway cookies are velvety, tender cookies that do not use eggs. It is quite soft and the flavor is produced through the extract added, whether it be vanilla, almond, or lemon in this case.
This a gentle reminder that a recipe is only as good as your ingredients. So always make sure you are buying quality products when you bake.
Tips for Meltaway Cookies
- This recipe is written for a stand mixer, but you can easily use a hand-held mixer.
- Make sure your ingredients are room temperature.
- A 1-tablespoon cookie scoop works best to achieve uniform cookies.
- Be sure to press the cookies flat right out of the oven, when the cookies are still pliable.
- Make sure cookies are cooled completely before adding glaze. The glaze will harden enough to stack cookies in about 12 hours, 24 hours is best.
Real Lemon Juice vs. Lemon Extract
If you don’t have lemon extract, you can use fresh lemon juice. Here is a simple equivalency:
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice = 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest = 1 teaspoon lemon extract
I have not tested these cookies with fresh lemon juice and zest.
How To Store Lemon Meltaway Cookies
Store Lemon Meltaway Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last up to 5 days. Or, freeze the cookies for up to 3 months. For more tips, check out my Guide to Freezing, Baking, and Storing Cookies!
Lemon Meltaway Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (96 g) cornstarch
- ¾ cup (96 g) confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 cup (128 g) all-purpose flour
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3 -4 teaspoons whole milk,
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- yellow food color, optional
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand-held mixer, mix the butter and cornstarch until well combined and lighter in color.
- With the mixer off, add confectioners' sugar.
- With the mixer on low, and the lemon extract and mix until ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Turn mixer off and add flour. With the mixer on low to medium-low, mix until the dough comes together (pulls away from sides of the bowl).
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, (you can also use a tablespoon measuring spoon) remove about a tablespoon of dough. Place onto the lined cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. (For a standard cookie sheet you can fit at least 8 cookies, a larger cookie sheet can hold about 14.)
- Once the cookie sheet is full, gently roll each between your hands until it is a smooth ball.
- Bake 8-10 minutes.
- Right out of the oven take a glass with a flat bottom and gently press it into the cookie.
- Allow cookies to cool for about 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack. Make sure cookies are completely cool before adding glaze.
Glaze
- In a medium bowl add 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 3-4 teaspoons of milk, and 1 teaspoon of lemon extract. It's best to start with ½ teaspoon of the extract and sample as you go. (Some prefer less and some folks prefer a more intense flavor.) Stir until smooth.
- Place in a piping bag and seal with a rubber band, or spoon onto the cookies.
Did you make this recipe?
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I’m excited to try this recipe because I like anything lemon!
Can I substitute a non dairy milk??
ny cookies baked out flatter than a pancake.wonder what went wrong?
Loved the cookies, made then for work and they were a hit. Very easy to make. The recipe is a keeper.
Jb the second glaze does not include lemon extract or juice. We read it clearly
Hi. Made these today and they are very flat. Had trouble with this step ( With the mixer on low to medium-low, mix until the dough comes together (pulls away from sides of the bowl)) <– about how long does this take? Mine never pulled away and I am wondering if that was the problem.
Thanks!
Sounds like the dough was still a bit “wet”. You can try adding more flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls away and is more firm. 🙂
A hit with my church family! I used lemon juice and lemon peel instead of extract. I found a recipe for another glaze using 3 tbsp lemon juice, 2 cups powdered sugar and 1tsp lemon peel. Also made a lime version that was equally delicious!
Is there a substitute for cornstarch? I cannot eat corn or products of corn.
The cookie is very delicate and the icing is great. I would just add at least a pinch of salt to the dough. It would enhance the overall flavor.
Yum. I love peppermint cookies and would love your recipe for the peppermint melt sways. ❤️