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?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Any idea if I could I make these with a cookie press?
Love lemon and adjusted them lemon 🍋 to my liking! These are quick and easy to make. They look like they took a long time to make….but they really didn’t.
I have enjoyed and had fun with a lot of recipes. Posted. Please don’t take this sight. It is enjoyed by many .
These are so delicious!! We made them with vegan butter because we are dairy free and they turned out great. I also did not have lemon extract but used lemon zest instead. We will definitely be making these often! Thank you!
Do you think these could be made with a cookie press?
You’re very inspiring Amanda but you should cut your nails short! Long unpainted nails are very unappetizing. I thought you’d want to know this. Xx
Long unpainted nails are unappetizing? I am so sorry you feel this way. Also sorry that you felt like you needed to make this comment. Did you really think I would want to know your opinion about how you think my clean, unpolished, and therefore unchipped nails are not appetizing to you? I think you are in the minority Susie.
I’m truly sorry you have to deal with these comments!!!! It’s unbelievable people think it’s okay to be unkind. You are a treasure.
I made these tonight. Mine aren’t near as pretty as yours but my, they are delicious. I made half a batch. I used lemon zest and juice in the glaze. This past year I have a new found love for lemon.
They are so good but yes, they are delicate little boogers. I may just eat them all myself.
Thank you for sharing
I’m so confused! Where do I put in the fingernails? Can I substitute toenails if I don’t have any fingernails on hand? 😜
That was great! Loved the comment! 😆
Oh my goodness! Made these today and they’re wonderful! So delicate and lemony, and I haven’t even added the glaze yet!
I did have to add a little more flour, but I live in a humid region and I’m used to that for most cookies I make. I also opted for lemon juice and zest as opposed to extract. I zested 1 lemon and added 2.5tsp of lemon extract. Mine could have used a little bit more of a lemon punch, but I’m hoping the glaze will rectify that. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
best best lemon cookie recipe,thanks for sharing