Glazed Lemonade (aka Revamped Soft Lemonade)

 Now this is what I was going for.  It didn't take me long to figure out that the lemonade concentrate wasn't enough flavor for these cookies.  I needed to up the ante with lemon extract and lemon peel.  And just for fun (and to make them a little prettier), I decided a little lemon glaze would be the (literal) icing on the cookie.

The lemon peel is something I picked up from Penzeys Spices on a whim.  I'm glad I did because I usually don't have lemons in the house and would have probably wasted the unused portion.  I mixed the lemon peel with water and added it to the batter and the flavor was just as good as a fresh lemon. I'm looking forward to seeing what else I can use it in.

I was not disappointed.  A nice light but noticeable lemon flavor, a soft cookie, and a hint of sweetness from the glaze.  Hope these make up for the flop I posted earlier!


Glazed Lemonade

Ingredients (for cookies)

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon dried lemon peel, reconstituted
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.  Add lemon extract and lemon peel; mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda.  Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with lemonade concentrate, mixing well after each addition.

On a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, drop by spoonfuls (I use a small cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart.  Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Turn baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through. If using more than one sheet at a time, rotate positions in the oven for more even baking.  Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to complete cooling on rack.

Ingredients (for glaze)
 
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon lemon extract

In small bowl, stir all frosting ingredients together until smooth.  Place a piece of parchment or a silicone mat under a cooking rack.  Using the back of a spoon, spread glaze onto the center of the cookie (it will spread to the edges), and allow to set on cooling rack.  Any glaze that drips off the edges will  fall onto the parchment and not your table or counter, making for easy clean up.  Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired.

For storage, allow glaze to set before packing into airtight containers. If you are going to layer the cookies, I suggest putting one layer in the container and popping it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Then place a piece of wax paper on top and repeat layers.


Makes 6 dozen.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess