italian dessert recipes

Lemon Cookie Recipe

"...with a surprise bourbon glazed almond crunch!"




lemon cookie recipe


This lemon cookie recipe has a hidden crunch surprise - bourbon glazed almonds! This is one of many easy drop cookie recipes, if you don't drink the bourbon and attempt making lemon zest at the same time.



There are a few substitutions and modifications that can be done. See substitution section below. Bottom line lemon and butter cannot be substituted. But the nuts and bourbon can be swapped out, OR totally left out.





Lemon Cookie Recipe

With Bourbon Almond Crunch


YIELD - About 2 Dozen Lemon Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1 Tbsp of honey

1/4 cup softened butter

1 large egg

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 teaspoon baking soda

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. of juice squeezed from that lemon

Procedure

 * Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

* Combine honey with sugar till it's crumbly and turned color. I use a pastry cutter.

* Add butter, blend.

* Add egg, blend till smooth.

* Add lemon zest and lemon juice.

* In separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and one shake of salt.

* Add to egg and sugar mixture. Mix until well combined.

* Add the glazed almonds and stir together.

* Drop by tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Space about 2-3 inches apart. These spread.

* Bake until golden.

Glazed Bourbon Almonds

* 2 Tbsp of white sugar

* 1/4 cup of blanched almonds chopped smaller than peas.

(You can blanch almonds if you only have whole almonds in your pantry. See how to blanch almonds.)

* 2 tsp. of bourbon (plenty still left to drink!)

* 1 tsp of butter

Procedure

 * Place sugar and almonds in saucepan.

* Turn heat to low.

* Allow sugar to melt and liquefy.

* Add butter and brown.

* Once browned splash the 2 tsp of bourbon.

* Yes, it will sizzle and poof!

* Your almonds should be sugary and maybe even a little crystallized.

* Remove from heat and immediately break apart.






Do I need *fresh* lemons?



Heck yeah! Ditch the bottle forever. This is a lemon cookie recipe, hence the need for aREAL lemon.


Can I substitute the almonds?



Sure. You could swap out walnuts. I would stay away from any of these nuts we use in Italian dessert recipes, I don't feel they would jive well with the lemon:

  • pistachios


  • hazelnuts


  • pecans - only because we don't use them in Italian dessert recipes.


    • Too many blanched almonds?



    Italian dessert recipes use a lot of blanched almonds. Don't worry about having too many. It's a heck of a lot cheaper to buy raw whole almonds and blanch yourself than to buy them already blanched. You know those expensive little bags in the baking aisle? Those. They are nutsy over-priced! So, here's some other recipes that use blanched almonds:





    Can I substitute the bourbon?



    Yup. Anything with a zing would work. Nothing sweet. All that is coming to mind right now is rum.

    Italian Cookie Recipes
    easy italian dessert
    Italian Dessert
    Recipes
    Enjoy This Site?
    Keep checking back!
    I update at least once a week.

    Recipes on this site are from family cookbooks, family traditions, or intentional adaptations from traditional recipes to add an Italian flair. If a recipe was adapted or used from another cook - it is mentioned on the recipe page and the recipe author is given credit.