Jenevera and I LOVE to bake. It has become a bit of a tradition now that we bake every Sunday, but every now and then, mommy ventures off on her own to make some yummy treats for her family.
Lunar New Year is in full fledge and for the first day of New Years, I wanted to make a treat for my mom. She loves my chewy lemon cookies, but the pale yellow colour would definitely be a no-no for the festivities. Solution? Pink Lemonade Cookies! Same great recipe as my chewy lemon cookies but with a teeny tiny tweak.
The results were delicious. They turned out so pretty and really delicious plus the texture is to drool for! Slightly crispy exterior and chewy interior. So good that Nelson ate 3 at one sitting!
Some tips:
- Chill the dough thoroughly! I ran out of space in my fridge so thank goodness for Canadian winters. We used the natural fridge of my patio steps and chilled for about 2.5 hours. If you can, chill it for at least 4 as they did spread quite a bit.
- Undercooking is better! You want to take out before the bottom browns.
- If you don’t want to use food colouring, try alternatives such as beet powder or pure beet or pomegranate juice.
- Fluff your flower before scooping into your measuring cup.
- Always crack your eggs into separate bowl before adding into your butter/sugar mixture to prevent shells in your cookies.
- Before baking, place the dough balls a few inches apart as they will spread during the baking process.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided to 3/4 cup & 1/4 cup
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 -1 tsp vanilla extract (we love vanilla so we tend to use 1tsp)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp maraschino cherry syrup and if you want the colour more vibrant, 3 drops of pink food colouring. If you do not have the cherry syrup, use one of the alternatives above or just pink food colouring will work. The syrup added a little hint of extra flavour and a very very light tint. Use the food colouring or alternatives for a more vibrant colour.
Instructions:
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (butter should turn a pale yellow) with a stand mixer or hand mixer.
- Mix in lemon juice, zest, egg and vanilla until well incorporated (scrape down bowl if needed)
- With your mixer on low or manually fold in flour, baking soda and salt until no streaks remain. Add in cherry syrup and food colour until desired colouring.
- Cover and chill in fridge (or outside on a colder winter day if you’re in a pinch) for at least 2 hours. Over night if possible
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper
- Portion and shape dough into smooth balls and coat with remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Mine were done at 11 minutes as I think my oven runs a little high. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.
This recipe made approximately 18 cookies for us, but it would depend on how large or small you portion out your cookies
If you make this recipe make sure you tag me on Instagram @TheDancingAvonLady
Until next time, xo’s ~
