sugar cookies

Valentine’s day is such a fun holiday, a reason to celebrate love. My family always made a big deal about Valentine’s day, with my dad preparing a special dinner for my mom, sister and I, as well as beautiful flower arrangements and cards. My mom always gave my sister and me a fun festive gift and we always wore red or pink.

These days, I still love to celebrate the Valentine’s day season, and though I made these lemon cookies with strawberry glaze Valentine’s day in mind, they can really be enjoyed any time of year. I love the speckles in the glaze from the freeze-dried strawberry powder and the overall “pink frosting flavored” vibe. The lemon cookies pair so well with the delicious strawberry glaze.

ingredients

for the cookies

  • 2 ¾ cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

for the glaze

  • 1 ½ cups confectioners sugar
  • 4-5 tablespoons milk
  • 3 teaspoons freeze-dried strawberry powder (I made my own by grinding up freeze-dried strawberries)

cookie steps

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the lemon zest and beat in for another 2 minutes. Add the egg and almond extract and beat until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix on low until the dough is evenly combined.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to ⅓ of an inch thick. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies just slightly start to turn golden. They will seem soft but will solidify more as they cool. Let cookies cool completely before glazing.

glaze steps

Combine confectioners sugar, milk, and strawberry powder in a medium-sized bowl. Stir vigorously to evenly incorporate.

Dip each cookie in the glaze and let any excess drip off the side. Let dry on a wire cooling rack until the glaze hardens.