Italian Lemon Cookies are packed with citrus sunshine. Their crunchy sugar exterior gives way to a soft, cake-like interior!
Why you'll love this recipe
This is a lovely soft, pillow-y, cakey cookie. The sugar coating adds eye appeal and a delicious crunch.
Sometimes called Anginetti Cookies, Italian Wedding Cookies, or Italian Lemon Knot Cookies these fluffy cookies are traditionally topped with a simple lemon glaze. For a treat that is safe to send in care packages any time of year, even during hot weather, this version of the Italian lemon drop cookie is instead coated in sparkling yellow sugar.
Cookies made with shortening tend to stay soft longer and these are no exception. The ingredients for this Italian treat are ideal for adding to hot weather care packages.
Ingredients
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a small bowl, microwave vegetable shortening until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl whisk to combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat melted vegetable shortening and sugar until combined, about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the eggs, water, and lemon extract or lemon juice and zest. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly add the flour mixture until just combined. Overmixing will produce a less tender cookie.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough. Roll into a ball. Roll the ball in yellow sugar. Place coated dough balls 1” apart on prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Tops of cookies will not darken. Bottoms of cookies will have just begun to turn golden brown.
Storage
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these lemon cookies (using lemon extract) stay fresh for at least 2 weeks. If using fresh lemon juice and zest, the storage time may be less, but the cookies will definitely stay fresh for at least 1 week.
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Tips
- Softened butter can be substituted for the shortening in this recipe, but produces a slightly denser crumb.
- Lemon extract is recommended for hot weather care packages, however, for other uses the zest and juice of ½ lemon can be used instead.
- To make a traditional Italian glaze for these cookies, mix one cup of powdered sugar with the juice of ½ lemon. Dip the cookies into the glaze or drizzle the glaze on top.
- To make your own yellow sugar, add white large crystal sugar and a few drops of yellow food coloring gel to a ziplock bag. Mush the bag until the sugar is evenly colored. Open the bag an allow the sugar to dry before using.
Frequently asked questions
The Italian for angel-like refers to the texture of these cookies that's "light as an angel".
Italian lemon cookies can be frozen in an airtight container, in layers separated by wax paper, for up to 3 months.
More lemon cookies
Crunchy Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies are a tender lemon cookie perfectly paired with crunchy poppy seeds.
Lemon Lime Butter Cookie Rosettes are beautiful citrus cookies piped into roses.
Sugar Cookie Lemon Slices look just like real lemon slices using icing and simple decorating.
Shrewsbury Biscuits are an English tea time treat!
Lemon Biscotti are ideal served with either a hot mug of tea or a glass of iced tea.
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Italian Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup butter-flavored vegetable shortening Crisco
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract or juice and zest of ½ lemon
- ½ cup yellow large crystal decorating sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, microwave vegetable shortening until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat melted vegetable shortening and sugar until combined, about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the eggs , water, and lemon extract or lemon juice and zest.
- Reduce speed of mixer and slowly add dry ingredients until just combined. Overmixing will produce a less tender cookie.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough. Roll into a ball. Roll the ball in yellow sugar.
- Place coated dough balls 1” apart on prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Tops of cookies will not darken. Bottoms of cookies will have just begun to turn golden brown.
- Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- These cookies are soft and cake-like. They will remain soft for at least 2 weeks if stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Notes
- Softened butter can be substituted in this recipe, but produced a slightly denser crumb.
- Lemon extract is recommended for hot weather care packages, however, for other uses the zest and juice of ½ lemon can be used instead.
- To make a traditional Italian glaze for these cookies, mix one cup of powdered sugar with the juice of ½ lemon. Dip the cookies into the glaze or drizzle the glaze on top.
- To make your own yellow sugar, add white large crystal sugar and a few drops of yellow food coloring gel to a ziplock bag. Mush the bag until the sugar is evenly colored. Open the bag an allow the sugar to dry before using.
Nutrition
First published: July 19, 2013. Last Updated: April 30, 2022. Updated for additional information, improved photographs and better reader experience.
Frugal Hausfrau
You have more fab cookie recipes than anyone I've ever known! These are darling! Thanks for sharing with us on Throwback Thursday!
Mollie
Beverly
These look just wonderful. I love anything with ,lemon.
Bev
The Monday Box
Thanks, Beverly! I love anything lemon too! The more lemony, the better!
Reeni
These are so bright and sunny - I can't help but love them! They make me so happy! I love a big pop of lemon flavor in mine too plus I love how cakey and thick they are. I think that's about 3 loves you've gotten from me. I should totally make these!
themondaybox
Thanks so much, Reeni! Bright colors (and delicious flavors) do seem to bring on an attack of happiness. 🙂 I loved the cakey texture of these cookies and the lemon flavor, especially with lemon juice and zest, was definitely a pop (of the good kind)! I hope you will try them and let me know what you think! 🙂
shannon
you said that perfectly: stubborn IS a negative name for determined, and being "stubborn" serves a baker well, because you keep working at something until you get it right. Imagine if the first person to make a cake hadn't been "stubborn," right? no cake. and that would be sad.
i'm thrilled you made these: you say the words "lemon" and "pillows" in the same sentence and i'm completely there; i LOVE lemon cookies! sounds so great during the summer (who am i kidding; sounds great all year long.) 🙂
themondaybox
Your comments always make me smile, Shannon! Though you are light years beyond me in baking know-how and talent, we are kindred spirits in baking determination! Your enthusiastic encouragement is appreciated!!
I love lemon flavor, preferably fresh lemon.There really is nothing better with a cup of tea than a lemon cookie! I like lemon in sweet things and savory. My favorite lemon dessert is the filling to lemon meringue pie. Give me a bowl of that stuff and a spoon and I am one happy camper. 🙂
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen
So bright and colorful!
My daughter just turned two, so everything is "mine" right now 🙂 On most days, I think it's cute...
themondaybox
Thanks, Loretta! Lemon is a bright and colorful flavor. 🙂 Most things a two year old says are cute.....the first 100 or so times! Its those two year old statements that teasured memories are made of.:)
Ashley
These cookies sound great! Ever since I made lemon lime cookies I've been all about lemon in baked goods!
haha oh man, my parents constantly tell stories about how I was a quite a chatty little thing. There are plenty of stories where I managed to embarrass my mom because of what I said! Makes me chuckle now : ) One involved me telling some people to hurry up and sit down because they were blocking others' views at a show (they came in late and were standing right in front of my seat). lol so bad!
themondaybox
Someone needed to teach those people a lesson about showing up late and apparently you were the one to do it, Ashley! I bet the adults would have liked to say the same thing! 🙂
Your comment about lemon lime cookies has me thinking that this recipe would probably work well as any kind of citrus combination. Hmmm. I may have to try lemon lime, orange, orange lime.......:) I think citrus is especially appealing in the summer!
Miss Messy
How cute! Sparkly cookies! 😀
themondaybox
Thanks! I think they taste as good as they look. 🙂
Joanne
I can definitely be stubborn when it comes to getting a baking result I like! I'm so glad you pushed through because these cookies are so pretty!
themondaybox
Thanks, Joanne! Over time I hope that good results will rely less on magic and more on knowledge. 🙂 In between, stubborn helps!
Suzie
Of course cookie packages will be needed there shortly! 🙂 The matzo balls were so easy for me but, I read the trick was the seltzer. It worked for me. The dumplings are different, I want the light, fluffy ones like my grandmother made. I cannot seem to ever get them to turn out. And I have tried! Every few months I get on a kick and try 3 or 4 new recipes, then I give up for a few months...lol!! (I've been doing it for years too!).
Suzie
I always like hearing those childhood stories that are repeated. I do the same to my son and he just laughs. I got the first kisses (even before mom and dad) from my grandson when he was here. I know I will never forget that and it will be told over and over! How you are with cookies is how I am with chicken and dumplings. I can never seem to get the dumplings right but, I keep trying. Eventually I'll get through all the recipes on the internet...ha!! Your cookies look and sound delightful! I love the colored sugar too 🙂
themondaybox
Thanks, Suzie! Seeing his adorable photos, I just knew your grandson was a snuggle bug! How wonderful to be able to store up his baby kisses! Pretty soon he will be "needing" grandma to mail him cookie care packages. Cookies ALWAYS taste better when grandma makes them. 🙂
Would you believe I have never tried making dumplings?! Are they similar in method to making matzo balls (I remember you did an awesome job on those!)? My struggle with matzo balls is making them light and fluffy. I have made more than my share of golf balls (Which is better than bowling balls, I suppose.)
thehungrymum
How gorgeous are these?! Lemon is one of my favourite flavours in baked goods 🙂
themondaybox
Thank you, hungrymum! Amazing what colored sugar and sprinkles can do for a cookie! 🙂 In this case, the large sugar crystals add crunch as well. I am also a lemon lover. Even my wedding cake( long, long ago) had lemon filling! The baker thought I was crazy.
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker
Sounds delicious! I love lemon anything. Love the sugar toppings. YUM!
themondaybox
These really are lemon lovelies, Anne! If you are making them to eat at home, use real lemon juice and zest. It is sooo good! The sugar gives a great crunch to a very soft and tender cookie.
beyondfrosting
I love making my own sugar. Except that I bought a 25 lb box and I have sugar to last me the next 10 years hahah!
themondaybox
I am hoping another blogger in my city will split a 25 lb box with me, Julianne. Then I will only have enough for 5 years! 🙂 But think of the colors! Now I want to figure out how to flavor the sugar/sprinkles (as well as color them) and figure out how to give sugar that iridescent glow that some colored sugar has. Any ideas?
noyomoco
Haha, "self" - very cute 🙂 I'm hearing lots of those kinds of stories from my mom now that I'm pregnant. It is nice!
These cookies look like beautiful, sparkly morsels! Love them 🙂
themondaybox
Funny how the brain works, Jennifer. I can't remember what I came into the room for but I can remember endearing things my kids did/said 20 years ago! I think there must be a separate part of the brain for "mom memory". 🙂
These cookies continue to amaze me as they stay so soft and light for so long! Their beauty goes beyond their surface sparkle! 🙂
mmmarzipan
They look fabulous! What a great recipe 🙂
themondaybox
Thank you! I love the soft cake-like texture with the crunch of the sugar! 🙂