lemon thyme cookies
On Sundays, we bake! And what screams spring baking more than a lemon-y herb-y cookie recipe? I’m in love with these cookies. You can bake them same day, or freeze the dough in a log shape and slice them into rounds whenever you need a sweet treat. If you’re not yet convinced, I’ll let you in on a little secret; these cookies taste like those delicious Pilsbury holiday cookies with the Christmas trees or pumpkins on them, with just a little hint of je ne sais quoi. Need I say more? Stop reading, and get baking!
Lemon Thyme Cookies
Total time: 1.5 hours
Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Servings: Makes 12 big cookies
Ingredients
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (210g)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¾ cup room tempterature butter (170g) (see recipe notes)
¾ cup white sugar (156g), plus more for rolling
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp)
1.5 tsp fresh thyme (see recipe notes below)
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer or hand beater, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the egg until smooth, and then incorporate the lemon zest and lemon juice.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 3 or 4 batches, mixing just until combined. Incorporate the fresh thyme leaves. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or in an air-tight container and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or until fully chilled (see recipe notes below).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the cookie dough into balls slightly smaller than golf balls, and then gently roll them in white sugar. Separate the cookies on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges have just barely started to brown. Remove the cookies and place on a rack to cool. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Room temp butter is key to giving the cookie the right consistency. Trust me! I've tried skipping this step and it wasn't pretty. If you're like me and usually forget to set the butter out beforehand, here's a pro tip: cut the butter into about 1 inch cubes, and place in your mixing bowl. Place bowl in the microwave on 20 percent power for 30 seconds at a time. Repeat if necessary. This method softens the butter without melting. Genius!
The fresher the thyme, the better! I have once made this recipe with thyme that had been sitting in my fridge for several weeks, so it was almost dried out. The thyme was much stronger in flavour. If all you’ve got is old fridge thyme, like the one I had, no worries, but use less. I’d recommend 1 tsp. The good news is that you can always top the cookies with a few thyme leaves after they come out of the oven if you’re craving more thyme flavour plus a cute garnish, but you can’t take it away! So start easy, and add more later if you like. With fresh thyme, however, the flavour is much fresher and lighter, so don’t be afraid to add a little bit more.
*Why chill the cookies you ask? I know, it’s an annoying step, but really essential to make the dough easier to roll out, and to prevent the cookies from spreading into one big mess. If you’re in a hurry to start eating, fair enough. I have cheated the system before by chilling for just a few minutes in the fridge to cool the dough down to make it easier to roll. Then, I roll the dough into balls, and stick the dough balls directly in the freezer (on the cookie sheet or a plate) for 5-10 minutes before baking. This is a quicker way to cool down the dough before baking for those of you who are inpatient like me!
photo by Rob Soegtrop