Darren Purchese's lemon drop cookies
You don't need a stand mixer to make these lovely lemon biscuits, which are finished with a glaze that's both delicious and easy.
Ingredients
Dough
115g unsalted butter, room temperature
200g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped (or use 1 tsp extract)
zest of 1 lemon
1 x 55g egg, lightly beaten
245g plain flour
3g (½ tsp) baking powder
Lemon glaze
125g icing mixture
60ml (3 tbsp) lemon juice, or as needed
Method
1. Preheat an oven to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional).
2. Line two standard baking trays with baking paper.
3. If using a stand mixer, place the butter, sugar, vanilla and zest into a bowl fitted with a paddle, and beat on a medium speed until the mixture is pale, smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a spatula or scraper. If you don't have a stand mixer, add the ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat well by hand with a stiff spatula.
4. Add the egg and beat again until combined.
5. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add, mix slowly until a soft dough forms.
6. Divide the dough into 16 even-sized pieces and roll into balls. Press each ball gently onto the baking tray, 8 per tray.
7. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until cooked and lightly golden. Leave to cool on a cake rack.
8. To make the glaze, sift the icing mixture into a bowl and gradually add the lemon juice a few drops at a time, mixing with a spoon, until you have a thick but smooth icing.
9. When the cookies are cool, spoon a little icing over each cookie and allow to set.
Get baking in your own home with pastry whiz Darren Purchese's July 4 online cookie class, complete with ingredient kit, available to click and collect from Burch & Purchese in Melbourne's South Yarra or have delivered by Providoor (Victoria only).
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