Lemon Crinkle Cookies

There was a bit of a sweet tooth attack here last night.  I love eating healthy meals but I love sweets too and I don't think those two things contradict each other.  It seems to me that if you are eating healthy, low calorie meals a small dessert is more than ok.  Especially if the sweets are homemade with whole ingredients and not just processed junk.

Sometimes that processed stuff (oreos how I love you!) can be so appealling and they are oh so easy.  But then again, making something from scratch doesn't have to be hard either.  As I mentioned the sweet tooth struck last night but there was no dessert!  Ah!  It also so happens that since it was Thursday (and we grocery shop on Saturday)  there was almost nothing left  in the house that was up for grabs.  We did have one last lemon though, and it turned out that was all I needed to whip up a batch of these amazing lemon crinkle cookies.  I have a thing for crinkle cookies, they are so soft and chewy on the inside...yum.  Last Christmas I posted a recipe for some Butterscotch Crinkle Cookies that also happened to be a last minute pantry raid.  Delicious.

Anyway, these cookies mix up quickly and you really only need a few pantry staples and a lemon.  They are lemony and lightly sweet and they are sort of addictive so watch out!  The recipe only makes about 2 dozen 2 inch cookies so if you are feeding a crowd you may want to double this.   Homemade cookies in under half an hour....and they really are better than oreos. :)  Enjoy!

Lemon Crinkle Cookies, from lauren's latest
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray or line the trays with silicon baking mats.

In the mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.  Once it is light and fluffy add the egg and vanilla and mix until they are well incorporated.  In a small bowl mix together the remaining ingredients with the exception of the powdered sugar.  Add the dry ingredients a bit at a time to the wet and mix just until combined.

Put the powdered sugar on a small plate.  Scoop scant tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls and then roll the balls in the powdered sugar.  Place them on the prepared sheet pans.

Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes or until the tops are set and no longer look wet or shiny.   Remove them to a wire rack to cool.