Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Steve Hartz has been baking for specialty bakeries and restaurants in Northern California for years. Cheesecakes are his thing, but his croutons...wow! Here he bakes with our Rosehips Preserved Meyer Lemon — and we love him for it.

"I just love your products and the versatility of using them is ENDLESS!" - Steve 

Need

2 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

1 tsp cornstarch*

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup (12 TBS; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup + 2 TBS (225g) granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/4 cup (60ml) fresh or bottled lemon juice, at room temperature*

1 TBS lemon zest* (packed TBS, it's a lot of zest!)

1 TBS Rosehips Preserved Meyer Lemon Paste

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 TBS (35g) granulated sugar, for rolling (optional, see below)

1 cup (120g) confectioners' sugar, for rolling

Do

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, Rosehips Preserved Meyer Lemon and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Mixture will appear curdled and that's ok. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Dough is thick, creamy and sticky.

Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this sticky cookie dough.

Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. This makes the chilled cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1 TBS each, into balls (each should weigh about 20g). To prevent the confectioners' sugar from absorbing into the dough, roll the balls in granulated sugar first, then roll very generously in confectioners' sugar. For a bold sugar coating, roll 2–3x. Place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.

Bake for 12–13 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. If they aren't spreading by minute 9, remove from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2–3x to initiate the spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.

Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool.

Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Recipe by Steve Hartz, @Steve.Hartz