These Gluten Free Lemon Cookies are tender, buttery, and topped with a sweet lemon glaze. The cookies are easy to make and offer a refreshing balance of sweet and tart.
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest and mix until completely combined.
Slowly mix in the flour, about a ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until all the flour is incorporated into the dough.
Work the dough, with your hands, into a ball and then divide the ball in half. Form the two sections of dough into logs about 2 inches in diameter. Roll the logs in parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line baking pans with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the refrigerated dough into ¼ inch thick slices and place them on the lined baking pans about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.
While the cookies are baking, make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a small bowl.
Once the cookies have cooled, use a pastry brush to cover the tops of the cookies with the glaze. Set the glazed cookies on a cooling rack, placed over a baking pan, and allow the glaze to set before serving.
Notes
Remember to zest the lemon before juicing it. It’s much easier to zest the whole lemon before cutting it.
Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or longer. The dough will be easier to cut into ¼ inch slices after it has firmed up in the fridge.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before adding the glaze. If the cookies are still warm the glaze will slide right off.
Use a pastry brush to apply the glaze. The pastry brush makes it easy to “paint” the tops of the cookies with the glaze. If you don’t have a pastry brush, you can put the glaze in a shallow dish and dip the tops of the cookies.