These festive Soft Baked Strawberry Lemonade Cookies are tart with just the right amount of sweetness and are a delightful way to celebrate spring!
My earliest cooking memories are from my childhood and involve baking sugar cookies, like these Soft Baked Strawberry Lemonade Cookies. For as long as I can remember we have baked sugar cookies for every holiday and spent hours decorating them. Not just for Christmas but also Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Fourth of July, St. Patrick’s Day…… you get the picture. We made pounds and pounds of buttercream icing (in every color- including black), bought millions and millions of holiday themed sprinkles and had a cookie cutter in every shape and size. We took our sugar cookie baking very seriously- never missing a holiday (sometimes this even meant making our traditional cookies the day after the actual holiday).
Now, looking back at it, I laugh! Since there were four of us kids, there was frosting, flour and sprinkles EVERYWHERE! But that didn’t phase my Mom. She would just grab a broom and sweep it all up. And despite the mess, when the next holiday rolled around we did it all again; laughing and making life long memories in a beautiful mess!
These Soft Baked Strawberry Lemonade Cookies are just a few of the many batches of sugar cookies that I will make in my lifetime. Just like the sugar cookies my Mom used to make, these are packed with love and memories! They are also the perfect way to celebrate spring. They are tart with just the right amount of sweetness. And if you want to make your own beautiful mess, I highly recommend pulling out a bunch of cookie cutters (butterflies, flowers, etc.) and as many sprinkles as you can find!
- Soft Baked Lemon Cookies:
- 3 cups cake flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 lemons, juiced and zested
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- Strawberry Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup finely chopped strawberries
- colored sprinkles, if desired
- In a medium bowl stir together cake flour, baking powder, powdered sugar and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Gradually add in flour mixture a little at a time, mixing just until combined.
- Cover dough and chill dough for at least one hour in refrigerator.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle flour onto counter top and flour rolling pin. Roll out chilled dough approximately ¼-inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut dough into desired shapes and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with any remaining dough.
- Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, just until cookies are set and start to brown slightly, do not over bake. Cool for 3-4 minutes on baking sheet and transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Once completely cooled frost with Strawberry Frosting and decorate as desired with sprinkles.
- To make strawberry frosting: While cookies are cooling, beat together butter and chopped strawberries, beating until strawberries have broken down and the mixture is creamy. Slowly add in confectioner’s sugar, a little at a time, beating until well combined. Add additional powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
If you like this sugar cookie recipe, then you’ll love these other cookie recipes:
Beer and Pretzel Cookies
Pistachio Yoda Sugar Cookies
Vegan Chocolate Almond Cookies
Citrus Butter Cookies
Lemon Berry Tea Cookies
Thanks for sharing such beautiful memories in the kitchen baking with your Mom. Sounds like your Mom definitely saw the beauty in the mess! #client