Martha Stewart’s Lemon Cookies Taste Like Sunshine—They’re My Favorite

If I’m craving a cookie, a sugar cookie is not usually top of the list. I’m more of a classic chocolate chip gal, with the exception of roll-out sugar cookies around the holidays for the sake of nostalgia.

My children, on the other hand, would do just about anything for a sugar cookie. Their sugar cookies of choice are the infamous grocery store variety that comes piled high with pink frosting and sprinkles—and an ingredient list that reads more like an ancient scroll in a lost language than a cookie recipe.

In an attempt to appease them, I recently made Martha Stewart’s Retro Lemon Sugar Cookies, and let’s just say the crowd went wild! Even I, a sugar cookie skeptic, am converted.

These easy cookies are made with a short list of ingredients, come together quickly without any chill time, and have a floral, lemony flavor that appeals to kids and grown-ups alike. Here are just a few tips and tricks to remember as you make them for a perfect batch every time.

1. Use Good Butter

Let’s be honest: When it comes to sugar cookies, most of the flavor is in the butter. I suggest using a higher-quality butter to give your cookies a rich, nuanced flavor. I used Kerrygold, but cultured American butter would be nice, too.

2. Bake the Cookies in Batches

These cookies are giant! Be sure to bake them in batches and give the cookies plenty of room to spread. I used the “pan-banging” technique made famous by Sarah Kieffer while baking these cookies. As the cookies puff up in the oven, you lightly tap the sheet pan to knock the air out of them. This creates a rippled edge on the cookie and a chewy middle.

I only did this once or twice throughout the baking process—just enough to define a crispy edge. Slightly underbaking the cookies is also key. They will set up as they cool on the sheet pan for about five minutes after you remove them from the oven.

3. Bump up the Lemon Flavor

I am a big fan of lemon, so I add double the lemon zest that’s called for in the recipe. I also add about a teaspoon of additional lemon zest to the sanding sugar used for topping the cookies, and I use my hands to massage the zest to activate all of the essential oils.

Also, instead of brushing the tops of the cookies with water before adding the sanding sugar as the original recipe instructs, I brushed the tops with a bit of fresh lemon juice to accentuate the citrus flavor.

I happened to have a ton of lemons on hand, but these cookies would be delicious with whatever citrus you use. A combination of lemon and lime would be nice, but I especially look forward to making the cookies again with Meyer lemon when those come into season!

4. Reshape the Cookies While They Are Warm

You know when your cookies taste amazing but look a little wonky? Try a tip from Erin Clarkson of Cloudy Kitchen that she calls the cookie scoot. While the cookies are warm and still on the sheet pan, position a sturdy, round cookie cutter that is slightly larger than it around a warm cookie. Vigorously rotate the cutter, pushing the cookie into a neat, round shape. I found a cereal bowl to be the best tool for neatening these larger cookies.

5. Store the Cookies With White Bread

While reading the reviews on Martha’s cookie recipe, I noticed several comments that the cookies get very crisp after they cool. To maintain the old-school vibes of the recipe, I employed my mother’s tried-and-true trick to keep cookies soft.

She tosses a slice of white bread in an airtight container with her cookies. Since bread is full of moisture, it keeps the cookies fresh and chewy for longer. Just make sure it’s plain white bread, so it doesn’t impart any flavor.

I’ve been packing these cookies in my kids’ lunch boxes all week, and my oldest son paid me the ultimate compliment yesterday. I asked how his lunch was, and he told me everyone was jealous of his “giant, sparkly cookie.” I count that as a mom win.