Lemon Crinkle Cookies

I have been searching for a lemon cookie recipe that doesn't start with a boxed cake mix, and it has been a surprisingly difficult search.  Don't get me wrong, there is a time and a place to use a boxed cake mix.  However, for these cookies I was just dead set on that flavor that only a fresh lemon can provide.  After scouring the internet, Pinterest led me to this little gem of a recipe.  The first time I made them I was a little heavy handed with the powdered sugar and I was not happy with the final appearance of the baked cookies.  This time I made sure that the powdered sugar was thin, shaking off any excess before placing the dough balls on the cookie sheet.  These cookies were a hit with both my husband and my co-workers.  I highly recommend this recipe if you are looking for a fresh, soft, and chewy lemon cookie.

LEMON CRINKLE COOKIES
Adapted slightly from Lauren's Latest

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non stick cooking spray or line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice until fully incorporated into the batter. Gently mix in all dry ingredients until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. The dough will be fairly sticky. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Shake off any excess powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

3. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte (not melty or shiny). Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.