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Bursting with zippy lemon and juicy raspberries, these cookies have a super soft crumb and a chewy bite that feels light and fresh. They’re buttery, slightly tart, and a welcome change from the usual sweets. You’ll love sharing these at a get-together or popping one into your lunch—they’re a real pick-me-up every time.
Whenever I bake these, they’re gone before I even have time to save a few for later. The citrus keeps things lively, and even folks who claim they don’t eat dessert eventually snag another once they cool.
Ingredients
- Flaked salt: Sprinkle some big flakes on at the end to get that awesome sweet-salty finish. Look for sea salt flakes if you can
- Frozen raspberries: Toss in the berries straight from the freezer and slice them up just before mixing so they don’t bleed color everywhere
- All purpose flour: This is what gives the dough structure. Use the spoon-and-sweep method to get the right amount
- Baking powder and baking soda: Both team up to help the cookies puff up soft and nice. Test if they’re still good by checking if they fizz with something sour
- Salt: Make sure you use fine salt so everything mixes well and you pull out all the flavors
- Vanilla: Rounds off the sharpness and adds a hint of sweetness. Pure extract is best if you have it
- Lemon juice: Gives the cookies tang and helps your dough rise. Squeeze it fresh just before using
- Egg yolk: Binds everything and keeps cookies tender. Grab a big, fresh egg for this
- Brown sugar: Makes the cookies fudgy and adds that hint of caramel flavor. Pick soft, clumpy brown sugar for best results
- Butter: Holds everything together and gives a rich taste. Let it soften up before mixing
- Lemon zest: Packs a citrus punch and aroma. Wash up your lemons—organic ones with bright skin work best
- Granulated sugar: Gives the cookies that signature sweetness and helps them get crisp around the edges. Use white sugar here
Step by Step Instructions
- Bake and Finish:
- Pop into the oven at 350°F for about 12–15 minutes. You want pale golden edges. Let cookies chill on the hot tray for several minutes—this lets centers finish up and keeps the middles soft
- Shape and Sprinkle:
- Roll your dough into big balls—about 3 tablespoons each—and space them out on a prepared baking pan. Dust each with a bit of flaky salt
- Fold in Raspberries:
- Get the raspberries out last, chop quickly, and fold them into the dough with a spatula—go slow to avoid crushing. This keeps the color streaky, not an all-over pink
- Add Dry Ingredients:
- Gently toss in flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix just until bits of flour are barely visible. Don’t stir too long or the cookies will get tough
- Add Egg and Flavorings:
- Drizzle in the egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon juice. Scrape the sides so everything gets worked in
- Cream Butter and Sugars:
- Add brown sugar and softened butter to the lemon sugar and beat for three or four minutes till it turns light and smooth
- Mix Lemon Sugar:
- Rub together white sugar and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Use your hands until it clumps and smells really citrusy
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Lemon zest brings me right back to baking with my grandma. She’d show me how to work sugar and lemon together with our hands until the whole place smelled amazing. For me, that punch of lemon is pure coziness.
Storage Tips
Keep your cookies in a sealed box for up to three days on the counter. For longer, wrap and freeze—good for a couple of months. If they get a little firm, pop them in a low oven for a few and they’ll soften up again
Ingredient Swaps
If you’re short on raspberries, blackberries or blueberries are just as awesome. You could swap margarine for butter, but know it’ll taste a bit different. Want something a little more hearty? Use half white whole wheat flour instead
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Serving Ideas
Grab a hot mug of tea and snack on these, or plop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top for a treat. They’re also adorable gifts—just slip them into a clear bag and tie with a yellow ribbon
Lemon and Raspberry Baking
This fruity combo never goes out of style in bakeries. Tart berries cut through butter-rich dough to add flavor and color in every bite. Even in the middle of winter, one bite tastes like summer
Common Recipe Questions
- → What stops raspberry juice from coloring the dough?
Toss in frozen raspberries right before they go in the oven. Mix them in gently and quick, so the color stays put instead of spreading everywhere.
- → Is it all right to swap frozen raspberries for fresh ones?
Fresh is okay, but frozen is easier. Frozen berries bleed less, so the dough doesn’t change color and the cookies hold together better.
- → How come both lemon zest and juice are used?
Zest packs more flavor. Juice gives moisture and makes the cookie taste livelier. Together, they really boost the lemon punch.
- → How do I get cookies to turn out soft and chewy?
Beat the butter good with the sugar, then take it easy with the flour—don’t overmix. This helps them stay tender and chewy when baked.
- → What’s the easiest way to measure flour for these?
If you’ve got a scale, weigh it out. If not, fluff it up and spoon flour into your measuring cup so you don’t use too much and end up with tough cookies.