Italian Lemon Cookies -Do the Twist!

Are you ready for this simple recipe for Italian Lemon Cookies? These twist cookies have a cake-like texture, glazed with the perfect burst of lemon flavor.

You are probably wondering -and rightly so- why another lemon cookie recipe.

Well, for starters, I love twist cookies. In fact, another one of my favorites is this Koulourakia recipe. 

The simple fact is that lemon cookies are one of my favorites (besides biscotti, of course 😉  )

My guess is that I am probably not alone.

Have you ever noticed how lemon cookies are always one of the first cookies to disappear from any cookie platter? Do you know anyone that can resist a lemon cookie?

Today, I am sharing another lemon cookie recipe because I think you are going to find they taste exceptional.

As an added bonus, you will love how easy they are to make… are you ready to begin?

How to make Italian Lemon Cookies:

It all starts with sifting flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. We will set it aside for a couple of minutes.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs until slightly thickened (about 3-4 minutes).

Slowly add the sugar and continue to whisk until well combined. Add the oil, vanilla extract, juice and zest of lemon. Combine well.
At this point we are going to switch to the paddle attachment and slowly add the flour mixture until well combined.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350℉; position rack to the middle; line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and get ready to roll!

Scoop dough with a medium-sized cookie scoop and drop on a lightly floured surface.
Roll into a 6-inch strand about 1/2 inch in diameter.
Line up the two ends and twist once or twice (refer to photo above).

Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat until all the dough has been shaped.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the bottom is lightly browned.

Once the cookies have cooled down, they can be glazed and ready to be enjoyed. This simple lemon cookie can also be frozen without the glaze. This is a great cookie to have on hand when friends or family 😉 come over unexpectedly… just thaw, glaze and serve.

Recipe origins

My mom (along with my Zia Maria) made the best homemade Italian cookies.

I can still remember the long animated conversations my mom would have with her older sister. If my memory serves me right, cookie recipes would often be discussed. As a result, the freezer was always well stocked with cookies and biscotti. My mom’s philosophy was simple… be ready because you never know when someone would drop in for coffee. Thinking back to those years, it’s no wonder I developed a biscotti obsession 😉

Another Simple Italian Lemon Cookie Recipe is the result of a recipe shared among two sisters. Today, my goal was to document this recipe. If you love lemon cookies, this recipe for Italian Lemon Knot Cookies is another family favorite.

Can a girl have enough lemon cookie recipes?

Apparently not!

Enjoy!!!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

Ciao for now,

Maria 

★★★★★ If you have made this Lemon Cookie recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Italian Lemon Cookies

Are you ready for this simple recipe for Italian Lemon Cookies? These twist cookies have a cake-like texture, glazed with the perfect burst of lemon flavor.

5 from 20 votes

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Course: cookies

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings: 48 cookies

Calories: 76kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

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Ingredients

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 eggs room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
• zest of 2 lemons

lemon glaze

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed

Instructions

• In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs until slightly thickened (about 3-4 minutes).
• Add sugar. Continue to whisk until well combined.
• Add the oil, vanilla extract, juice and zest of lemon. Combine well.
• Switch to paddle attachment.
• Slowly add the flour mixture until well combined.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350℉. Position rack to middle.
• Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Scoop dough with medium sized cookie scoop and drop on a lightly floured surface.
• Roll into a 6 inch strand about 1/2 inch in diameter.
• Line up the two ends and twist once or twice (refer to visual in the text).
• Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.
• Repeat until all the dough has been shaped.
• Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.
• Whisk together icing sugar and lemon juice.
• Glaze cookies and allow to dry before serving.

Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

Notes

Unglazed cookies can be kept frozen for up to 3 months.

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 44mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.6mg

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