Oh my, I’m so excited to share this cookie recipe with you! If you don’t have a bottle of limoncello in your home right now please go out and get one so you can make these cookies for Easter. Let me see if I can describe them to you, buttery, crunchy, refreshing, bright with an explosion of lemon flavor! The perfect cookie to welcome in spring.
Fortunate for me I still had a bottle of homemade limoncello that my daughter, her friend and her cousin made back in September. It was quite a project and fun for me to watch since I’ve never ever made it myself. Much planning went into it beforehand, she was on a mission to find the best organic lemons she could find, lemons free of chemicals and wax because the peels would be soaking in alcohol for weeks.
Peeling the yellow skins off the lemons take time and patience, it’s something you can’t rush because you have to be careful not to get any of the white pith beneath it otherwise your end result will be bitter, and you don’t want bitter limoncello. Their goal was to have it all completed and ready to sip for the holiday season. I’m happy to say they reached their goal.
As you can see even her dog was there for moral support!
The essential oils of the lemon peels infusing with the alcohol is such a dynamic combination, creating the most vibrant liqueur. I don’t want to sound like a bragging mother but this was the best limoncello I’ve ever had! It tasted so fresh with a wonderful smooth finish to it. After giving out some bottles as gifts they now have people begging them to make more. 
I hoarded one last bottle, it was hidden away in my freezer, making limoncello cookies was a good excuse to bring it out!
Of course I had to sip some while I was baking!
Look at that color, liquid gold, slightly thick and perfectly sweet. It screams blue skies and sunshine!
The limoncello is mixed right into the frosting so with every bite you take you’ll have a burst of lemony flavor. I promise you, these will be devoured if you make them for Easter, but you need to double or triple this recipe for sure!
The dough is shaped into a log then refrigerated for a while, sliced and baked. I tried to shape my log into an oval so they would look like eggs, or you could just cut them rounds.
Melt in your mouth goodness! Happy Easter to all!
- 1¼ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- grated lemon zest of 1 lemon
- ICING
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoons limoncello
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon for garnish on frosting
- In a medium bowl, combine salt and flour. Set aside.
- With a mixer cream together butter and sugar until fluffy and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix until combined, then vanilla and the zest.
- With mixer on medium low, slowly add the flour/salt combo. Mix until the flour starts to incorporate. Don't over mix, cookie will be tough.
- roll dough into a 2"x 12" log, ( it will be soft at this point) or oval to resemble eggs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. ( refrigeration is key, dough needs to be firm).
- When ready to bake remove wrap and slice dough into ⅓ thick cookies, place on parchment and bake at 350 for 13-17 minutes. You want the edges to become golden. Cool before icing on wire racks.
- FOR THE ICING:
- In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, limoncello and lemon juice. Stir until fluid but thick.
- Brush or dip cookies into frosting, garnish with zest and allow to dry about 10 minutes.
- Makes 24 cookies but I would double or triple this recipe!
- Recipe adapted from, In Sock Monkey Slippers
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
