Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened but cool
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (15g) cornstarch
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) light corn syrup

Instructions:

  1. Place your 1 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon zest in your mixer bowl. Use your clean fingertips to massage the zest into the sugar until it looks like wet sand and smells intensely of citrus. Add the 1 cup of softened butter and cream for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
  2. Beat in the egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 3 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, ginger, cardamom, white pepper, and salt.
  3. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet. Note: Stop mixing the second the white streaks of flour disappear to avoid a tough cookie.
  4. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes. Once chilled, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4 inch thickness. Use your favorite holiday cutters to stamp out shapes.
  5. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the shapes on a parchment lined sheet and bake for exactly 10 minutes. You are looking for edges that are just barely beginning to turn a pale gold, while the centers still look slightly soft.
  6. While the cookies cool, whisk the 2 cups of powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of corn syrup together. The icing should flow like thick honey. Dip the cooled cookies or drizzle it over the top. Let them sit for 20 minutes until the glaze shatters when bitten.