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Sunday Dinner
Black-Eyed Pea Salad and Chips
Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Stove-Top Baked Beans
Classic Creamy Coleslaw
Lemon Cooler Cookies
Today is Father’s Day and that has me thinking about two very special men in my life; the father of my children and of course, my own father. Since today is also Sunday, I want to have a Sunday dinner that shows the two men in my life how much they are appreciated and loved. I think smoking 15 pounds of pork shoulder with hickory wood for ten hours oughta do the trick!
I am not able be with my father today, but thinking of him the other day conjured up a childhood memory of mine– sitting in the screened-in porch watching lightning and eating a box of Sunshine Lemon Coolers. Unfortunately, those cookies are now nowhere to be found. What happened to them and why? To my relief, a wonderful person has created a copycat version and I couldn’t wait to try them.
The original recipe called for unsweetened lemonade mix in the sugar coating, but I found packets of crystallized lemon instead. I wanted some real lemon flavor in the cookie, so I used freshly squeezed lemon juice in lieu of the water and added a bit of lemon zest to really make them zing. One bite of these cookies took me back a few years. So in honor of my father, I am sharing the recipe for these cookies that we are enjoying after our meal. Thinking of you Daddy–love you!!
*Note- the recipe makes quite a few cookies and in my opinion, they are best eaten within a day or two. Otherwise they get too hard. If you are not going to consume all of them in that amount of time, I would suggest keeping the remaining dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
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Lemon Cooler Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup shortening
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 extra-large egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 4 ( 3.2 grams) packets, True Lemon crystallized lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugars, shortening, egg, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula; add the lemon juice and mix again until the dough is completely incorporated. Cover the bowl and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up the dough. (This will make the rolling of the dough easier.)
- Using a small ½-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop out level portions of the dough. Divide the scoop in half and roll each half into a ball, about 3/4-inch diameter. Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges.
- Meanwhile, combine the confectioners' sugar and the crystallized lemon in a shallow dish. Remove the cookies from the oven. While they are still warm, gently coat them in the sugar mixture; lightly rubbing the sugar in to ensure a good coating. Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Nicole,
Thank you for bringing back a wonderful memory of special times I shared with you. I still remember the wonderful cookies we enjoyed and the enjoyment of being together. Thanks for making this Father's Day sweeter. Love, Dad.
Dad,
I will make you a fresh batch as soon as you get back:)
Sounds like a delicious dinner menu. These cookies look awesome, I totally want to make them sometime this summer.
I remember eating these cookies as a kid, too! They came in a big green box. I will definitely bookmark this recipe to try soon. Thanks for all of the great recipes!!
Can part of the dough be frozen instead of just refrigerated for future use?
I cannot speak from experience, but I don't see why not. I usually freeze most of my cookie doughs.
Eating them frozen is DELICIOUS too! (Baked, cooled, then frozen not raw frozen). Lime or Lemon Cooler cookies are both delish that way. Thx for the recipe!