Lemon Pepper Slice & Bake Cookies

Aerial photo of lemon pepper slice and bake cookies on a cooling rack.

5 from 1 vote

Lemon Pepper Slice & Bake Cookies

Sweet, tart, lightly spiced, and perfectly crunchy, these lemon cookies hit all the nontraditional cookie notes. A drizzle of white chocolate adds just the right touch of extra sweetness for an unexpected and delightfully off-beat cookie.

Prep Time15

Bake Time10

Chilling Time4

Total Time4 25

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 12 cookies

Ingredients

▢ ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons (75g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
▢ ½ cup (60g) ground cornmeal
▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
▢ ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
▢ ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
▢ zest of one lemon
▢ 1 large egg yolk room temperature
▢ 2 ounces (57g) white chocolate coarsely chopped; optional

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Instructions

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, black pepper, and salt. Set aside.
½ cup + 2 Tablespoons (75g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (60g) ground cornmeal, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon salt
In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy in texture (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg yolk and beat again to combine.
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, zest of one lemon, 1 large egg yolk
Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture and beat until just blended. Dough will be very crumbly.
Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap, then with lightly floured hands, press dough together to form a 6" long log. Wrap the log tightly then chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Do not use silicone baking sheets. Set aside.
Using a very sharp or serrated (preferred) knife, cut cookie logs into ½" rounds, place no more than 6 on a baking sheet at a time, and bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until edges are just turning golden brown. Reshape hot cookies using a round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass or mug to tuck in any wonky sides. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Once cookies are cool, you can drizzle with melted white chocolate and a crack of black pepper, if desired (I highly recommend this garnish). Leftovers stay fresh covered tightly at room temperature up to 1 week. Cookies freeze well, up to 3 months. Logs may be frozen, wrapped tightly, up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight and proceed with baking as directed.
2 ounces (57g) white chocolate

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Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.