Italian Lemon Drop Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, margarine, or butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Frosting

• 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 cup water, or fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

For cookies

1. Cream together sugar and shortening.
2. Add eggs and lemon extract and beat well.
3. Add flour, baking powder and salt, and lemon zest; Mix well. The dough should be soft and sticky.
4. With a small cookie scoop, drop dough onto a slightly greased cookie sheet or baking stone, spacing them about 2-inches apart.
5. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until firm and lightly brown.
6. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and allow to cool completely on wire racks.

For frosting

1. Combine confectioners’ sugar, water and lemon extract and mix until smooth.
2. Frost the tops of each cookie with a metal spatula.
3. Allow cookies to dry before stacking.
4. Store in an airtight container.