Raspberry Lemon Chewy Butter Cookies
Soft, chewy butter cookies swirled with raspberry and bright lemon zest.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/3 cup thick raspberry jam or seedless raspberry preserves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and granulated sugar and beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla bean paste to the bowl and beat until smooth and well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest until the zest is evenly distributed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 2 additions, beating on low speed just until a soft dough forms and no streaks of flour remain.
- Add the raspberry jam to the bowl and gently fold it into the dough with a spatula, creating visible swirls rather than fully mixing it in.
- If the dough is very soft, refrigerate it for 20 minutes to firm slightly for easier scooping.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough (about 1 ounce each) onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and just barely turning light golden while the centers still look soft and slightly pale.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use a thick raspberry jam or preserves so the swirl holds its shape and does not run on the baking sheet.
- For extra lemon flavor, add an additional 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest or 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice to the dough.
- Do not overbake; the cookies should look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out for the best chewy texture.
- The dough can be scooped and frozen in balls for up to 2 months; bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
- For extra lemon flavor, add an additional 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest or 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice to the dough.
- Do not overbake; the cookies should look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out for the best chewy texture.
- The dough can be scooped and frozen in balls for up to 2 months; bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.