These melt-in-your-mouth lemon drops remind me of freshly squeezed lemonade. Their big lemon taste comes from lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon oil. I use Boyajian lemon oil, which can be found at gourmet markets or from online merchants. If you cannot find lemon oil, substitute lemon extract and extra lemon zest.
Lemon Drops
Makes 36 to 42 cookies
1 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
2 1/2 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond flour
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting cookies
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon oil (or substitute 1 teaspoon lemon extract plus 1 additional teaspoon grated lemon zest)
In a medium bowl, sift together brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, and cornstarch. Whisk in almond flour.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Set mixer speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon oil. Beat until combined, about 1 more minute. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Chill in a covered bowl, for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment.
Using a small cookie scoop, shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place them on prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake until pale golden on top and lightly browned on the bottom, about 15 to 18 minutes. Immediately sift a generous amount of powdered sugar over cookies. Cool completely on cookie sheets placed on wire racks. Dust with more powdered sugar before serving.
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week, layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper.
Baker’s note: For a fun variation, substitute orange juice, orange zest, and orange oil for the lemon equivalents.