Lemon Sugar Cookies

This year, my mom and I made lemon sugar cookies for Christmas. These are good any time of year, but if you add some red and green food coloring, they are especially festive. This is my Nana's recipe, with some modifications by my mom.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar 
• 3 1/2 cups flour (3 3/4 if you are using food coloring)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• grated rind of 2-3 lemons (2 if they're large lemons, 3 if they're smaller)
• optional: food coloring (if you use food coloring, be sure to use the paste (or gel) kind - the liquid can mess up the recipe.  We use Wilton's, and it works well.)

Yield: 60-70 cookies

Beat the butter in an electric mixer until it is soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat well.

Add the eggs and extra egg yolks. 

Beat well.

Add the baking powder and salt. Add the flour a little bit at a time, alternating with adding the lemon juice.

Beat well after each addition.

It should be 3-4 additions.

Slowly stir in the grated lemon rind.

Add the food coloring if you choose. 

We made red and green.

Drop the batter by teaspoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Allow some room for the cookies to spread.

Bake at 350ºF for about 14 minutes, or until the edges are a pale golden brown.

Remove the cookies to a wire rack and sprinkle the tops with a little sugar while they are still hot.

Allow them to cool and enjoy!