These soft lemon lavender sugar cookies have the best light and fluffy texture that's bright and delicately floral. They are easy to make - with no rolling or cutting required.
In a small bowl (or your mixing bowl) rub together the lemon zest, lavender flowers, and granulated sugar until a sand-like mixture forms. This releases the oil in the zest to infuse the lemon flavor throughout.
1 Tablespoon lemon zest, 2 teaspoons dried culinary grade lavender flowers, ½ cup granulated sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the lemon zest and sugar mixture, powdered sugar, and room temperature butter. Cream together butter and sugars until pale in color and fully combined (like a paste). Add oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon juice, mixing until combined.
½ cup powdered sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Mix the combined dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. This helps the flavor and texture develop - I highly recommend this!
20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. If making the lavender sugar, combine granulated sugar and lavender into a small bowl for later.
Dollop a scoop (#40 scoop) or about 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Dampen a flat-bottomed glass with water, then dip in a small bowl of granulated sugar. Gently press each cookie dough ball with the bottom of the glass approximately halfway down, about 1/2 inch thick. Dip the glass back in the sugar between each cookie to recoat. I also like to add a sprinkle of the sugar mixture on top for good measure.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are just beginning to barely turn golden brown around the edges. See notes below about baking sheet type.
Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet until set up enough to transfer to a cooling rack. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
Flour: use a kitchen scale or ensure you fluff and spoon your flour into the measuring cup to get the most accurate amount; too much flour really impacts these cookies!
Lemon Extract: replace half of the lemon juice with lemon extract for an even brighter lemon flavor.
Baking Sheet: A light-colored (aluminum) sheet pan will require more cooking time than a darker-colored sheet pan, around 10-13 minutes. If using a darker-colored baking sheet, you will likely want to only bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes. Keep an eye on them through the door as ovens and pans do vary!