Thick and chewy Lemon Oatmeal Cookies are a delightful flavor twist to the classic oatmeal raisin favorite. Moisture and chewiness from brown sugar blends nicely with the Italian Limoncello, sweet coconut and tart dried cherries. A summer inspired oatmeal cookie I know you'll love!
What is Limoncello?
Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur originating from southern Italy. It's made by steeping lemon zest or peels in highly concentrated vodka, then strained and mixed with a sweetened simple syrup. The opaqueness iOften enjoyed chilled by itself, Limoncello is also a great addition to cocktails and of course desserts.
WHAT MAKES A COOKIE CHEWY?!
Brown sugar is the key ingredient for a softer chewier oatmeal cookie. The high moisture content provided by the dark brown sugar coupled with a shorter baking time, yields a fabulous chewy cookie texture. Just like in my recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.
WHY CHILL COOKIE DOUGH BEFORE BAKING?
Chilling cookie dough before baking helps to solidify the fat, aka the butter in this recipe. With the butter being cold and firmer, it keeps the cookies from spreading out too much while baking. The sugars in the dough gradually absorb the liquid of the fat as it melts. If the cookie dough is room temperature right before baking, the cookies will be flat and thin.
I try to go for a firm cookies dough that is still scoop-able and pack it into the cookie scoop. While one tray of cookies is baking, place the rest of the dough back in the fridge. Your cookies may look slightly domed or under done when you remove them from the oven. They will continue to cook a little more while cooling on the pan and the centers will sink and wrinkle.
Once cookies are completely cool they will have a softer center, but still a nice chewy outer texture. If they are super crunchy, then its possible they were over baked. I tend to prefer a softer center, so slightly golden on the edges and top of my cookies are the perfect sign that they are just the right amount of baked.
Tips Lemon Oatmeal COOKIES
- Dark Brown Sugar and Light Brown Sugar can be swapped interchangeably.
- Use room temperature unsalted butter. If you’re in a hurry, simply microwave 2 sticks of butter for about 15 seconds.
- Cookie dough can be made the day before and stored in the fridge. This will allow the flavor of the Limoncello to get even stronger. Just let super cold dough it warm sightly to a scoop-able consistency before baking.
- Cookies are done with the sides and tops are slightly golden brown. they will continue to cook while on the baking sheet once removed from the oven.
- Let the hot baking sheet sit on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes before removing the cookies and placing them directly onto the wire rack to cool completely.
- Store baked cookies in an air tight container for up to 1 week.
- Freeze cookie dough balls in air tight freezer safe container for up to three months. Frozen cookie dough balls may take a few extra minutes to bake in the oven.
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Lemon Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium bowl hand whisk together the flour, oats, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium high speed beat together the softened butter and sugars until a smooth paste is formed (1-2 minutes).
- Add the Limoncello and vanilla, mixing on low as you add one egg at a time. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- while continuing to mix on medium low speed, slowly spoon in the flour and oats until a cookie dough is formed.
- Take a small spatula and scrape dough from paddle.
- Add in the cherries and shredded coconut, then mix on low a couple of spins to distribute throughout the cookie dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
- Preheat Oven to 375 F (190 C) and line two large rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Using a large cookie dough scoop or 3 tablespoon Scoop to measure out cookie dough. (dough will be thick and somewhat firm)
- Scoop large cookie dough balls and place them on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. I tend to have 6 cookie dough balls per tray.
- Bake on the middle rack for 12-13 minutes. If the cookie dough is very cold and firm it may need a couple extra minutes baking time. Watch for the edges to be golden brown and the centers to still look soft. Cookies will firm as they cool. Don't over bake them!
- Place pan on wire rack and allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 4-5 minutes. Then, transfer the cookies directly onto wire rack to cool completely.
Jan Davis
These cookies are absolutely amazing!! They have that wonderful oatmeal flavor with yummy chewy cherries and then the Limoncello kicks in to bring just the right amount of refreshing tartness. The combination of flavors is awesome! Limoncello oatmeal cookies are my new favorite. Better make a double batch because they disappear fast! You are going to love them too!