Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
  • ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
  • ¼ cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 tablespoons Freshly grated Lemon Zest
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 cup Dried Cranberries
  • 1 ½ cups Confectioners’ Sugar, sifted (for glaze)
  • 3 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice (for glaze)
  • 1–2 teaspoons Milk or Heavy Cream (optional, for glaze)

Instructions:

  1. Prep Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugars: In the bowl of your mixer, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Scrape down the bowl periodically.
  3. Add Wet Ingredients: Reduce the speed to low. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
  4. Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on the lowest speed only until just combined. Stop immediately when the last streaks of flour disappear.
  5. Fold in Cranberries: Gently fold the dried cranberries into the dough using a rubber spatula. Do not use the mixer for this step.
  6. Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl with cling film or scoop the dough onto plastic wrap and flatten slightly. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. (This step prevents spreading.)
  7. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Scoop: Use a cookie scoop to drop uniform balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
  9. Bake: Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centres still look slightly pale and soft.
  10. Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Make the Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the sifted confectioners’ sugar and 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add a few drops of milk or cream until it flows slowly.
  12. Glaze and Set: Drizzle the glaze generously over the cooled cookies. Allow the glaze to set for about 15–20 minutes before serving.