Lemon Bar Cookies

These cookies are basically a lemon bar in cookie form.  So if you love lemon bars, you'll love these cookies.

LEMON COOKIES

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

4-5 heaping tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate, divided

the rind of one large lemon

1 egg

3.4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 cup + powdered sugar, divided

Cream butter, shortening, and sugars together.  Mix in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons lemonade concentrate, the rind, and egg.  Stir in baking soda, salt, and flour.  Mix well.  Roll  rounded tablespoons of dough into 1/2 cup powdered sugar.   Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Allow to set 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack.  Drizzle icing (recipe below) on top of cookies, dust with powdered sugar (optional).

Icing:  Place remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar into a bowl, mix with 2-3 heaping tablespoons thawed frozen lemonade concentrate until you get a smooth icing consistency.

STEP-BY-STEP

 Into the bowl of a mixer, place 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening (I like to use butter flavored shortening),

 1/2 cup brown sugar

 and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.  Cream until light and fluffy. 

 Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice (not pictured) and 2 heaping tablespoons of frozen lemonade concentrate.  I didn't even bother to thaw it.

 Then add the rind of one lemon.  Mix well before mixing in

 one egg.

 Now stir in 2 cups of flour

 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

 and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Mix well.

Using a rounded tablespoon of dough, form balls.  Roll each ball into 1/2 cup powdered sugar.  Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  I like my edges to just barely be browned.  This makes for a soft, chewy cookie.  Let cookies sit for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.  Cool completely.

 While the cookies are cooling, make the icing by placing 1/2 cup powdered sugar into a bowl  

 and adding 2-3 tablespoons of thawed frozen lemonade concentrate until you get a nice smooth, not too thick, not to thin, consistency.

 Like this.

   Drizzle the icing on the top of cooled cookies.

Dust with powdered sugar.  The icing will be runny at first, but after about 20 minutes or so, it will eventually set.