Enjoy the perfect balance of sweet and tangy with these delicious Lemon Blueberry Butter Cookies. With crumbly, buttery centers and crisp sweet edges coated in a ring of colored sugar – these cookies are both impressive and irresistable!
These indulgent blueberry cookies are made using freeze-dried blueberries instead of fresh ones.
What are Freeze dried blueberries?
Freeze-dried blueberries are basically regular blueberries that have had their water removed resulting in a lightweight and crispy texture while preserving their flavor, color, and nutritional value.
This dry, crisp consistency is great for mixing into cookie dough since it provides a perfect blueberry taste.
And the best part is, you don't have to worry about the blueberries popping and making the mixture too juicy.
They are available throughout the year. Plus can be conveniently stored without refrigeration - unlike fresh blueberries which are seasonal and perishable.
Where to find freeze dried blueberries?
You can grab them online or at bigger grocery stores,usually in the section alongside raisins and other dried fruits. You'll find them at decent prices at places like Costco (if you're in the US), or Tesco and Sainsbury's (in the UK), and Woolworths (in Australia).
And if you're more of an online shopper, freeze-dried blueberries are just a quick search away in your area.
A few tips if you're new to baking with freeze dried blueberries
Remember to only open and crush the pack of freeze dried blueberries right before you mix it into your dough.
Once they're exposed to air, they might absorb moisture, becoming chewy and sticky. If that happens, you can still use them, but you'll need to slice instead of crushing them.
How to make Lemon Blueberry Butter Cookies
This is just the overview so you can see the process. When you are baking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Give the sugar some color by dipping a skewer into purple or blue food coloring. Add it to the sugar. Mix it up using a spoon until the color spreads evenly through the sugar.
- If you want a darker shade, start with a little coloring, mix and add more as needed. You can use any type of coloring – gel, liquid, or powder. Then set the bowl aside for later use in the recipe.
- In a large bowl use a spatula to mix ½ cup (113g) butter and ½ cup (55g) powdered (icing) sugar until it turns pale in color and light in texture.
- Mix 1 Tablespoon lemon zest into the butter mixture
- Add 1 ⅛ cups (140g) all purpose flour (same as plain flour -UK) OR cake flour and ¼ teaspoon salt- Mix to form a crumbly dough.
- Place ½ cup (10g) dried blueberries between wax paper sheets and crush them using a rolling pin or spoon. Once crushed, remember that it's perfectly fine to have a mixture of small pieces and a bit of powder. Blend the crushed blueberries into the flour.
- Use your hands or a spatula to mix everything together until you have a soft dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes
- Divide the dough into 2 pieces, and roll each into an 4-inch (10cm)-long log which is about 1 ¼ inch (3cm thick)
Wrap each log in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30-45 minutes.
- Note: If you like, you have the option to shape a single 8-inch (20cm) long log. However, I personally find it more manageable to work with and roll out half of the dough at a time, resulting in a more uniformly shaped log.
- Unwrap the logs, trim the ends if they’re uneven. Then roll the logs in the bowl with the colored sugar until they’re completely coated.
- Slice the logs into ¾ inch (1cm) thick rounds.
- Note: Although the sliced rounds appear small, they expand during baking and become standard (approximately) 2 ¼ inch (5 ½ cm) cookies.
- For larger cookies, skip the dough division. Instead, shape a thicker log and cut the cookies to your desired thickness. Just remember, baking time will vary based on the size and thickness of your cookies.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking silicone mat.
- Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven , and preheat it to 356° F / 180° C (160° C fan).
- Place the cut out rounds on the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches (5cm) between each one. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remember to rotate the baking sheet positions from front to back after 10 minutes (for evenly baked cookies)
You're aiming for the cookies to have a firm edge and a golden brown bottom, while the tops will maintain a lighter color.
11. Take the cookies out of the oven, let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they might crumble if moved while hot), then carefully shift them to cooling racks. Remember, cookies get firmer as they cool.
Storage
Once completely cool, store the cookies in an airtight jar for up to 5 days.
Tips and frequently asked questions
- Ensure that your butter is softened to room temperature. Get it out of the fridge at least 1 hour before baking. All the ingredients are incorporated much easier and quicker in soft butter. This also prevents overworking the dough, which produces dense instead of crispy cookies.
- Refrigerate the dough if it becomes difficult to handle: The dough has a high ratio of butter and can get difficult to work with if it gets too warm. If the dough gets too warm, simply put it back into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes. This helps to cool the butter, making the dough much easier to work with.
- Do not skip the steps of chilling the dough. First, after you've made the dough (refrigerated for 20 minutes) and, second after dividing and shaping it into logs (refrigerating for 45 minutes or freezing for 25 to 30 minutes) These are important steps. The first refrigeration firms the dough, making it easy to roll into logs. The second time (freezing) cools and firms the log shapes making it easy to slice into disks.
- Remember to rotate the baking sheet positions from front to back after 10 minutes (for evenly baked cookies)You're aiming for the cookies to have a firm edge and a golden brown bottom, while the tops will maintain a lighter color.
- Adjust the baking time if cutting the cookies thinner or thicker than specified in the recipe
How long in advance can the cookie dough be prepared?
- The cookie dough can be prepared up to 2 months in advance! Make the dough, refrigerate for 20 minutes then shape into a log (according to the recipe size suggestions).
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Once you're set to use them, take them out from the freezer. Either leave them in the fridge overnight or go straight from the freezer to let them sit at room temperature for around 20-30 minutes. Roll the logs in sugar, then slice the chilled dough into disks.
- Don't allow it to get too warm, as the dough will be soft making it difficult to handle and slice.
Enjoy ♡
Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Butter Cookies - No Egg
Enjoy the perfect balance of sweet and tangy with these delicious Lemon Blueberry Butter Cookies.
Ingredients
For the sugar
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- Blue or purple food coloring (You can use any type of coloring – gel, liquid, or powder)
For the cookies
- ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature (see note 1)
- ½ cup powdered (icing) sugar (sift before measuring)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 ⅛ cups all purpose flour (same as plain flour -UK) OR cake flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup freeze dried blueberries (see note 2)
Instructions
To color the sugar
- Dip a skewer or toothpick into purple or blue food coloring. Add it to the sugar.
- Mix it up using a spoon until the color spreads evenly through the sugar.
- If you want a darker shade, start with a little coloring, mix and add more as needed. Then set the bowl aside for later use in the recipe.
To make the cookie dough
- In a large bowl use a spatula to mix butter and powdered (icing) sugar until it turns pale in color and light in texture.
- Mix lemon zest into the butter mixture.
- Add all purpose flour (same as plain flour -UK) OR cake flour and salt. Mix to form a crumbly dough.
- Place the dried blueberries between wax paper sheets and crush them using a rolling pin or spoon. (See note 3)
- Once crushed, remember that it's perfectly fine to have a mixture of small pieces. and a bit of powder. Mix the crushed blueberries into the flour.
- Use your hands or a spatula to mix everything together until you have a soft dough.
Refrigerate the dough
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes (see note 4)
Divide and shape the dough into logs
- Divide the dough into 2 pieces, and roll each into an 4-inch (10cm)-long log which is about 1 ¼ inch (3cm thick) (see note 5)
- If you prefer larger cookies, skip the dough division. Instead, shape a thicker log and cut the cookies to your desired thickness. Just remember, baking time will vary based on the size and thickness of your cookies.
Chill the shaped dough logs
- Wrap each log in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30-45 minutes.
Roll in sugar, slice
- Unwrap the logs, trim the ends if they’re uneven.
- Then roll the logs in the bowl with the colored sugar until they’re completely coated.
- Slice the logs into ¾ inch (1cm) thick rounds.
- Although the sliced rounds appear small, they expand during baking and become standard (approximately) 2 ¼ inch (5 ½ cm) cookies.
Bake
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking silicone mat.
- Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat it to 356° F / 180° C (160° C fan).
- Place the cut out rounds on the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches (5cm) between each one. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remember to rotate the baking sheet positions from front to back after 10 minutes (for evenly baked cookies)
- You're aiming for the cookies to have a firm edge and a golden brown bottom, while the tops will maintain a lighter color.
Cool
- Take the cookies out of the oven, let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they might crumble if moved while hot), then carefully shift them to cooling racks. Remember, cookies get firmer as they cool.
- This recipe makes 18-20 cookies
Storage
- Once completely cool, store the cookies in an airtight jar for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Please see the visual step by step pictures and read the helpful info in the post above before making this recipe to ensure success.
- If you are using unsalted butter, then add a ¼ teaspoon of salt to your flour. Salted butter will not require adding salt to the recipe.
- Get the butter out of the fridge at least 1 hour before baking. All the ingredients are incorporated much easier and quicker in soft butter.
- This also prevents overworking the dough, which produces dense instead of crispy cookies.
- Freeze-dried blueberries are basically regular blueberries that have had their water removed resulting in a lightweight and crispy texture while preserving their flavor, color, and nutritional value.
- This dry, crisp consistency is great for mixing into cookie dough since it provides a perfect blueberry taste.
- And the best part is, you don't have to worry about the blueberries popping and making the mixture too juicy.
- Once they're exposed to air, they might absorb moisture, becoming chewy and sticky. If that happens, you can still use them, but you'll need to slice instead of crushing them.
- You can grab them online or at bigger grocery stores, usually in the section alongside raisins and other dried fruits.
- You'll find them at decent prices at places like Costco (if you're in the US), or Tesco and Sainsbury's (in the UK), and Woolworths (in Australia).
- And if you're more of an online shopper, freeze-dried blueberries are just a quick search away in your area.
- First, after you've made the dough (refrigerated for 20 minutes) and, second after dividing and shaping it into logs (refrigerating for 45 minutes or freezing for 25 to 30 minutes)
- These are important steps. The first refrigeration firms the dough, making it easy to roll into logs. The second time (freezing) cools and firms the log shapes making it easy to slice into disks.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 90kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 67mgPotassium: 39mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.1mg
*Nutrition Disclaimer
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