We like to think of rhubarb as the candy cane of spring… and these Rhubarb Lemon Cookies are here to prove it.
For starters, they’re crispy, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies. They also have just a little “pop” of stripe-y pink color. In fact, they’re just about your perfect spring dessert, snack – and oh, who are we kidding? – breakfast.
Why rhubarb? Well, you know we’re huge rhubarb fans here at Jolly Tomato. (If you need a good primer on rhubarb, check out our Rhubarb 101 post here.) This celery-like vegetable has brilliant crimson stalks. Of course, the taste can be a little harsh on its own, but when you add some sugar, it magically transforms into the perfect sweet-sour tangy treat.
When we envisioned these cookies, we pictured thin, crisp, melt-in-your-mouth cookies with a zesty tang. It took us a while to get all the right proportions. However, we’re sure you’re going to enjoy the final version of cookies down to the last crumb.
Rhubarb Lemon Cookies Recipe
Rhubarb Lemon Cookies
These tangy-sweet buttery rhubarb lemon cookies are the perfect taste of spring.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp grated lemon rind (approximately the rind of one lemon)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup fresh rhubarb, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
Instructions
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In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugar and blend together until fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and lemon rind, and mix until thoroughly combined.
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In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture gradually to the butter-sugar mixture, stirring after each addition to incorporate. Then stir in the diced rhubarb.
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Scoop the dough in rounded teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. The cookies will spread out a lot on the baking sheet, so make sure to leave plenty of room between the cookies. (Plan on no more than 8 to 10 cookies per pan.)
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Bake the cookies in a preheated 325 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Let cookies cool on a pan for five minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a baking rack where they can continue to cool.
Cookie Baking Tips
A few notes about these cookies:
Make sure to leave lots of space between the cookie dough balls – these cookies will spread out!
First, as referenced in the recipe, the cookies will spread out. Make sure you give the cookie dough balls plenty of room on the cookie sheet. Some might even say you need to practice good…social distancing?
Hey – which cookie monster stole a bite?
Second, you want to make sure they keep that nice crispy consistency. Give them five minutes to cool off on the pan, then transfer them to a cooling rack. (And watch out for cookie monsters who might try to steal a bite!)
And third, even if you have a bumper crop of rhubarb, don’t be tempted to put too much rhubarb in there or the dough will get runny. (We tried so many versions of this recipe, so we know – we’ve been there.)
Finally, if you do happen to have a bumper crop of rhubarb, make sure you try our Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake and our favorite No-Bake Rhubarb Cheesecake.
Blogger disclosure: Melissa’s Produce gave us rhubarb to sample. We did not receive compensation for this post, and all opinions expressed are our own.
Hi! I'm Jeanne Fratello - a writer, reporter, and food enthusiast who is on a mission to write great stories about food and where your food comes from.
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