These are the cookies I bake when I want something homemade but do not feel like pulling out the mixer. Plain yogurt is the magic ingredient: it makes the dough soft and the cookies so tender they practically melt in your mouth. A little lemon zest and vanilla keep them fresh and fragrant, and a dusting of powdered sugar makes them look special on a plate. My niece calls them cloud cookies, and the name stuck in our family.
Servings: 10 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 14 min
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115 g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp (6 g) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (15 g) powdered sugar, for dusting
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar with a wooden spoon or whisk for 2 minutes until pale and creamy.
- Add the yogurt, egg, vanilla and lemon zest and mix until smooth. The mixture may look slightly curdled, that is completely normal.
- In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Add it to the wet mixture and stir just until a soft dough forms with no dry flour left. Do not overmix.
- Chill the dough for 15 minutes if it feels too sticky to scoop. Then drop about 20 rounded tablespoons onto the baking sheets, about 2 inches (5 cm) apart, and flatten each one slightly with damp fingers.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are just turning pale golden and the tops are set but still pale.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack. Dust with powdered sugar once completely cool.
Tips and variations
- Greek yogurt makes a thicker dough and slightly puffier cookies; add 1 tablespoon of milk if the dough feels stiff.
- Swap the lemon zest for orange zest and add a pinch of cinnamon for a holiday version.
- Press a few chocolate chips or a little jam into the center of each cookie before baking.
- Store them in an airtight tin for up to 4 days; they stay soft thanks to the yogurt.
Simple, soft and comforting, the kind of cookie that disappears from the plate in minutes. Happy baking!
