Yahoo Lifestyle Dolly Parton’s Secret Ingredient for the Best-Ever Sugar Cookies
When you're craving a simple, delicate and oh-so-buttery treat, baked good, you can't go wrong with a sugar cookie. The classic cookie is a dessert staple for a reason, but sometimes it's fun to add just a little twist to upgrade a familiar recipe. And we can't think of a better person to call on to reinvent the sugar cookie wheel than Dolly Parton.
Related: This Super Simple, No-Roll Sugar Cookie Is Perfect for Holiday Baking
Not only is Dolly and her music still iconic, but her cooking has also developed quite a following. Being such big fans of Dolly’s recipes, we can say from experience that her cooking is just as amazing as her ability to write a classic country banger.
With Christmas right around the corner and cookies on our minds, we found this Dolly Parton sugar cookie recipe by way of Karen from Kitchen Treaty. While Karen claims to be unsure if Dolly is the actual creator of the recipe (she found the recipe back when Netscape was a search engine!), the results are as memorable as Dolly's music, so we'd like to think it's legit. What's even better? You need just one ingredient to make these cookies sing: lemon zest.
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What's So Great About Dolly Parton's Sugar Cookies?
Dolly favors simple food—biscuits, scrambled eggs, baked potatoes—so it's no surprise that she keeps her cookies simple too. The recipe is pretty basic (flour, butter, egg yolks), but her addition of lemon zest is the main reason these sugar cookies are such a hit. The citrus zest adds a bright pop of flavor to the cookie and pairs beautifully with the butter. During the holidays, the food can lean a little rich and heavy, so adding a light, bright flavor to the mix is a welcome change.
The other more subtle difference in this recipe is the use of two egg yolks instead of whole eggs. Replacing whole eggs with egg yolks gives a cookie a richer flavor and a chewy texture.
Related: Meyer Lemon Greek Butter Cookies Recipe
How to Make Sugar Cookies Like Dolly Parton
To add lemon zest to sugar cookies, simply incorporate the zest of one or two lemons into your sugar cookie dough along with the wet ingredients, whisking to make sure the zest is evenly distributed. Another option is to take a tip from legendary baker Dorie Greenspan and rub the zest with the sugar prior to mixing it with the butter. To do this, grate the lemon zest into the sugar and rub the zest into the sugar with your hands until it's moist and smells fragrant.
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The zest provides a bright, citrusy flavor without adding extra liquid, enhancing the flavor of the cookies and adding cute little yellow speckles to the sweet. For an extra touch of lemony goodness, whip up a quick glaze with powdered sugar, milk and lemon zest and drizzle it over the cookie. You can also mix things up by using other citrus zests—orange, lime and grapefruit would all be great in a sugar cookie (or do a lemon-lime combo). To quote Dolly herself, you'll never do a whole lot unless you're brave enough to try!
More Delicious Dolly Holiday Recipes to Try
The Simple Dessert That's Always on Dolly Parton's Holiday Table
We Tried Dolly Parton's Super Simple Ground Beef Casserole To See If It's Worth the Hype
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