Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) oil (neutral tasting, such as vegetable or canola)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest packed tablespoon, it’s a lot of zest!
• 2 tablespoon (30 ml) evaporated milk (see notes)
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup (245 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (10 g) cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) salt

For Coating

• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar (for coating the cookies)

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, mix the sugar and lemon zest. Rub your finger to extract the lemon zest oil. Then, add oil, lemon juice, evaporated milk, and vanilla; whisk until the sugar is dissolved and everything is well combined.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk to combine.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Chilling is mandatory for this sticky cookie dough.
• Preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll the dough into 1-inch balls (about 1.5 tablespoons), generously coat each ball in granulated sugar, and then coat them generously with powdered sugar twice. Place the balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. Let the cookies cool slightly before transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.