My mother used to buy Sunshine Lemon Coolers and hide them from us. When I found the stash, it was very clear why she loved them so much. Their texture was ethereally light, and something I'd never experienced before as a kid. When I was older I tried to make the clone that calls for lemon flavored Kool Aid in the powdered sugar. The cookies weren't quite right and the Kool Aid tasted weird. In 2008, a reader named Kay shared her recipe for Kay's Lemon Clouds which are much better than Lemon Coolers!
Who Needs Coolers When You Have Kay's?
The Lemon Clouds recipe was posted in the comment section by Kay, who said she received some of the cookies as a holiday gift and fell in love with them. I pasted the recipe below as Kay wrote it, but put “butter” in parenthesis because that’s what I used. I also found that the food processor worked perfectly – just process the butter and sugar until creamy, sift in the flour and cornstarch, then pulse until mixture forms a dough. As for shaping, the dough was pliable, so I just kind of molded the cookies into balls. They spread a tiny bit and the end result where little mounds, which I frosted with Kay’s lemon icing. Thanks for the recipe, Kay!
Lemon Meltaways
Kay's cloud cookies are really just a good version of lemon flavored Meltaways. Today's margarines might not work the same as margarines back in the 1970s, so I recommend sticking with salted butter.
Below is Kay's original recipe, but I put an updated version in the card and added more tips in the notes.
Kay's Original Recipe
Kay’s Lemon Clouds -- 4 to 6 dozen (recipe halves easily)
2 c. margarine (butter)
⅔ c. powdered sugar
2 c. unsifted flour
1-⅓ c. unsifted cornstarch
Lemon Icing
6 tbl. Margarine (butter) -- soft
1 box powdered sugar (1 pound)
Lemon juice for consistency
Lemon rind (optional) – didn’t need
Cream margarine (butter) and sugar. Sift in flour and cornstarch. Mix well. Drop by small teaspoonful on ungreased cookie sheet about one inch apart. Bake for 15 minutes at 350. Do not brown. Cool and ice.
To prepare icing, cream margarine and powdered sugar, adding lemon juice for consistency. Lemon rind may be added if desired. This recipe may be baked ahead and frozen. Best if eaten within 2-3 days after baking.
If using unsalted butter, be sure to add some salt to the dough. I originally used ½ teaspoon for half a batch, so for the full batch use at least 1 teaspoon.
Kay's Lemon Clouds Tips
- These are delicate "meltaway" type cookies made mostly from butter. Use a good brand of salted butter like Land o' Lakes. You can use unsalted butter and add your own salt if you need to, but it's easier to just use salted butter.
- For the flour, any type of AP should work, but a higher protein brand like King Arthur should help the cookies maintain their shape better. The cornstarch will keep them light.
- Powdered sugar is the best option, but these can also be made with confectioners' Swerve. If using Swerve, you might want to use a little more -- like up to ¾ cup. I made them with Swerve using the ⅔ cup and felt they needed just a little more. I'm not a big fan of erythritol because of the cooling effect, but it actually was kind of nice with the lemon.
- Kay's cookies did not have lemon zest in the dough. Feel free to leave it out and let the butter flavor come through. However, if you are a lemon head and want more lemon flavor go ahead and put a little zest in the dough.
- This recipe calls for a lot of butter. You may want to start with half a batch using just 1 cup of butter just to make sure you're okay with the sweetness level.
- For the icing, I used butter that was very soft, almost warm. This kept it smooth. If the butter is cold it will cause the icing to curdle a bit. If icing does curdle, just warm a little of it and add to the bowl or put the icing in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 10 seconds to smooth it out.
- The amount of lemon juice is going to vary. Half at least ⅓ cup ready to go, but add it very gradually, one tablespoon at a time.
Recipe
Kay’s Lemon Clouds
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups salted butter, softened 1 pound
- ⅔ cups powdered sugar (or use up to 1 cup for sweeter cookies) (80 grams or up to 110 grams)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
- 2 cups unsifted flour (270 grams)
- 1 ⅓ cups unsifted cornstarch (160 grams)
Lemon Icing
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, softened to the point of almost being melted and not at all cold or it will curdle
- 1 pound box powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus more to taste zest, to taste
- 2-6 tablespoons tablespoons lemon juice added gradually, do not add all at once.
Instructions
- Put the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until light and creamy. If you want the cookies to be more lemony, add a teaspoon of lemon zest in with the butter and sugar.
- Whisk together flour and cornstarch. If your flour is lumpy you can sift it, but whisking should be fine. Add to the mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until a soft dough forms.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out about 4 dozen balls or spoon out 6 dozen if you want smaller cookies. Put the balls on dinner plates and chill until very firm. You can skip this step if you'd like, but it helps the cookies bake up into neater rounds.
- Space about about one inch apart on ungreased or parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes at 350F. They do not need to be brown, but a little brown around the edges is okay. Let cool directly on the sheets, as they are quite delicate. Once fairly cool, remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Make Icing
- To prepare icing, cream the almost melted butter and powdered sugar with the mixer. If using the lemon zest, add it to the butter and powdered sugar mixture. Beat until it holds together, then add lemon juice one tablespoon at a time just until mixture is spoonable. You can add some more lemon zest to tastes as well.
- Spoon the icing over the cooled cookies allowing it to fall down the sides.
Anna says
Hi Charlotte,
I'm really sorry those cookies didn't work out. I'm glad you liked the flavor, but there's no point in making something that's going to fall apart on you. It's interesting that they both spread AND fell apart. I can see them being too clumpy and lumpy and breaking, but I'm surprised that they spread so much.
Land of Lakes has a similar recipe. Maybe the proportions here would work better?
http://www.landolakes.com/mealIdeas/ViewRecipe.cfm?RecipeID=2451
If you want to take another shot at Kay's, maybe try making 1/4 of the recipe? It would save butter!
I haven't tried the Land O Lakes recipe, but I might give it a try myself.
Charlotte says
Anna....sorry about the email. I've included it this time for you in the form.
I double and triple checked everything when they flopped. I only use real butter, no margarine. Maybe chilling the dough would work?
I loved the taste of these and would make them again..... I will see what we come up with and maybe try again tomorrow. I have lemon icing just waiting 🙂
Anna says
Well, I guess I won't because you didn't include your email.
I'm not sure why they spread. My only thought is maybe you read it as "1/3 cup" cornstarch rather than 1 1/3 cup. Or maybe you used a corn oil spread as opposed to butter or regular margarine? If anyone else has a problem, please let me know. The recipe worked for me, if it doesn't work for everyone, I'll take it down.
Anna says
Hi Charlotte,
I'm sorry the cookies didn't work out for you.
I will email you and we can trouble-shoot.
Charlotte says
I just finished making these cookies and unfortunately they didn't turn out. I followed the recipe exactly, but the cookies spread so much they just crumbled. I then rolled into balls and they spread less, but still crumbled when trying to take them off the cookie sheet.
Do you have any suggestions? We scooped the crumbs into bowls and topped with a bit of the icing and they tasted great, but would love if they actually stayed in the mounds like yours.
Anna says
Janis, I've used that, but not with this recipe. Great idea!
Janis says
Have you ever tried using the powdered Real Lemon that comes in tiny individual serving packets? They have it at Whole Foods and it is a great addition to this type of cookie (either in the dough or the glaze).
Vickie says
Those are gorgeous and they have my name all over them, being a lemon nut. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I plan to make these soon...and I'm sure I won't be able to stop eating them! =)
Lori says
LOVELY! I'm a lemon lover- this recipe will be tried soon 🙂
Lori
rebecca says
they sound great. but i think i like them even better since they're called clouds.
Patricia Scarpin says
Oh, Anna... these are right up my alley, I love lemon!
Cakespy says
Oooh these remind me of a type of cookie I always used to get at Rocco's in Greenwich village. Yum!
Anj says
Gosh, I love lemon cookies. I would be afraid to have them the house as well as I just might 'over serve' myself.
Shabby Miss Jenn says
OMG I am totally afraid to try these cuz I might eat the whole batch! LOL
Midge says
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! Can't wait to try them!
Anna says
Hi Midge,
I should have probably mentioned that in the post. Before the cookies set, I sprinkled them with a bit of yellow decorating sugar. I believe I bought it at Williams Sonoma. You can usually find sparkly colored sugars at specialty stores (like WS) or gourmet type stores with good baking sections.
These cookies are so good, btw. I chilled mine for a while and the icing set up firm enough so that the cookies can be stacked.
Midge says
Love, love, love your site, I am a forever fan!
Please can you tell me what you sprinkled on top of the cookies?