Easter

Hibiscus Lemon Cookies

by:
January 12, 2019
5
6 Ratings
Hibiscus Lemon Cookies
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 12 minutes
  • Makes 4 dozen
Author Notes

Delicately lemony and so sparkly, these unique little cookies are perfect for the holidays and special occasions.
—Miss_Karen

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon Hibiscus Powder (Dried hibiscus flowers blitzed into a powder.))
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (1 Stick), room temperature
  • 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (about 1/2 of a lemon)
  • 1/4 Pure Lemon Extract or 1/8 tsp. Lemon Oil
  • Finely Grated Zest of One Lemon
  • Sparkling Sugar, for coating
Directions
  1. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, hibiscus powder, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside. In large mixing bowl, use electric mixer to beat butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy.
  2. Add egg, lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract; beat until well combined; remove beaters. Using heavy-duty wooden spoon, add flour mixture and mix until just combined (it will seem too dry, at first, but will be soft and sticky when combined.)
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours. When ready to bake, line 2 cookie sheets or sheet pans with parchment paper; preheat oven to 350*F.
  4. Working one at a time, form dough into 1" ball and roll into sparkling sugar. Place on lined baking sheet; press down lightly. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies one inch apart.
  5. Bake at 350F for approximately 10 minutes for softer cookie to 12-13 minutes for crisper cookie. Cool on baking sheets on wire racks for a few minutes; serve or store in airtight container.
  6. The hibiscus powder is red, but the cookies will be a nice lavender color. You could roll them in the sparkling sugar and then use a cookie stamp.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Madeleine Cornwell
    Madeleine Cornwell
  • Miss_Karen
    Miss_Karen
  • Kristina
    Kristina
  • Levi
    Levi

Popular on Food52

15 Reviews

Kristina
Kristina March 5, 2024
Omg these cookies are delicious. They’re the perfect mix of hibiscus and lemon. I added 2 tablespoons of the hibiscus instead of 1 and it was so delicious.
 
Miss_Karen
Miss_Karen March 5, 2024
Thank you! What a nice thing to read at the end of my day! I am delighted that you enjoyed them.
 
Levi
Levi January 1, 2024
These came out really delicious and soft! I would add more hibiscus next time as the lemon is overpowering. My cookies came out flat vs what the photo in the blog shows - what can i do to improve the shape?
 
Miss_Karen
Miss_Karen January 1, 2024
Hello & Happy New year! I'm glad you liked these. The photo shows a slice & bake method. However, if you want a bit more of a slightly domed cookie, you can use a small cookie scoop and roll them into balls and then roll the balls in the sparkling sugar. Bake as directed. *They will puff up and then sink a slightly as they cool. They end up looking a bit like crackle cookies when baked in this manner.
 
Rrbm
Rrbm December 8, 2023
These are DELICIOUS! I found hibiscus powder and was looking for something fun to do with it. I was not expecting the cookie to be this delicious. I did leave the dough in the fridge overnight and it was more brown than purple like the pictures but I don’t mind. Best cookies I’ve had in a long time
 
Miss_Karen
Miss_Karen December 9, 2023
What a fantastic way to start my day! I saw your praise first thing this morning. Thank you. I am pleased that you enjoy these cookies. I find them to be a little addictive. 🙂They pair nicely with hibiscus or lemon tea (& French vanilla icecream.)
 
Wow.howdidIgethere
Wow.howdidIgethere February 13, 2022
I made this for my friends for valentine’s day and OMG ITS SO AMAZING
you can taste both the lemon and hibiscus. They were super soft (i cooked mine for 11 minutes) and had a little bit of nice crunch from the sugar that makes everything just immaculate. THIS IS AMAZING TRY OUT THE RECIPE RIGHT NOW IM BEGGING YOU
 
Miss_Karen
Miss_Karen February 14, 2022
Wow! What a nice compliment. Thank you! I'm pleased you enjoyed them so much. 🙂
 
Enajera
Enajera October 26, 2021
Where would I get hibiscus powder?
 
Miss_Karen
Miss_Karen October 26, 2021
I get the dried hibiscus from here:
https://www.savoryspiceshop.com/pages/search-results-page?q=hibiscus+flower

Then, I put the petals in my coffee grinder and pulse until they are ground into a powder. However, you can also use food grade rose petals as a substitute.
Whole Foods sometimes carries dried hibiscus (usually in the tea or loose spice area.)
Here is another spice shop that carries it:
https://www.spiceandtea.com/hibiscus-flower-cut-sifted.html
 
Madeleine C.
Madeleine C. April 28, 2021
I am now making this recipe for the second time, and my husband, who is visiting his parents also made it for them. This is an amazing and very unusual cookie, packed with flavor and texture. I was able to adapt the recipe to be vegan, using our homemade vegan butter and flax egg and it's delicious. This cookie has been an excellent companion gift when I share my homegrown cranberry hibiscus tea and sharing the plant as well. Cranberry hibiscus is such a rich, healthy and versatile edible plant, and I hope to try this recipe with my own dried and powdered cranberry hibiscus, which will give it a more purple hue. Thank you for this recipe. I know it will be a new favorite around here.
 
Miss_Karen
Miss_Karen April 28, 2021
You are so welcome. It made my day to read your kind comments! You could use edible rose petals for a variation as well.
 
Madeleine C.
Madeleine C. April 29, 2021
Oh, I have some dried rosebuds for tea. How would you suggest I use them as a substitute and in what quantity? Should I powder them, or use the petals? Also, I have some rosewater; would you suggest using that instead of lemon extract? I'm so excited to think of the possibilities!
 
Miss_Karen
Miss_Karen April 29, 2021
I would use the same amount as the Hibiscus flowers 1:1 (dried/crushed) steeped etc. I have never used rose water in cookies. (I suppose I am too concerned that it would taste like soap.) Rose water is a VERY strong flavor. You could use raspberry or orange, or add a little bit of cardamom
(1/4 -1/2 tsp.) Or, just stay with lemon 😉
Let me know how they turn out. I like putting comments in with my recipes.
 
Miss_Karen
Miss_Karen April 29, 2021
Mini white chocolate chips & rose would be a good combination also.