These sugar cookies have a light crackly exterior that gives way to a soft, chewy middle and the delicate lemon & spice flavor is addictive. Roll them in your favorite sprinkles, jimmies or sparkling sugar for more texture and crunch.
Preheat the oven to 375°F°. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
MAKE THE SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Whisk to combine and set aside.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the sugar and butter at high speed until they're very well combined, light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and lemon zest and beat to blend. Add the egg and beat again until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat just until the dry ingredients are combined.
FORM THE SUGAR COOKIES:
Use a tablespoon measure to scoop out equal portions of dough. Roll them into a ball and roll the ball into your choice of sparkling sugar, nonpareils or jimmies. Coat the balls of dough well and transfer to a prepared baking sheet.
Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the cookies into rounds, about 3/8" or 1 mm thick. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until they're just set and barely browned around the edges.
Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.