Lemon Cakes

Published October 5, 2021

Media 1 of 1
Total Time
40 minutes, plus cooling
Rating
4(917)
Comments
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In the “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series (later known on television as “Game of Thrones”), George R.R. Martin devotes a lot of ink to lemon cakes, a favorite of the Lady of Winterfell Sansa Stark. The cakes have since become a pop culture totem for fans of the series. This recipe is inspired by a version found in “A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook” by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer. You don’t need to be a fan of “Game of Thrones” to love these cookielike treats, which are dense in texture, bright in flavor and boast a tart-sweet lemon glaze. The cakes are easy to throw together for a potluck or to satisfy a teatime craving. Priya Krishna

Featured in: From ‘The Sopranos’ to ‘Star Trek,’ Pop-Culture Cookbooks Fuel Fandoms

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Ingredients

Yield:About 32 cookies
  • 1 ⅔ cups/226 grams all-purpose flour

  • ¾ cup/170 grams granulated sugar

  • 6 tablespoons/85 grams salted butter

  • 2 lemons

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 large egg yolks

  • ⅓ cup/41 grams confectioners’ sugar

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

13 grams carbs; 23 milligrams cholesterol; 77 calories; 1 gram monosaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 3 grams fat; 20 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, combine the flour and granulated sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives to form crumbs with some pebbly bits, then zest the lemons directly into the bowl. In another small bowl, combine the egg and egg yolks. Squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from a lemon and mix into the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, and gently stir until the dough comes together.

  3. Step 3

    Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and space 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the tops look just set and dry, 12 to 13 minutes. Cool completely on the sheets.

  4. Step 4

    Place the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Squeeze 1 ½ teaspoons juice from a lemon, and stir into the confectioners’ sugar until smooth and the consistency of icing. Add more lemon juice if needed. Drizzle over the cooled cookies. Let stand until set.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
917 user ratings
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Comments

Well, I've made them gluten-free and they turned out fine, for whatever that's worth. It's a fairly gloppy dough, and mine have never looked this pretty, but they taste good, so...

Added 2 Tsp of baking powder, made the cookies more cake like and airy and fluffy. So good!

Made with Meyer lemons from my tree. Added 1 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt because I was concerned that there was no leavening. Also my lemons are quite large so there is a LOT of zest and I added extra juice. DELICIOUS and light textured. A keeper.

The dough was sticky. I had a hard time shaping them but it was delicious. I measured them correctly why did it happen though?

This recipe should have baking powder!! Mine came out hard as rocks.

love this recipe!! light but crunchy and the lemon flavor is delicious! easy to make and really fun

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Credits

Adapted from “A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook” by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer (Bantam, 2012)..

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