Prep your pan and oven: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures even baking and prevents sticking.

Mix the dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Keeping them separate prevents clumps and helps the cookies rise evenly.

Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. This step adds air, which helps create that soft center.

Add the wet flavors: Beat in the egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla (plus lemon extract if using). Mix until smooth. The mixture may look slightly curdled from the lemon juice—that’s normal.

Combine wet and dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix. Overmixing can make your cookies tough.

Rest the dough: Let the dough sit for 10–15 minutes. This quick rest helps the flour hydrate and the dough firm up, making it easier to scoop and shaping better cookies.

Shape and coat: Scoop 1–1.5 tablespoon portions of dough and roll into balls. Roll each ball in a small bowl of granulated sugar to coat the outside. Place on the prepared sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.

Bake: Bake for 9–11 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft. They’ll finish setting as they cool.

Cool: Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If glazing, wait until fully cool.

Optional glaze: Whisk powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to make a thick but pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and let set for 15–20 minutes.