Lemon Glaze

This classic lemon glaze uses a slightly beaten egg white as the base instead of milk or water, which gives it a smoother, glossier finish that dries to a firm, almost porcelain-like shell. It’s the traditional glaze for German cookies and holiday baked goods, and it holds up better than a simple powdered sugar and water drizzle.

Beat the egg white with sifted powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a dash of salt until everything is smooth and well combined. The lemon zest adds aromatic citrus oil that you can smell as soon as you drizzle it on, while the juice provides the tartness that cuts through the sweetness of the sugar.

Sift the powdered sugar before mixing. Lumps won’t dissolve in the small amount of liquid and will leave gritty spots in an otherwise smooth glaze.

Chef Tips

• Sift the sugar first: Unsifted powdered sugar clumps and creates an uneven, bumpy glaze.
• Consistency control: Too thick? Add lemon juice a few drops at a time. Too thin? Sift in more powdered sugar.
• Let it set fully: Give the glaze 30 minutes to an hour to dry and harden before stacking or storing glazed cookies.
• Fresh zest matters: Use a microplane for fine zest that distributes evenly. Avoid the bitter white pith beneath the yellow skin.