Make the Dough
1-Beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest: Beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. (Pro tip: you can rub the lemon zest and sugars together between your fingertips to help release the natural oils in the lemon and infuse even more lemon flavor into the cookies).
2-Add eggs and extract(s), mix again: Add eggs and extract(s), mix again.
3-Add the dry ingredients in a mound: Add the dry ingredients in a mound with baking soda on top.
4-Add the lemon juice on top of: Add the lemon juice on top of the baking soda, it will foam = activated.
5-Mix just until combined: Mix just until combined. Do not over mix.

Chill and Shape
6-You can refrigerate the dough now as: You can refrigerate the dough now as is or scoop and roll into balls and then refrigerate. Balls will be about ~1 ½-2 tbsp. in size.
7-Refrigerate at least 1 hour: Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Bake
8-Preheat the oven to 325°F: Preheat the oven to 325°F.
9-Add about ¼ cup granulated sugar into: Add about ¼ cup granulated sugar into a bowl and roll the balls in the granulated sugar.
10-Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and place about 6-8 cookies at a time on a baking sheet.
11-Bake for 10-12 min: Bake for 10-12 min. DO NOT OVERBAKE. These need to be very soft and chewy.
12-Swirl a cup around the cookies when: Swirl a cup around the cookies when they come out of the oven (while they’re still warm) to make them perfect circles.
13-Rest on a cookie sheet for just: Rest on a cookie sheet for just 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They will look puffy out of the oven but settle as they cool.
14-Sprinkle the tops of cookies with more: Sprinkle the tops of cookies with more granulated sugar for a sparkly look and lemon zest if desired.