3 cups all purpose flour (plus more for dusting)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons buttermilk

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tatar, and salt.

In a separate bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg and lemon zest and continue beating until the egg is completely incorprated.

Beating on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture, and continue to beat until almost incorporated.

Add the buttermilk and lemon juice, and beat together.

Press the dough into a rough rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour or up to overnight).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured work surface (not the baking sheets you just lined with parchment), using a floured rolling pin, roll out chilled dough until about 1/4 inch thick and use whatever shape cookie cutter you desire to cut out shapes.

Place cut out shapes onto the prepped parchment covered baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Rinse and repeat until you are out of dough.

Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are lightly goden around the edges but barely colored on top (roughly 12- 15 minutes).

Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks where they can cool completely either for icing or eating.

Use whatever icing you want, I tend to use a basic powder sugar, milk, and vanilla mix to top mine, but use whatever you want, you do you.