For weeks now, I’ve been on a quiet, personal quest: the search for the perfect lemon cookie. It’s not some grand, dramatic saga; it’s just a simple desire to find that one, cookie that delivers a bright, zesty, and utterly satisfying lemon experience. No, I don’t know what is wrong with me. I just want what I want.

So for a while now, I have been going to different grocery stores and looking for lemon cookie mixes or lemon-flavored cookies. On one trip, the only ones with icing I could find were lemon Oreos. I thought, well if this is the only one’s they have, I will give them a try. I like regular Oreos I will probably like these too.

I opened the package on the walk home. The cookie part had no lemon flavor, it was like one of those regular ‘Golden’ Oreos. The filling was okay. It had a mild lemon flavor but not what I was hoping for. Is it Oreo’s that are disappointing or my high expectations? Obviously this is a huge company and making a mass market appeal cookie is going to be the priority, not trying to ease the longing of the few people in the world who are trying to rediscover and idealized moment. I understand in psychology, some people are maximizers and some are satisficers. This is one of the times I am a maximizer. I don’t want to be, because maximizers are always looking for the best. But the rub is that even when they find it, they have a comparatively less enjoyable experience than satisficers. So I am fated to fail?

I don’t know what specific lemon cookie from my past set this high, yet seemingly unachievable, bar. But its memory drives my continued search. It might be that I am nostalgic or have unrealistic expections. Anyway if anyone knows of lemon cookie they really enjoy I’d love to hear about it. There are some lemon cookies I like. These are great but they don’t have any icing.

Update:

I am happy to report that I have found a lemon treat that satisfies my craving! While technically not a cookie, the Bonne Maman Lemon Tartlets have a delightful lemon flavor in the shortbread crust that is exactly what I was looking for. The lemon filling is great, not the icing I was thinking I was looking for but very nice. Almost like a little creme brulee. Weirdly the link is mislabeled as “Raspberry Tartlets” but the image and product description confirm they are indeed lemon tartlets.

So, for now, my quest has come to a satisfying end. Maybe I am not fated to be a perpetually unsatisified maximizer, there is hope. However, I am always open to trying other lemon cookies, so please keep the recommendations coming!