• Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Prepare baking sheets by spraying them with vegetable oil or covering them with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
• Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift together 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon table or sea salt.
• Cream Butter & Sugar: Use a mixer to beat 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened until smooth and lemony colored for about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup granulated sugar and continue beating for another minute.
• Add Egg & Flavoring: Add in 1 large egg and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in 1/4-1/2 teaspoon lemon oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Incorporate Dry & Wet Ingredients: Add the flour mixture alternately with the 3/4 cup buttermilk mixing gently until mixed.
• Scoop & Bake: Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased baking pan or sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking sheet. (I use an ice cream dipper (which holds ⅛ cup) to achieve a uniform size.)
• Bake in an oven preheated to 400˚F (200˚C) for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. (Longer for classic size.)
• Cool Cookies: Remove slightly cooled cookies to a cooling rack after 2-3 minutes. Leaving cookies on the pan too long will cause the bottom to absorb moisture and roll into crumbs when removed from the tray. Speaking from experience, this will spoil your icing job.
• Make glazes: Make the glaze while the cookies bake.
• Frost Cookies: Make the glazes while the cookies bake. After cookies are baked and cooled, spread vanilla glaze on one-half of each cookie. Let dry before adding the chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

• Microwave 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate, and 2 teaspoons butter for 1 minute. Stir to enable complete melting without scorching. Add in 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons boiling water, 2 teaspoons light corn syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. If the glaze gets too thick to spread evenly, add a few drops of boiling water.

Vanllla Glaze

• Add 3 tablespoons hot milk to 2 cups confectioners' sugar and stir until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch salt, stirring again until smooth. If the glaze gets too thick, add a few drops of hot milk.