why do so many cookie recipes call for lemon juice and lemon zest?

ok so i have never been a fan of lemon in my pastries. so why do so many recipes call for lemon zest? im looking through a cookie cookbook and all the recipes call for lemon zest and/or lemon juice. but why? if i make it like the recipe says will it taste like lemon? or does the lemon act as some sort of balancing ingredient to balance out the sugar and butter or what not?

Killer cookie recipes?

I lost my mom’s cookbook when I moved and can’t find those really awesome cookie recipes like she had. I’m looking for chewy peanut butter cookies, massive chewy chocolate chip cookies, and oatmeal raisin cookies that were buttery, chewy and spread nicely.

I’ve tried recipes from all the standard sites so please don’t just cut and paste something you haven’t tried yourself. I’m really tired of cookies that don’t spread out and get all chewy and golden. If they stay in lumps, my hubby won’t eat them. Hoping someone will share their real favorites and not just cut and paste things they never tried for themselves.