Sunday, August 24, 2008

Lemon Butter Cookies



These are one of my most requested cookies. Sort of a lemon flavored sugar cookie. You can make the dough and shape it into balls and bake it right away. I prefer to form it into logs and then let them firm up in the refrigerator over night. Slice them into rounds just before baking. They come out looking very professional this way. 

I started making these cookies because we had a huge lemon tree right outside my kitchen window. Every year we got tons of lemons, and they were big, juicy, fabulous lemons. I made lemon cookies, lemon poppy seed muffins, lemon bread, limoncello... everything I could think of with lemons. Then the tree died which was very sad. But we planted a new one, so in a few years I should have some lemons again. We also planted a key lime tree which immediately began to bear fruit. It ripened one perfect little lime every day or two for a month. Just enough for nightly gin and tonics with fresh lime. Fortunately for my liver the limes have a fairly short season.

Ingredients:

3 ½ cup flour

2 ¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 c. butter

1 1/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. fine lemon zest

1 Tbs. Lemon juice

lemon extract or lemon oil to taste if needed


Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2.Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

3.Cream butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, lemon zest and extract.

4.Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.

5.Divide dough into 3 pieces. Form into 1 ½” diameter logs and wrap in wax paper. Chill a few hours or up to five days.

6. Cut ¼” thick slices and arrange on ungreased baking sheet.

7.Bake for about 6 minutes and transfer to racks to cool. Dip in powdered sugar or lemon glaze to finish. Set glazed cookies on rack over waxed paper until glaze is set.

Lemon Glaze:

Powdered sugar

Water

Vanilla

Lemon extract/zest/oil

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