Thursday, February 20, 2014

big lemon cookies







Right in the middle of shoveling and knocking down icicles yesterday, the picture of those Archway lemon cookies floated into my mind.  Have you ever had them?  Those and the hermit cookies were weekly staples in the grocery cart when my children were young, though I admit those weren't the only fingers snitching a cookie.  They were rectangular, and a quite hefty, as I remember.  


You know how it is when you get a bee in your bonnet, as my Mum used to say, so I looked up a lemon cookie I made years ago.  It was good, but I remember thinking I wished I hadn't used lemon extract, or quite so much cornstarch.  So I tinkered with the recipe and ended up with a tangy, 4 inch handful of cookie.  I waffled on the frosting, and ended up just drizzling a little lemon juice and confectioner's sugar icing on top.


Now that's a terrific cookie !


To make 8 or 9 four inch cookies ( or more using a smaller scoop):

Preheat oven to 350F.
Line a baking sheet with clean foil or parchment paper.

For the cookie dough:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) room temperature unsalted butter
1 and 1/4th cups confectioner's sugar 1 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
zest from a lemon - about 1-2 teaspoons



Stir together the flour, salt, cornstarch and baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Place the butter and confectioner's sugar in mixer bowl and mix on low until blended, then increase speed and mix a few minutes more.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Beat in the lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest, then switch to low while you add the flour/cornstarch mixture.  Mix until creamy .

Using a regular ice cream scoop, scoop cookies onto baking sheet, leaving 3 inches between cookies.  (I usually fit 6 cookies on each baking sheet).

Bake for 15 minutes, then let cool briefly on a cooling rack, then use a spatula to let them cool further on another rack - important it you want the icing to set.

To make the icing, just mix a cup of confectioner's sugar and fresh lemon juice to a medium consistency and either brush on the somewhat cooled baked cookies, or drizzle from a fork.  

Enjoy!






Remember the apple orchard?  Here it is in winter, where the trees are snoozing under a blanket of snow...

13 comments:

  1. Orchards in winter..are etheral..as they are laden with blossoms..laden with fruit:)

    Katrina..that photo I love on the header of your blog that drew me in..was that you?Or..your daughter?
    Your 4 inch cookies look so good!!!

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  2. Nana, dearest - what is etherEal? That photo is a picture of me, I think four years old? Five? When I saw it ( as an adult) I was flabbergasted! So....it was clear I had always been about cooking.

    Teeth chattering, and about to take a long soak in a lavender scented tub, sleet and snow tonight.....but I have cookies!

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  3. out of this world beauty:)
    I knew it was you:) Ethereal too:)

    Lavender baths..my faves.

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  4. Nana, my brain is addled - of course it was ethereal! Pardon my winter-tired confusion:) Wishing you a lavender sleep tonight.

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  5. Well, these cookies look even better than any old Archway brand packet ... although I do admit to a soft spot for the Archway oatmeal cookies of my youth ...

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  6. Susan - I never ate the oatmeal, but we were all very partial to the lemon and the hermits. I gave up buying cookies ages ago - funny that I would think of it now, isn't it? Must be the everlasting weather:) Thanks for the swingby, and reminding me about your wonderful blog!

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  7. Dear Katrina -

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

    (that's me shouting it from the rooftops!!)

    My wish for you is a very joyful birthday celebration and a wonderful year ahead :-) !

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  8. I'm not a huge fan of icing but these would be naked without!

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  9. Barb - I can't believe you remembered - thank you! Lovely time with this morning with my grandchildren, cake for late breakfast:)

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  10. Cake for breakfast? Yum! What a perfect way to start a celebration!

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  11. Dear Diary - you know, I think these cookies are perfect unadorned, but a little drizzle of glaze is delicious!

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  12. Barb - I think that's going to be my last time eating cake for breakfast - the sugar! It was like drinking four cups of coffee *BOING* :)

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