Here in Vermont we are currently in a deep freeze and there's snow on the ground. In short, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
I'd like to share with you a wonderful lemon shortbread cookie recipe that was hard won,
To explain: shortly after I moved to Vermont, I was invited to join our local Woman's Club by the owner of our local bookstore (the first pace I visited, naturally!). Well, this vintage 1901 Woman's Club does marvelous community involvement ... high school senior scholarships, support of shelters, food pantries, art and literature awards for local schoolchildren. We even bake heart-shaped cookies on Valentine's Day and deliver them to hard-working folks at the library, firehouse, police station, government offices.
Which brings me to our stellar town-widereputation as bakers.
But were these famous bakers going to share their secrets with me? Not on your life! I'd try to go at it sideways: "Diane, this velvet cake is so good! How do you get that frosting so smooth and delicious?" Diane proceeds to look both ways as if about to divulge the nuclear code, before she whispers: "Cream cheese." At last...a clue!
Finally, after saying yes to many projects and activities that serve, I was given the ultimate compliment---a recipe to guide me though providing a dessert for our scholarship fundraising Spaghetti Dinner.
I share it with you now, as I've always been terrible at keeping secrets. Here's your guide to the most tangy/sweet, melt in your mouth lemon shortbread cookies you'll ever taste! Merry Christmas and happy baking, dear readers!
Lemon Meltaway Cookies
for the cookies:
1 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 lemon for zest
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the glaze, combine:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon heavy cream
- in large bowl. Cream butter with sugar, Mix in egg. Stir in lemon zest.
- Add 1/2 cup flour, baking power and salt, until combined. Continue adding flour by 1/2 cup until completely combined.
- Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to measure dough, then slightly flatten with your palm.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until cookie center is just set. Cookies will remain light and not get brown. Let the cookies sit for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Once the cookies are cool, dip the tops in the glaze. Let dry and harden.
