Baking: Lemon Tea Cookies

(I just loved the that the snowman on the plate looked like he was holding the cookie!  The book I am reading is Poldark.)

I love chocolate anything, but I also love a twist on a basic sugar cookie, especially if it is meant to be consumed with tea and a book.  These lemon cookies are easy, don’t make too many, and can be pulled together quickly with basic ingredients.  I can just picture Piglet inviting his friends over to sample his little sweet treats by a cozy fireplace.
 

This recipe is supposed to make 3 dozen, but I only got 21 cookies (with a smallish cookie scoop).  I suppose they are supposed to be a little smaller than I made: think Piglet.

Ingredients:

Cookies:

½ cup (1 stick) softened butter

¾ cup sugar

1/3 cup milk (whole is better)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 egg

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon lemon zest (fresh is always better)

Lemon-sugar glaze:

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¼ cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

Beat sugar and butter together until fluffy. 

   

Add the egg and mix.  Mix two teaspoons of the milk into the lemon juice.  Add this mixture to the wet ingredients as well as the remaining milk.  (It is fine if the mixture curdles somewhat, as it will look much better as the dry ingredients are added.)

Mix together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder (sift, if possible), and add the mixture to the wet ingredients in small batches.

Use a spoon or cookie dropper to drop even cookies onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the bottoms and a tiny bit of the edges of the cookies are golden brown.

Cool each batch for a couple of minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool before glazing with the lemon glaze.

Directions for the lemon-sugar glaze:

Mix the lemon and sugar in a small bowl, and use either a spoon or a pastry brush to glaze the cookies.  The glaze will be sticky, so allow it to cool and harden before storing in container lined with wax paper at room temperature.

  

These cookies have a tendency to get dry if not eaten within a few days, but I don’t know of anyone who would have that problem.  Enjoy with a cup of tea and good book!

(I have found many recipes similar to this one; this is from the Winnie the Pooh Cookie Book.  I wrote five stars in the book years ago.  Copyright Dutton Children's Books, 1996, and the drawing is by A.A. Milne.)