Sunday, February 20, 2011

Lemon Thins



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you enjoy afternoon tea or coffee, I think you'll really like these lovely lemon cookies. They are ridiculously easy to make, though I have heard some complaints about the dough being difficult to work with. I have a "work around" that will put an end to that argument and allow you to enjoy these cookies anytime you have a yen for them. The original instructions for this recipe, which, by the way, comes from an old issue of Gourmet magazine, called for rolling the dough into a log and refrigerating it overnight prior to slicing cookies for baking. If you use a knife on the chilled dough, the slices end up looking like amoebae and you won't get the lovely slices you are looking for. Years after first working with this dough, I learned to avoid this problem by using buttonhole thread or dental floss to cut through the log. That, however, is not my work around. I generally don't bake cookies unless our grandsons are visiting. They like to help. I'll say no more because I'm sure you get the picture. In order for them to help, it was necessary to change the way these cookies were formed and I fell back on the old roll it and pat it of nursery rhyme fame. Everyone is given a teaspoon and, following an earnest discussion as to what constitutes a heaping teaspoon and how to form a ball, they roll and pat to their heart's content. It's not elegant, but it is efficient and it works beautifully if the dough is well-chilled. They really are delicious and if you are a lemon lover you'll really like these cookies. Here's the recipe.

Lemon Thins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1-1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons double acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar for dusting the cookies

Directions:
1) In a bowl with an electric mixer cream together shortening, butter and the sugar. Add vanilla, lemon extract, lemon zest and the juice. Beat until mixture is smooth.
2) In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and blend well. Add to butter mixture and beat on low speed until well blended. Form mixture into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 24 hours.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll heaping teaspoons of dough into balls and place about 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten balls slightly with palm of your hand. Bake cookies in batches until edges are just golden, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer cookies to racks to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. Yield: 5 dozen cookies.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Cinnamon Icebox Shortbread Cookies - Cook It Allergy Free
Toasted Coconut and Orange Icebox Cookies - Baking and Boys
Lemon Pecan Icebox Cookies - Wives with Knives
Chocolate Butter Refrigerator Cookies - Annmarie Kostyk
Cranberry Orange Icebox Cookies - Appetite for China
Coconut Oatmeal Refrigerator Cookies - Foodista
Lemon Icebox Cookies - Martha and Me

83 comments :

Unknown said...

These look so beautiful - I'm always searching for the perfect biscuit/cookie combination of crunch, snap and sweetness - these look close to perfection.

Ginny Hartzler said...

Oh, I can almost taste one now, they look wonderful!! Light, airy, crispy, and sweet-tart!

Debs @ DKC said...

Oh yum, these cookies look and sound delicious.

Could just eat 1, 2, 3 or more...... now LOL.

Elin said...

love these lemony biscuit/cookies...light and crispy...thanks Mary for sharing such a refreshing biscuit :)

have a great day,
Elin

pigpigscorner said...

They look lovely! It's always ncie to have some helpers in the kitchen =)

muppy said...

yummy. these look great

♥Sugar♥Plum♥Fairy♥ said...

Ha ha , i love how u worked around this one to get them formed and sooo muc fun too!
Of course i love both , lemon as well as afternoon coffee , so these would be wonderful Mary!
happy sunday with love!
Baruch Hashem.

Bergamote said...

Waow ! These cookies look wonderful ! I must try them.

Thank you for your comment, and "bravo" for your blog !

Little Inbox said...

Hmm yum yum. I would like to have these for my afternoon tea. ;)

Flavia Galasso said...

I was waiting for this recipe..I love lemon.... have a GREAT SUNDAY...blessings, Flavia

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

I adore these cookies. I'm not a baker or a cookie maker, but these would be delicious with a scoop or two of sorbet. I can imagine they are perfect to make with children. The dental floss idea also works when slicing a log of goat cheese. It's amazing what tools you can find in your home when you look around.

Hope you are having a great weekend Mary.
Sam

CaThY said...

Very thin indeed~ must be very crispy. *^_^*

Chele said...

They look great ;0)

Clint said...

I'm salivating. Thank you.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

So many luscious lemon recipes lately Mary!!!!

Walnuts and Honey said...

Any kind of cookie and i am immediatly in love. These look great. and i bet they tasted even better.

Great post :)

Deana Sidney said...

I have heard of the dental floss method of cutting before... I wonder about an old cheese slicer I have with a thin wire/?? Rolling does seem so much easier for this great cookie... I love lemon!

Helia Roberto said...

Recipe translated to bake today or tomorow!!!
thank you.


kiss

HĂ©lia

Diane said...

I love lemon so this is just mouth watering. I have a cheese wire cutter which I am sure would be perfect. Diane

Kim said...

I will bake these this week I think... I like that kind of cookies... Plus, lemon version pleases me!

The Food Hound said...

Lemon cookies and tea-- a match made in heaven!! Sweet-tart, crispy... these look great!

Martha said...

These look like the perfect tea cookie -- I'll be making them soon!

PeggyR said...

Another wonderful lemon recipe!

Beth said...

I just saw this recipe re-posted on Sue's blog! They look amazing in both places.

Pondside said...

I can just imagine these with a nice cup of tea!

Eliana said...

Love how simple and delicious these look. Anything lemon is a winner in my book.

Anonymous said...

i shall be using that dental floss technique. THanks for sharing!

kitchen flavours said...

Your lemon thins cookies looks so beautiful! They do look very light, crispy and so perfect! Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe. Have a nice day, Mary!

Cathy said...

The roll and pat method is the best with children. My girls could never resist that last enthusiastic pat that gave their cookies a nice homemade look.

Jennifer said...

Those are gorgeous, you have been on a lemon kick lately! I love it

lena said...

they are in perfect shapes and looks light!

Unknown said...

these look divine... I love a fine biscuit that I know will be light but have that heady scent of lemon that hits you in the back of the throat... lovely... thanks for the recipe, going into my 'must make' file x

Bossy Chef said...

Ooooohhh we love all things lemon in this house!

That Girl said...

I would have afternoon tea just for a chance of eating these cookies.

Melinda said...

These are too pretty to eat!

Yummmy!

Melinda

Regina said...

Looks good.
Have a great new week Mary.
Regards.

Joanne said...

Kid friendly and grandma approved! That means they must be good.

Lucie said...

Oh Mary, you're killing me! Every time I read your blog there is yet another lemon recipe that I sit here dreaming of. I wish I had a few of these right now with my nighttime tea!

Anonymous said...

These look so delicate! Like a perfect little snack mid-afternoon.

teresa said...

i can't get enough of the gorgeous lemon treats and dishes. these look so good, and with such lovely flavor!

scrambledhenfruit said...

I love getting grandson help in the kitchen. :) We make ginger cookies and snickerdoodles with that same method. These lemon cookies sound delicious!

Cooking Gallery said...

They look perfect! All have got the same size...

Kath said...

What fun it must be to bake cookies with your grandsons! Your Lemon Cookies look wonderful. Lemon has become one of my favorite flavors for desserts!

Foley said...

Had to smile when I read this - could just picture the little ones helping out rolling and patting the dough!!
They look do dainty and delicious - love anything lemony!!

Barbara Bakes said...

I'm a lemon lover and know I would love these cookies. Now if I just had some grandsons to bake them with!

penny aka jeroxie said...

This is perfect for a cup of tea and a good book :)

Claudia said...

Love the advice! (and your helpers) They do looking pretty, delicate and waiting for tea.

Jane said...

Mmmm...one of my favorite tea cookies. I'll make them tomorrow.
Jane (artfully graced)

Carol said...

Such perfect looking cookies, they look delicious!

Alessandra said...

They sound great, probably even good to make biscuit sandwiches with a nice filling inside :-)

have a good week

ciao
Alessandra

Arlene Delloro said...

I'm bookmarking these. I love lemon in most any confection. Love the "patty cake" method, too.

Catherine said...

Mary these cookies look delighful!

Very elegant presentation!

Blessings,
Catherine

Nina said...

Mary, these lemon thins look lovely! Isn't it great how the techniques change with "helpers' in the kitchen! How fun. Thanks for sharing this one!

Susi's Kochen und Backen said...

Another wonderful lemon recipe! I can imagine how fantastic they would taste with a nice cup of tea! Love the little tricks as well! Thanks for sharing Mary :o)

Torviewtoronto said...

these look perfect
delicious cookies

Kankana said...

they look so tasty and light !

Anonymous said...

I bet they smelled wonderful, spring like, zest just makes the whole house smell wonderful, right?

These sure do sound toothsome.

Reeni said...

These look so light and lemony! Like sunshine.I bet your grand kids had fun making (and eating) them. Such a delicious cookie to have with a cup of tea.

The Words Crafter said...

I love almost all things lemon and these appear to be mouthwateringly delicious!

Have a great week!

Angela said...

Very lovely. These look like a beautiful promise of Spring!

Anonymous said...

These would be perfect with a cup of tea! Yum..love it! :)

Harika baratam said...

Lovely and amazing.

Sarah said...

These look absolutely delicious! Sadly, vegetable shortening is not easy to come by in Australia. Would butter would be a suitable substitute?

Banana Wonder said...

Love the dental floss technique. Thanks for the hot tip, Mary. I bet your grandsons love you like crazy.

Fresh Local and Best said...

These cookies look dangerous, so light, airy, lemony and delicate. I think I could eat more than my share of the plate.

Joyce @ Chunky Cooky said...

These biscuits look so professionally and perfectly done up !

Anonymous said...

So summery! Love these thins :)

Elisabeth said...

Mary=These cookies are so perfect, light, and delicious. Beautiful photos of it, as well.

A little bit of everything said...

i love nibbling on a sweet treat with my tea and your lemon thins sound like a great idea.
i'll keep in mind the dental floss idea, thanks

Have a wonderful Monday Mary

Deb in Hawaii said...

Such pretty little cookies--they look perfectly crispy and lemony. I am drinking a cup of tea right now and wish I had a couple to go with it.
;-)

My Little Space said...

Need I say more to these! Absolutely stunning. They look so perfect. How I wish I'm chewing one of these now. Yummm.... Bookmark this for later use. Thank you & have a great day. Guess, your grandkids were here! Are they? Have fun.
Cheers, Kristy

Unknown said...

I do love lemon cookies. They are my favorite right behind chocolate chip cookies!! I bet these were fantastic!!

Elaine said...

I love it. The old tried and true methods do sometimes work best, don't they? These look so perfect and I would really like to make these to eat with a pot of tea.

-Arielle- said...

These look divine! I love all the lemon recipes you are posting lately!

Anonymous said...

My youngest and I make something very similar. He was 'helping' on the weekend. The dough was certainly very loved by the end of it.

Anonymous said...

What beautiful cookies! I love the triple threat of lemon juice, zest and extract! :)

sanjeeta kk said...

What a wonderful and delicate looking cookie! Love the crisp and white color of these goodies.

turmericnspice said...

Thanks for visiting my blog....loved your space, and loved to read your profile.I think we will enjoy sharing with each other.
Loved the lemon thins....wld have baked it rightbaway but I have regular baking PDF not double acting....cld I use that instead.
Hope to c u often

Stephen said...

These look great, I am sure you can't eat just one!

Choclette said...

These look so elegant and way to uniform to be rolled and patted. Yum, I do like lemon biscuits.

Le palais gourmand said...

J'adore les desserts au citron, c'est trop bon!!

Merci de ta visite sur mon blog, ça m'a permis de connaître le tien.

Bonne journée

Kilby Austin said...

I live in Uganda and would like to make these but I don't have lemon extract or vegetable shortening. What can be substituted?

Mary Bergfeld said...

Paul and Kirby, butter or margarine can be substituted for the vegetable shortening. I've checked some online resources regarding substitutes for lemon extract. Some say there is no substitute for it. Others say use 1 teaspoon lemon zest for every 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract. I hope this helps. Blessings...Mary

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