Days of Christmas: A final sparkling addition

One last recipe from Christmas and then I think I am done. Whenever I start looking at recipes for anything, I tend to hunt down ones with lemon in them. I have a lemon tree in the back that 9 months out of the year is just kicking out tons of lemons. Meyer lemons to boot.

And I love it. I love the taste of lemons in food, sweets especially. I am the one who like the sweet and sour candy. These cookies aren't anywhere near a sweet and sour sort of taste; they have a light texture with a yummy lemon taste.

The only caveat to this recipe is the labor involved. These are small one or two bite little sandwich cookies, which means you have to roll out small, teaspoon sized balls of dough. Repeatedly. Especially if you double the recipe. And then you roll the cute little balls of dough in some sanding sugar for a sparkling, glittering cookie. Popular with little nieces, especially when they are rolled in the pink sugar. Also popular with grown ups because they taste so good.

All in all, I had a lot of fun picking recipes, baking, candy making and eating this year. I found a lot of great recipes, repeated some I love and found some that were okay and leave room for improvement next year.

Now that the new year is here, my husband and I will be restarting our Weight Watchers and a return to healthier recipes here on the blog. But I am not walking away from the yummy sweets completely, my not quite resolution for the year is to choose to be happier. And the healthy recipes leave me feeling better and full of energy, but, cookies also make me feel happy.

Happy New Year!


Glittering Lemon Cookies

From Epicurious

For Cookies
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
White and colored sanding sugars

For Filling
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened



Make Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt.
Beat together butter and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in zest and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture just until a soft dough forms.
Put sanding sugars in different bowls. Roll a scant teaspoon of dough into a ball and drop into sugar, turning to coat. Reshape if necessary and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat, spacing balls 3/4 inch apart, until baking sheet is filled. Refridererate for 30 minutes or freeze for 5-10 until dough balls are firm.
Bake until tops are slightly cracked but still pale (bottoms will be pale golden), 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to a rack to cool completely.
Form and bake more cookies on second baking sheet.


Make Filling and Sandwich Cookies:
Beat together all filling ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until combined well.
Turn over half of cookies and spread about 1/2 teaspoon filling on flat side of each. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently.