If life gives you lemons... make lemon treats

Enlarge Image

The recipe for lemon tea cookies produces a tender and cakey treat with a subtle lemon flavour. (PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Enlarge Image

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Lemony slice-and-bakes are shortbready, not-too-sweet cookies with quite a bit of lemon.

Since the Corydon neighbourhood bakery-cafe Bread & Circuses closed, we have had a few requests for their cookies. Rachel Siebert especially misses their lemon tea cookies. We haven't managed to track down the Bread and Circuses recipe, but these two versions are both very good. Linda Snider of Glenboro sent in her recipe for glazed lemon tea cookies. The second recipe is an iced lemon cookie from Bon Appetit that I've made before with good results.

This week, Elaine Shimane-Brown is craving Joey's shrimp noodle lettuce wraps and would love a recipe to make at home, while Ann Takeuchi is looking for the perfect jalapeno cheese bread -- one that's quite spongy and moist. (Costco's bakery used to make a good one, she writes.)

If you can help with a recipe request, have your own request, or a favourite recipe you'd like to share, send an email to recipeswap@freepress.mb.ca, fax it to 697-7412, or write to Recipe Swap, c/o Alison Gillmor, Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave. Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. Please include your first and last name, address and telephone number.

Lemon tea cookies

10 ml (2 tsp) lemon juice

125 ml (1/2 cup) whole milk

425 ml (13/4 cups) all-purpose flour

5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder

1 ml (1/4 tsp) baking soda

1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt

114 g (125 ml or 1/2 cup) butter, softened

175 ml (3/4 cup) granulated sugar

1 egg

Lemon glaze:

175 ml (3/4 cup) granulated sugar

60 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice.

Heat oven to 175 C (350 F). Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Stir lemon juice into milk, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar. Add egg and beat until fluffy. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to butter mixture. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes or until set on top and lightly brown on underside. Make glaze by stirring sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl, and brush on while cookies are still warm. Makes about 30 cookies.

Tester's notes: This is a tender and cakey cookie with a subtle lemon flavour. I warmed up the glaze a little to dissolve the sugar. This is the kind of glaze that soaks in, like that on many lemon loafs. I brushed on one layer, waited until it was absorbed, and then brushed on one more. By the way, the lemon and milk mixture will look curdled, but don't worry.

Lemony slice-and-bakes (adapted from Bon Appetit)

625 ml (21/2 cups) all-purpose flour

2 ml (1/2 tsp) kosher salt or 1 ml (1/4 tsp) table salt

228 g (250 ml or 1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

175 ml (3/4 cup) granulated sugar

30 ml (2 tbsp) finely grated lemon zest

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

4 large egg yolks

Icing:

310 ml (11/4 cups) icing sugar

30 ml (2 tbsp) (or more) fresh lemon juice

Whisk flour and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla in a large bowl, occasionally scraping down sides, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks; beat just to blend. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture and beat, occasionally scraping down sides, just to blend. Divide dough in half; roll each half into a 25 cm (10 in) log about 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in) in diameter. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Arrange racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; preheat to 175 C (350 F). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap 1 dough log. Using a sharp, lightly floured knife, cut log into 6 mm (1/4 in) thick rounds. Transfer to prepared sheets, spacing 2.5 cm (1 in) apart. Bake until cookies are firm and golden brown around edges, 15-17 minutes. Let cool for 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks and let cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough log, using cooled baking sheets and new parchment paper.

Make icing by whisking icing sugar and 30 ml (2 tbsp) juice in a small bowl, adding more juice by 2 ml (1/2 tsp) if too thick. Spread or drizzle icing over cookies. Let stand until icing sets, about 10 minutes. Makes about 50 cookies.

Tester's notes: These are shortbready, not-too-sweet cookies with quite a hit of lemon, thanks to the zest in the batter. And the slice-and-bake method is easy.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 6, 2013 D5