Bake 52: Week 34

This week was my turn to host again and I choose to bake

GLAZED LEMON COOKIES

 Honestly, I'm not sure why I chose something without chocolate.  But I did.  I had been eying the lemon bars in this book, but we did raspberry bars last week, so I thought maybe a lemon cookie would lend enough variety.  These were good. I wouldn't say I'm in love, but they all got eaten, nonetheless. My seventeen-month-old especially loved them!

They did have just the right amount of lemon to them and were soft and moist.  Maybe if they were covered in chocolate chips I would have adored them a little bit more.

Here's the recipe if you're up for a new lemon recipe!

Glazed Lemon Cookies - The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book, pg. 167

Makes about 30 cookies
You will need a food processor to make these cookies.  For the brightest flavor, use fresh lemon juice.  Be sure to mix the lemon juice and egg yolk together in step 2 at the last minute - it will curdle if mixed together in advance.
Cookies:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated fresh lemon zest
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. For the cookies: Process the granulated sugar and lemon zest together in a food processor until the sugar is pale yellow and damp, about 30 seconds.   Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and pulse to combine, about 10 pulses.  Add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture resembles fine cornmeal, about 15 pulses.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, egg yolk, and vanilla together.  With the machine running, add the lemon juice mixture through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, about 10 seconds.  Continue to process until the dough begins to form into a ball, 10 to 15 seconds.

3. Transfer the dough to a clean counter and roll it into a 10-inch log, about 2 inches thick.  Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

4. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Slice the dough into 3/8-inch-thick cookies.  Lay the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1 inch apart.  Bake the cookies until the edges begin to brown, 13 to 16 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking.  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
(Enter lots and lots of screaming and kid drama - hence no pictures here...)
6. For the Glaze: Whisk the cream cheese and lemon juice together in a medium bowl until smooth, then whisk in the confectioners' sugar.  Spoon a teaspoon of the glaze onto the center of each cookie and spread it out evenly with the back of the spoon.  Let the glaze dry completely, about 30 minutes, before serving.