Another Batch of Cookies

With Easter being right around the corner, it is time to make, eat and enjoy cookies.  I was not planning on making another batch of cookies so soon, however, we are getting together with friends on Easter Sunday to celebrate and cookies were a welcomed and requested menu item.  We are doing a joint brunch where everyone brings a portion of the meal.  I was already planning on taking both my chocolate pistachio bites Chocolate Pistachio Bites and my cranberry pistachio cookies Cranberry Pistachio Cookies and my dear friend Priscilla said she would like another kind of cookie to offer as well.  No problem.  I love making cookies, almost as much as I love eating them.  I decided to make some lemon-almond cookies for this batch.  Yes, I know there is a nutty-lemony theme in the cookies and sweets I am bringing, but lemons and nuts are also some of the many wonderful flavors of Spring, and I love them both.  Today’s batch of cookies is called citrus crisps.  They are very light and delicate cookies that just melt in your mouth.  Delicious!

Citrus Crisps

1 cup sugar, divided

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 stick butter at room temperature

2 TBSP heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp lemon extract

1 TBSP lemon zest

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup cake flour

1 cup almond meal – I used my almond meal from Living Tree Community Organic Foods. More Treats from Living Tree Community Foods

 

Mix all the dry ingredients together well and set aside.

Mix the lemon juice and 1/4 cup of sugar into a saucepan, bring to a boil and let boil for 1 minute.  Then add the butter and continue to boil until the butter is completely melted.

Add the rest of the sugar, lemon extract and the flour mixture and mix well until everything is well blended and you have a dough that is medium stiff in consistency.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350* F .

Once the dough has set, roll it out onto a lightly floured surface to about 1/8-1/4″ thickness.  Cut into any shapes you like.  I decided to make my cookies into flower shapes as another way to honor Spring.  Once the cookies are cut, place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.  You can top them with either turbinado sugar or colored sugar if you like.  I used colored sugar.

Bake the cookies for about 10-15 min, or until the edges are lightly golden.  Let cool for about 5-7 minutes before placing them on a cookie rack to continue to cool completely.  Then …. let the cookie eating process begin.