For the most part, I stay away from cookies. I usually don't buy them and I usually don't bake them. They are just too dangerous for me. I have the will power not to buy them, but if they are in the house and they are tasty (which they usually are) they are my kryptonite. I will eat them.
When you make them, it is oh, so easy to eat part of the dough here, part of the dough there. And then when the batches start to come out of the oven, well you just have to sample every now and then. You know for "quality control." Then when you finish, the recipe says it should make 80 cookies, but somehow you just have 63...
Cookies are just too easy to eat. You might just take 2-3 for your dessert, but then perhaps you grab 2 more the next time through the kitchen. The next thing you know, you are 7 cookies into dessert.
That's why I stick to baking pies. Pies are a commitment. You know if you go back for that 2nd piece, it's going to be A SECOND PIECE! And there's no just grabbing a piece of pie. You'll need to get it out of the refrigerator, get a plate & fork. You'll need to scoop it out of the pie plate. That can be just enough work to keep you from getting that piece of pie.
Pies are a commitment. Cookies are just flings. You can walk through the kitchen and just pick up a cookie, that doesn't work with a piece of pie.
But somehow I find myself here after making Lemonsnap Cookies. I'm actually an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie guy. And not the crunchy ones, the softer, chewy ones. About the only crisp cookies I like are Gingersnaps. Until I tried the Lemonsnap cookie from Sprouts.
Without further ado & blabbering, today 'this monkey' will show you how to make Lemonsnap Cookies!
WHAT YOU NEED:
2.5 c All-Purpose Flour
2 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Salt
12 T Unsalted Butter - Melted
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(4-5 Lemons)
4-5 T Lemon Zest (from the above lemons)
1/2 c Lemon Juice (from the above lemons)
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1 1/4 c White Sugar
1 t Lemon Extract
1 T Vanilla
1/2 c Sugar in the Raw
WHAT ELSE YOU NEED:
2 Baking Sheets
1 Large Bowl
1 Medium Bowl
1 Small, Shallow Bowl
Zester/Fine Grater
Strainer
Whisk
Spatula
Cooling Rack
Parchment Paper (optional)
WHAT YOU DO:
1. Whisk the Flour, Baking Soda, & Salt together in Medium Bowl.
2. Pour Melted Butter in Large Bowl & whisk in the Lemon Zest.
3. Add Sugar & Lemon Juice to the Butter/Zest & whisk
4. Next add the Egg, Egg Yolk, Vanilla, Lemon Extract & whisk
5. Combine your Wet & Dry Ingredients
6. Stir until thoroughly incorporated
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| At this point, the batter will have the consistency of stiff pudding |
7. Cover tightly & refrigerate for 1 hour. It can be refrigerated up to 2 days, but let dough rest at room temperature for about 30 min before using.
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| After refrigeration, the dough has become stiff & sticky |
9. Pinch enough dough to roll into a 1 inch ball between your palms. Then roll the ball of dough in the Sugar in the Raw until coated with Sugar.
10. Continue Rolling the future cookies until you have enough stockpiled to fill your baking sheet.
11. Place the cookies on ONLY ONE of your pre-heated cookie sheets. Parchment paper can be used if desired.
12. Ok, here comes the slightly tricky part. It's definitely easier to do then to explain in text!
a. Place this first batch on the UPPER oven rack & bake for 15 minutes.
b. Remove the EMPTY Pre heated Baking Sheet with 2-3 minutes remaining & fill that one with cookies.
c. ROTATE that FIRST partially baked batch 180 deg (back edge now is at the front) & place on the LOWER oven rack AND put the SECOND unbaked batch on the UPPER oven rack
d. Bake 10 - 12 more minutes until the edges begin to darken around the FIRST batch which is on the LOWER oven rack
13. Remove the FIRST batch and working quickly, place the baked cookies on the Cooling Rack
14. Fill the now empty cookie sheet with your pre rolled cookies. Move the partially baked Batch that is on the UPPER rack to the LOWER being sure to rotate 180 deg & place the NEW batch of unbaked cookies on the UPPER rack. Bake 10-12 min until the edges of cookies on the LOWER rack begin to darken.
15. Repeat this system until all the cookies have been baked.
16. Enjoy!
I don't know what it is about these cookies. Well, I guess I do know. Sugar, butter, lemon AND then rolled in sugar, that is why they are so darn tasty. These are an interesting cookie. They taste great on baking day, but it seems like the lemony-ness actually increases over the next few days.
They are also most excellent dipped in hot tea!
And there you have it! Lemonsnap Cookies which were inspired by Cook's Illustrated Gingersnaps recipe.
'anymonkeycan' make Lemonsnap Cookies, because 'this one' just did!
Until next time,
your favorite neighborweb monkey
Those just look marvelous.. I'm going to have to try these.. I just love lemon - there's a Jewish Delicatessen in Indy called "Shapiro's" - they have excellent lemon bars.. If any monkey can make lemon bars, I'm issuing the challenge!
ReplyDeleteMy mom makes a mean Lemon Bar...I'll put it in the queue for February. January is the No desserts/sweets challenge month. Are you up to that challenge?
ReplyDeleteI think I've been to Shapiro's, I'll have to give them a go the next time I'm in Indy.