The Altitude Adjustment Section
Cookies are so simple and fun — especially the slice-and-bake varieties. This one is from baking goddess Susan Purdy. It's in her book The Family Baker, a book I love and use all the time. I love a little lemon cookie and these are shiny and frosted.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted, room temperature butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temp
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Procedure
In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat butter and sugar ‘til well blended. Beat in egg and lemon flavorings. Place a sifter over the bowl and measure in flour, confectioners sugar, cornstarch and baking soda and sift in. Beat together till thoroughly incorporated. Divide the dough into thirds. Turn each portion out onto lightly floured waxed paper and roll into a log 3 1/2 inches long. Freeze dough for 1 hour, or refrigerate for 2 hours before slicing. Take only one piece out at a time to slice. If it’s too hard, 10 minutes at room temperature should do it.
So now it's time to bake cookies! Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. With a sharp knife, slice cookie roll into 1/8 inch slices, that’s very thin. Place on cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes or till the edges turn golden brown.
While the cookies bake, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl stir together the 3/4 cup confectioners sugar, the lemon zest and the lemon juice. Once the cookies are baked, use a spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack. Put wax paper under rack to catch drips. While cookies are still hot, paint the glaze onto them. It will melt and then become shiny and hard as it air-dries. You can store these yummy gems in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers.
