Tangy Lemon Cookies
From “The Last Touch”, Gourmet Magazine, October 1986
Ingredients
1 ½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ tablespoons freshly grated lemon rind (about 3 lemons)
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons double-acting baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Confectioners’ sugar for sifting over the cookies
Preparation
In a bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and the sugar, add the vanilla, the rind, and the lemon juice, beating, and beat the mixture until it is smooth.
Into the bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt and blend the dough well.
On a piece of wax paper form the dough into a log 1 ½ inches in a diameter, using the paper as a guide.
Chill the log, wrapped in the wax paper and foil, for 2 hours. The dough may be made up to 3 months in advance and kept wrapped well and frozen.
Cut the log into ⅛-inch slices with a sharp knife and bake the cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets in a preheated 350℉ oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just golden.
Transfer the cookies with a metal spatula to racks to cool and sift the confectioners’ sugar lightly over them. Makes about 50 cookies