Lemon Slice Citrus Cookies

We have a contender! Have you been searching for an elegant and delicious lemon enough lemon cookie? I've found the winner.

And when you see how darling they are, you're interested, right? These are made with Nordic Ware citrus cookie stamps, using the recipe on the box, which technically uses lime but I swapped throughout for lemon. These cookies are so very good. 

My dear friend Amy gave me these for Christmas last year and said she bought them with the hope that we could make them together. Now I think that is wonderful. We went out to dinner at Saints & Scholars Pub first and then we came to my house to bake and glaze the cookies. I'd made the cookie dough ahead of time to give us a head start.

It was such a fun night and although it took us a few tries to get the dough to release from the cookie stamp, we got a whole batch successfully on the trays (we decided that the whole lemon slice was the most effective design) and they baked in no time. We decided to glaze each cookie on the back to make sure we preserved the perfect design on the front. 

This recipe is going to go in my "perfect" recipe folder - I loved the tender crumb and sharp lemon icing.

#nordicware #lemoncookies #lemondesserts #ilovelemon

Paris in Town: Lemon Meringue Tart

My aunt and I went on a shopping jaunt to Sur La Table and Swoozies at "Downtown at the Gardens" with the thought that we would stop somewhere for a coffee afterwards.

We certainly chose the right place. We sat at a table in the shade and shared this beautiful Lemon Meringue Tart with our cappuccinos at Paris in Town.  

Blueberry Lemon Mini Cakes

Lemon Blueberry Cakes - I baked mine in blue checkerboard cupcake liners to enhance the cute.  It worked! These little beauties are dense, moist and packed with flavor.  I'd say they are picnic ready.  It is blueberry season - enjoy!

Individual Lemon Blueberry Cakes

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
2 cups of white sugar
Zest of one large lemon (2 1/2 Tablespoons)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
3 eggs
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Blend in zest, juice, yogurt and eggs.  Mixture may look separated or curdled, but don't worry.

Blend flour, baking powder and salt together.  Slowly add mixture to wet ingredients until just blended.  Stir in blueberries.  I use a 4 T cookie scoop to put batter into individual cupcake liners.  Makes about 18 individual cupcake size cakes.  Sprinkle with large grain sanding sugar, if possible.  The additional sugar gives the cakes a gourmet bakery look and crunch. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.   

Lemon Souffle

When I see this picture, all I can hear is my aunt saying, "Take this! Oh, just look. Take this!"

I must admit, my mies en plas (French for "everything in it's place"), did look a bit like art against the blue counter.  The photo above is from my first try at lemon souffle, when my aunt was visiting us at the cottage. 

You see, lately I have been on a kick to try difficult recipes/cooking methods during the quiet times of my life.  My reasoning is that when a worthy occasion does arrive, I can make the appropriate dish with confidence.  An anniversary dinner? Souffle.  A Winter Ski Weekend? Chocolate pot de creme. 

I don't want to wing it when it counts.  I want some practice.  So today, I give you individual lemon souffles.

I'm sure my dear Facebook friends thought that I was just being annoying, making souffles on a Wednesday, but I needed a second try at the recipe and measurements before I shared the recipe with you here.  Success!

Individual Lemon Souffles 

4 egg yolks, room temperature

5 egg whites, room temperature

1/3 cup white sugar (1/2 used in lemon mixture, 1/2 used in egg white whipping)

1 1/2 Tablespoons white flour

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest, finely grated (or more, I gave up after getting 1 Tablespoon worth)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter (recipe) and 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (to butter ramekins)

1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature

loose white sugar to sprinkle into buttered ramekins

Preheat oven to 375.  Butter 4 ramekins (I'm using Emile Henry) and then coat each dish with white sugar, turning dish to move sugar around.  Set the ramekins onto a cookie sheet.

In a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, whisk egg yolks, half of the 1/3 cup white sugar, flour and zest.  Stop mixer.  Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn on the mixer and whisk constantly as you slowly stream the hot milk into the yolk mixture.  Whisking and doing this slowly prevents the yolk from cooking in the hot milk.  Now pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook (whisking with a hand whisk constantly) until the mixture is thick like pudding.  Strain this hot mixture through a sieve into a large bowl (to remove any cooked bit or lumps).  Stir in lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon of softened butter.  Set aside.

In a clean stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment, whisk egg whites.  After the foamy stage, slowly stream in the remaining white sugar.  Beat until peaks form, but it is not dry.  Stir about a cup of the whites into the lemon yolk mixture with a rubber spatula.  Fold in the rest of the whites - be sure to fold well.  

Divide batter between the 4 ramekins.  Gently smooth the top with spatula and run your finger around the inside rim, removing any batter.  This will allow the souffles to rise straight up without clinging to the rim. Bake for 15-18 minutes.  Souffles will rise about an inch above the rim!  You can sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.  Enjoy!

Fruit Slices - I Love Lemon

The forward of my book, Finding Delight, includes the statement: "I believe that the best life is a varied life.  When hobbies and travel collide with friendship and collecting.  Where sugar rules and stories matter."

Where sugar rules, Anne?  Really?  Yes.

I love sweets.  And I like sharing them with my friends and family.  I want to go out for cupcakes.  I want to make cookies when a friend is coming over for tea.  I have wonderful memories associated with candy and I want to be reminded of them as often as possible.  

My maternal grandmother, Anne, loved fruit slices.  I spent most of my time with her during summer days at her cottage up north. On the glorious days that it was just the two of us, we always ate candy.  Her two favorites were Sanders Dark Honeycomb Chips and Fruit Slices.  

If you clicked on the fruit slices link, you'll see them as I remember them. A white tray with 16 slices on it - four each of cherry, lemon, orange and lime.  There weren't very many slices and I remember that when the occasion called for candy, we only ate one.  It was special and we savored every chewy bite.  

I am nothing if not sentimental, so it shouldn't surprise you that two of my favorite candies are dark chocolate honeycomb chips and lemon fruit slices.  But times have changed, things are more plentiful now and I can actually buy fruit slices (just my favorite, lemon!) in a bulk box at my local grocery store.  I know Nama wouldn't believe it if she saw what I had access to.  

I try and show restraint; I don't always have them on hand.  But on Sunday afternoon as I passed by the candy aisle, this box of sugar made its way into my cart.  I eat them with abandon while they last and think of my grandmother every time.  Yes, my friends, sugar is a powerful memory maker and I wouldn't have it any other way.  

Shipshewana: Lemon Meringue Pie is a Show Stopper

I was on board the minute Barb mentioned Lemon Meringue pie.  Long before she started describing the 12-inch high meringue peaks and the gorgeous lemon filling.  I love lemons and I was ready for something sweet.

Would you believe me if I told you that I ate half of my "to go" piece before we got back to the car?  You see earlier in the day we had a nice homemade lunch at the Blue Gate Restaurant, and Barb showed us their famous lemon meringue pie in the bakery case next door on our way out.  I was a goner.

After a full day of wandering in and out of the shops in Shipshewana, we  did eventually stop back at the Blue Gate Bakery for a slice.  And Barb bought a whole pie to take back to her family - it is magnificent in person.  

Louisville: Wild Eggs

I probably should have some sort of omelet, since we were having Sunday breakfast at a popular place in Louisville called Wild Eggs, but I couldn't do it!  The moment I read lemon curd on the menu, I was a goner.  

I simply had to order "Raspberries and Lemons Oh My!" pancakes. The menu describes them as "Buttermilk cakes, raspberries, lemon curd, raspberry sauce, whipped cream and powdered sugar," while I describe them as heavenly.  What a treat!

If you are ever lucky enough to stay overnight in Louisville, this is the breakfast spot for you!  But plan on going early and putting your name in for a wait, the rest of this charming town agrees with me!

Lemon Tree, Very Pretty

I'd like to take this moment and say that I am jealous.  My brother and sister-in-law in Houston recently moved into a house with a lemon tree (see Exhibit A, above).  


I took this photo at Christmas and it was all I could do to not pick it and rush in the house to make lemon curd.  Can you imagine having citrus growing in your yard, ready for lemon meringue pie at a moments notice? I could hardly stand it.


Now my friend in Honolulu has bought a house and she has a lemon tree too! And perhaps a kumquat tree too, we have to wait for some fruit to develop to know for sure.  I am green with envy.  


I guess I should start keeping copies of my favorite lemon recipes in my suitcase, huh?  When I start traveling again, my friends will know to look for me in the backyard.  There's a good chance I'm working on dessert.

Little Lemon Tarts

My electric citrus juicer is in the running for my "Most Used Appliance" this Spring.  My go-to flavor has been lemon lately and I just can't get enough of it. 

I want to pin down the best Lemon Curd and having been experimenting with a variety of recipes.  This batch was made with Ina Garten's Lemon Curd, sans the lemon zest.  I wanted an absolutely smooth curd for these tarts.

The best part?  I used store-bought shortbread shells.  Trust me, with homemade curd as delicious as this, the shell is merely a vehicle to get the lemon curd into your mouth.  And on a weeknight, any tart shell is a welcome tart shell in my house.



Lemon Tea Cookies

I love tea cookies and I have been experimenting with recipes so that I will be able to have a variety of simple & delicious cookies (baked and ready-to-eat) in the freezer for whenever I want to serve tea.  This incarnation is a straight-forward lemon cookie.  I prefer them without frosting (although an icing made of powdered sugar and lemon juice would be delish!) and think they are my new favorite for a Spring Tea. 

Lemon Tea Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons, plus 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream butter in mixing bowl. Beat in sugar.  Beat in egg.  Mix in lemon juice and zest.  Add flour, salt & baking powder. Mix well. Divide dough in half and wrap in waxed paper. Chill in refrigerator at least one hour. Use plenty of flour on board, rolling pin & cookie cutter to prevent sticking. Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick and cut out circles with a biscuit/cookie cutter.  Bake at 375 degrees on an ungreased/Silpat covered cookie sheet for 5-8 minutes.

I Love Lemon

Ever since my parents let me abscond with their electric juicer, I have been experimenting with lemon recipes. Lemon curd, Lemonade, and now Mini Lemon Meringue tarts!


You'll need:

6-pack of mini-graham cracker pie crusts

Lemon Filling
1 cup white sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
juice of 4 large lemons
4 eggs
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Mix sugar and cornstarch together in a large sauce pan. Whisk in eggs, butter and lemon juice. Cook mixture over medium low heat - stirring constantly (approx 10 min) until thick. Remove from heat and cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Keep mini-graham cracker crusts in their metal tins and place all 6 on a cookie sheet. Take a large spoon and fill each crust with the lemon mixture.

Meringue Topping
In a clean mixing bowl, combine 3 egg whites with a splash of vanilla. Using the whisk attachment, beat eggs until foamy. Add 3 Tablespoons of white sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form.

To pipe the meringue onto the pies, I used a very large Ateco Tip #829 and taped it in the (cut out) corner of a plastic Ziploc bag. Spoon the fluffy meringue into the bag, twist the bag shut and squeeze the meringue onto the top of each mini-pie. So pretty!

Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Lemon Knots

I saw a jar of lemon knots (on sale) at my local Williams-Sonoma and was intrigued. They were really pretty and I thought that (in addition to their main use as a cocktail twist) they would add a lot to a cup of tea or a glass of lemonade.

Later, when I tried to look them up online, I couldn't find them. It must have been a limited edition item. So...I made some myself!

I cut inch-wide strips of lemon peel off of the lemon. Cut that piece into 4 narrow strips and tied each in a knot. Any pieces that broke or were too small, ended up in a small jar of sugar for baking (blueberry muffins with lemon sugar!).

I made a batch of simple syrup, allowed it to cool, then poured it into a jam jar with the lemon twists. I am going to store the jar in the refrigerator. When I make hot cranberry glogg later this week, I will drop a lemon twist in each mug!

I think this would be a pretty and inexpensive hostess gift. What do you think?