White Chocolate Lemon Cookies

The other day I bought several lemons that were on sale. I couldn't resist. I quickly realized that I had bought too many and that they may not last long enough for me to bake through them. So you may see several recipes with a lemon theme!

At this point I haven't even made a dent in my list of things to bake. Instead I have been making random recipes that I find on the spur of the moment. But they probably would have made that list, So I guess that counts in some way.


Now, I am not at all a fan of white chocolate. But I am in love with lemons. This recipe, with it's high citrus content, trumped my dislike for white chocolate. I almost forgot that it was even in the cookie. The white chocolate is more of an afterthought. It adds a nice smooth and keeps the flavour interesting.

The lemon really stands out the most, which is a good thing for those of us who are lemon lovers! These cookies could almost be considered refreshing because of the amount of zest and the tart glaze. In fact, had the weather not been so chilly, I would say that these were 100% refreshing. But I was not in need of cooling off as I made them. The heat from my oven almost felt good for a change. It's too soon! I love Autumn. I'm just not quite ready to acknowledge it just yet. I still want to wake up in the morning feeling warm and not have to worry about scraping the frost off my windshield.

I guess you could call these a last farewell to Summer for those of us who are desperately clinging to every last warm day. Where did September go?

White Chocolate Lemon Cookies

(adapted from the Technicolor Kitchen)

*printer friendly Recipe*

• 1 cup of butter ( 2 sticks ) softened
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup of packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1/2 tsp. of almond extract
• 2 1/2 tsp. of lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. of lemon zest
• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. of baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp. of baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. of kosher salt
• 12 oz of chopped white chocolate

Rolling ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of superfine sugar ( or you can sift granulated )
• 1 Tbsp. of lemon zest

Glaze ingredients:

• About 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar
• 2 Tbsp. of lemon juice

*I didn't measure these ingredients so add as little or as much lemon and sugar as you like. It depends on how tart you want the drizzle.*

Method:

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugars and continue to beat until everything is combined but not quite fluffy. Add the beaten eggs a little bit at a time. Add the almond extract, the lemon juice, and the lemon zest. Mix to combine. Add the flour mixture and blend until just combined. Try not to over mix. Stir in the chopped white chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Combine the superfine sugar and the lemon zest in a large, shallow bowl. Mix the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers until it is nice and fragrant.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and scoop out slightly rounded tablespoonfuls. Roll into a loose balls and roll the balls into the lemon zest/ sugar mixture. Place each ball on the prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges slightly golden and the centers are just set. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a sheet of waxed paper before adding the glaze.

Make the glaze:

Combine the confectioners sugar and lemon juice. Mix until all the lumps are gone and everything is smooth. Using a small whisk, drizzle over the baked cookies.