Lemon Sugar Cookies

What happens when a baker posts on Facebook that the ovens are fired up and looking for baking ideas? Well, everyone tells you what they are craving. Last week an old friend piped up she loves lemon cookies. Hmm, me too. So I looked around and found a lemon buttermilk rolled cookie and decided to give it a whirl.

My quest started with a book I was gifted for Christmas, The Art of the Cookie by Shelly Kaldunski. It's a nice little book, great photos, to date I have only made one other cookie in it, the Chocolate Dipped Coconut Meringues. I would like to eat one of those right now... but I digress. Lemon Buttermilk Cookies

3 cups flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 T grated lemon zest
3 T buttermilk
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix first four dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and zest until well mixed. Add flour, mix and add buttermilk and lemon juice. When dough is mixed, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour. Roll out on a well floured surface and bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 12-15 minutes. I bake on convection so I bake at 340° for 7-9 minutes. Cool completely and ice as desired. I rolled and cut my cookies with small Easter cutters. I spread them with a little royal icing and then covered them in sanding sugar. They are sort of "Peep" like, and quite adorable. You can see the lemon zest in the cookies and because of the buttermilk, they have a little softer texture. I bagged up a bunch and mailed them off to Iowa to my friend. I froze the rest and will get to them closer to Easter. So, here you go, spring baking. What are ya waiting for? Get in there and bake!