You get two firsts in this post.

My first time using my brand spankin’ new Kitchenaid mixer that the internet bought me (I’ll stop talking about it soon, I swear, it’s just that I’m still in awe) and my first time taking real photos of my own cooking with the mad skills I’ve acquired in my photography classes. Full manual mode for life, baby. I’ll stick to before and after photos for now because 1.) I’m not that good and 2.) we all took Home EC 101 and know how to write a check, stitch a hem, and measure flour and butter, right? Right.

Public schooling at it’s finest.

Before we get started, the recipe is from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book – my very favorite series of cookbooks ever – and calls for the use of a food processor. I don’t have a food process that’s large enough, so my edited recipe is below, which worked splendidly. Also, it’s an unwritten rule that I double the vanilla called for in any recipe and only use Nielsen-Massey Vanilla – go get yourself some.

Here goes nothing…

Glazed Lemon Cookies

Yields approximately 30 cookies (25 if you eat enough dough to require a shot of Pepto)

Cookies:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh lemon zest
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Process sugar and lemon zest until sugar is pale yellow and damp. Transfer mixture to mixer bowl and add flour, baking powder, and salt, and combine. Add butter pieces and combine until mixture resembles cornmeal.

In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, egg yolk, and vanilla. Be quick and use immediately, the mixture will curdle if left to sit. Add to flour and sugar mixture in a stead stream and mix until dough begins to form a ball.

Transfer dough to parchment paper and form into 10-inch long, about 2 inches thick. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Slide dough into 3/8-inch cookies and lay on prepared baking sheets spaced 1-inch apart. Bake cookies until edges are brown, approximately 13 to 16 minutes.

Let cookies cool completely before glazing.

Glaze:

• 1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Whisk cream cheese and lemon juice together until smooth. Then whisk in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Spoon a teaspoon of glaze onto center of cookie and use spoon to spread evenly over cookie. Let glaze dry completely before serving.

Chow down.

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