Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Delicate Delights - Lemon Thins


These pretty little turquoise bowls were gifted to me for my birthday (well, ahem, yesterday) – and they immediately beckoned to be filled with delicate delights.  Artisan handmade chocolates would have been a good choice but, personally, I prefer small, delicate cookie teatime treats. So, I decided that my homemade Lemon Thins would be just the perfect cookies – as they are delicious and pretty and small and have a pronounced tart lemon taste (which I absolutely adore in baked goods) as well as a delighful crisp texture.




My Lemon Thins get their zippy flavor from fresh lemon zest and juice. Perfect. But, of course, you could opt for orange, blood orange or grapefruit flavor here as well. For now, the market is flooded with bright, yellow lemons and so a batch of Lemon Thins it was.




Lemon Thins

Ingredients
(yields 28 to 32)
  • 250g unsalted butter, softened
  • 200g superfine baking (caster) sugar
  • 300g AP flour
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg (L), organic or free range
  • grated zest of 1 organic lemon
  • juice of ½ lemon




Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 150C° (300°F).
  2. Line a baking sheet or two with baking parchment.
  3. Put the butter and all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, working it into a crumb.
  4. Add the egg, lemon zest and juice.
  5. Mix all together very well, kneading lightly to a smooth dough.
  6. Divide the dough in half and form into two rolls.
  7. Wrap the dough logs in food wrap or wax paper.
  8. Refrigerate the rolls until firm. NOTE: chilling cookie dough for just 30 minutes makes a big difference.
  9. Slice thin discs from one end of the log, laying each disc 2 to 3cm or so apart on the baking parchment.
  10. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until lightly colored.
  11. Transfer the cookies to cooling rack. NOTE: should there be too much dough, then the remainder freezes well.




This lemon cookie recipe would be the perfect accompaniment to afternoon tea, bowls of ice cream, stewed fruits, or any fresh seasonal fruit or berries.




Or enjoy them just as they are. Crisp. Clean. Lemony. And elegant. And perfect in these darling handcrafted serving bowls.



21 comments:

  1. Happy late Birthday Andrea, I hope you had a wonderful day. I adore your lemon thins , what a great way to use my lemons from my tree to make these delicious cookies. Pinned!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much Gerlinde!
      I appreciate your kind birthday wishes!
      These cookies are just nice and very versatile - you can even freeze the dough or use other citrus fruits here - dunk them in tea or coffee, eat with berries or fruits or just as they are. Simple. Delightful.
      Liebe Grüße nach Santa Cruz! Hoffe, ihr habe einen schönen Sommer!
      Andrea

      Delete
  2. I love these cookies !!
    I have to try !

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is the perfect dessert, and I think I will make them for MY August birthday! Sadly, no turquoise bowls here! :) Maybe I need to gift myself, as well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ..or maybe I will make to send you some. These lovely bowls are form a small store in Masstricht (Netherlands) that carries only handmade things from Dutch artists and some from Belgium too. It is a tiny store and I love it. And these cookies are simple, lemony delights that I am sure you (and all your birthday guests) would enjoy!
      Thank you very much for your kind comments my friend!
      Andrea

      Delete
  4. Hope you had a marvelous birthday!!! Your lemon crisps look fabulous. Just perfect with a cup of tea. xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Liz, it was a nice birthday - and thanks for stopping by! Lemon Thins are hard to beat! I think I have not met anyone who does not like them.

      Delete
  5. Happy Birthday, Andrea! Der August ist ein feiner Geburtstagsmonat :-) Diese Kekse sind einfach und genial zugleich, zum Tee sowieso, aber zu Eis sind sie sicher auch eine hervorragende Ergaenzung. Ich werde die Orangenvariante wählen, denn es gibt hier noch die wunderbaren frischen Pfirsiche von der Farm, in diesem Jahr ein Gedicht! Ganz liebe Gruesse aus Maryland!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liebe Wally, schön von dir zu hören - diese kleinen Kekse sind unschlagbar und ich mag sie ziemlich gerne, ob mit Zitrone oder Orange, oder... die schmecken einfach immer.
      Frische Pfirsiche von der Farm hören sich wunderbar an - da kann ich leider nicht mithalten und das Wetter war auch nicht gerade ein Brüller hier diesen Sommer, so dass die meisten einheimischen Beeren kaum Süße haben!
      Danke für deine Wünsche und deinen lieben Kommentar!
      Gruß zurück!
      Andrea

      Delete
  6. Happy Birthday Andrea, love the bowls they are lovely, love the shape anbd color. Lemon thin cookies sounds like the perfect treat to place in them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheri, so sweet of you! I cannot help it, to me, personally, pretty bowls always call for lovely little sweet treats!
      Thank you for your kind comment!
      Andrea

      Delete
  7. I haven't visited in so long but it looks like your site is even more lovely than I remember! :) And of course it's making me want to visit Europe again... these look delicious, too, and I love the background <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much for stopping by Ashley! What a kind comment! Glad you still enjoy my blog posts and my pics!
      Hope to see you again soon!
      Andrea

      Delete
  8. Andrea,
    you know, I continually get a thrill and excited when
    I click over here.
    I love the bowls and brick and little touches you show us.
    It is VERY much appreciated by me, dear.
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! xx from Duluth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Kim, thank you so much, my friend!
      I so appreciate all your kind and thoughtful comments!
      Doing my very best to be continually inpspired by all those nice things around me...
      Sending a fat hug your way - all the way to Duluth!!!
      Andrea

      Delete
  9. Those bowls are super cute and I love the bright colors, Andrea! I also love your recipe for the lemon thins too, they look like a wonderful treat. Happy belated birthday, I hope you had a lovely day :)!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear MArcelle,
      So very nice to hear from you!
      Hope you and the kids are doing well!
      Thank you for your kind comment and birthday wishes! Much appreciated!
      Andrea

      Delete
  10. I could eat my weight in these!
    Cannot wait to bake them with my little nugget. xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you dear Colette!

      Hope you and Daisy are doing well! Baking with the kids is always a wonderful idea!

      Sending a fat hug your way!
      Andrea

      Delete
  11. Just checking in on you! These cookies look perfect for tea time! De-lish!

    ReplyDelete