lemon sugar snaps

i am in love with lemon

this weekend the mimis are traveling to pennsylvania for a family party. perfect timing to share my new found love of baking! i decided to do a cookie platter, namely for two reasons: 1. it's a 2+ hour drive, so i'd rather not bring anything delicate or layered. and 2. well, i've only been at this the past month, so i'm keepin' to the basics! oh yeah, and 3. i don't have any cake pans yet!

one of the cookies will be these little lemon lovelies. i hate winter, but i love the citrus that winter brings. and it's freshness complements the other (relatively) heavier cookies. they were refreshingly sugary and lemony, but with light air pockets that made each bite heavenly.

i had so much fun rolling them out

when i was a little girl, i LOVED going to arthur treacher's. and ever since, i always thought THAT was "tartar" ... a creamy, gooey, necessary yet tasteless condiment for deep fried fish and fries. now that i'm a big girl, i have learned there's another so-called "cream of tartar", which wiki conveniently likes to point out is definitely not related to my beloved tartar sauce of yonder. my little girl dreams are ruined!! haha.

lemon sugar snaps: makes about 4 dozen
from martha's baking handbook (2005, p. 93)

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temp
1 cup sugar, plus more for coating
1 large egg
grated zest of 3 lemons
1 tb fresh squeezed lemon juice

1. in bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

2. in bowl of mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. add egg, zest, and lemon juice; beat until combined. add flour mixture; beat until just combined.

3. transfer dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

4. preheat oven to 350F. line two baking sheets with parchment. place sugar in shallow bowl. shape leveled tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls. roll balls in sugar to coat completely, and place about 3 inches apart on baking sheet.

lemon + sugar = yum

5. bake, rotating halfway through, until edges just begin to turn golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. transfer cookies to rack to cool completely. enjoy the lemon and start dreaming about spring!

betcha can't eat just three!