Extra! Extra!, Part Two

The other day, I was saying how I had excessive green onions sitting in my fridge. I should also mention I have quite a few lemons in there as well. It’s amazing that for someone who lives on my own, my fridge certainly doesn’t show it. With lemons having steadily risen in price over the past two years, I always like to pick up a few extras when they go on sale. Plus, unlike green onions, I use lemons more often—a squeeze of lemon with my water first thing in the morning to wake up my digestive system, lemon zest in cakes and cookies, soothing hot lemon and honey drink…the list can go on.

A neighbour and old family friend used to make these amazing lemon sugar cookies. Crispy and light, they had a subtle, refreshing zing to them from the lemon zest. The recipe may look a bit plain, but these cookies really do pack a lot of flavour in them. You can taste the richness of the eggs, despite only using two, and tones of vanilla and (duh!) lemon. These are so easy to make, and are sure to be a hit for everyone of all ages! Perfect with your afternoon tea, or a light finish to a summer meal al fresco. Best of all, there’s no butter (the recipe uses vegetable oil instead!), which makes me feel slightly less guilty. And it only means that we can sneak in a few more, right?



Lemon Drop Sugar Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar, plus an additional ¼ cup for rolling
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extra
Zest of 1 lemon, grated

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

In a separate bowl, whisk the oil and eggs with an electric mixer until well combined, about two minutes. Slowly add in the sugar and mix until incorporated. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix well. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Chill, covered, for 30 minutes or longer.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Using a teaspoon, scoop up a spoonful of dough and roll into a 1-inch ball. Place in a dish with the additional ¼ sugar and roll until the surface is covered, and place onto a prepared baking sheet. Using a flat-bottom glass, press the top of each cookie lightly with the glass to flatten to a ¼-inch thickness.

Bake the cookies until lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.