When Life Gives You Lemons!

I thought about saying a lot about that title...and then I decided~  No! We are going to bake!
A long time ago I remember my sister, Andrea, making these glorious Lemon Sugar Cookies!
You know the saying...."When Life Gives You Lemons?"

It should end with ..."Make Lemon Sugar Cookies" in my opinion!
 I remembered that they were very good but I'm not a huge fan of making cookies. I'm also not a huge fan of desserts...and if I do choose them they would have to be chocolate or coffee or a combination of both! However...the older I get I can't seem to sleep very well if I have either of those luxuries very late at night...and very late at night is when my sweet tooth that seems to be hidden deep within comes alive! 

So...yesterday I was in the mood to bake...and I was really thinking about several things..one..it was a friends birthday and I wanted to make him a little something and it was also when Ellen was coming back to Mulberry after being gone for 17 days! I wanted to do something for both of them! Now my birthday boy just happens to have won the Iron Chef competition with Chris Hastings so admittedly, that's intimidating...and rightfully so! However, he is so kind I knew he wouldn't judge me too harshly! And Ellen, well you don't get much sweeter and Pattie and I have really missed her!

All of that to say...I decided to give these lucious Lemon Sugar Cookies another try!
I was very glad I did!!

And now I'm thinking I should add these lemon trees to my landscape? Oh wait...this is in Tuscany! Not sure how they would fare in my neck of the woods! I still may try it, though!
Hope you will give these cookies a try....I sure need to get them out of my house! I'm addicted now!!

 

Lemon Sugar Cookies


2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1/4-1/2 t salt
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t lemon extract
2 C sugar
3 egg yolks


Cream butter, vanilla and lemon extract together until well blended. Gradually add sugar creaming until fluffy. Add egg yolk one at a time until well blended. Mix dry ingredients together and add to butter mixture in 1/4's....beating until just blended. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. ( I pressed mine with a fork and probably shouldn't have!) I rolled them into balls and wish I had just barely pressed them down. 
Remove to wire racks to cool.
Frost with Icing while still warm:
2 C powdered sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter well softened
1 t lemon juice
2 t or more of milk....until desired consistency
mix well and frost each cookie lightly while still warm.


Have a wonderful weekend!