Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Citrus Sunshine


With Adam in class tonight, I'm on my own for the evening.

Friends, you know what that means: Sweatpants. Grey's Anatomy re-runs. And lots of singing in the kitchen.

Did I forget to mention baking? We'd better add "Citrus Glitter Cookies" to the list.

Given the gloomy skies, endless rain, and my husband's intense love for lemon-heavy desserts, it seems only natural that I would pick this recipe for tonight. And let's be honest: I do feel a pang of guilt for feeling so enthusiastic about my sweatpants-clad, Derek Shepherd-obsessed self having a night alone to indulge in all things girlie. Baking the man cookies will make up for it, right?

Plus, I figured we could all use a break from my endless and intensely Fall-themed recipes. We need a little citrus sunshine in our lives tonight.

Citrus Glitters remind me of a to-die-for sugar cookie infused with lemon. While the recipe is designed to be vegan, I was out of our vegan shortening tonight, leaving me to use real butter instead (only use vegan substitutes or the real thing--no hydrogenated margarines, friends!).

These dense little cookies are the perfect reminder that, despite our frantic obsession with pumpkin right now, sometimes a pinch of summery citrus is the only solution for a rainy day.

And the whole sweatpants and Grey's Anatomy piece don't hurt either :)

What's your favorite way to spend a night on your own?

Lemon "Citrus" Glitters
(recipe courtesy of my current cookie bible: Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero)

Wow. Butter cookie meets a little bit of lemon heaven. Super tasty. Super Simple. Super Citrus Sunshine :)

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 TBSP finely grated lemon zest (or more if you're craving it!)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
  • 2 TBSP cornmeal
  • 1 TBSP cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • Yellow or golden decorator's sugar (or sprinkles)
Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) Using a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about a minute and a half. Beat in the milk, lemon zest, and vanilla.

3) Add all remaining ingredients and mix on medium speed until well-combined.

4) Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls. Flatten and shape into circles, place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with decorator sugar. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges (mine took 10 minutes exactly). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

13 comments:

  1. Okay, on the basis alone that they're called "glitters," I'm in.

    I now wonder why I don't add "glitter" to the names of all of the dishes I make.

    And, yes, I have a sparkle problem.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nights on my own always make me think of the Sex and the City episode where they talk about their "secret single behavior"

    ReplyDelete
  3. WEEE GLITTERS!! :D These cookies would definitely make my day happier.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Favorite way to spend an evening alone? A sweet treat, a rum/coke and a girly movie that Jason would never watch with me!

    The cookies look great, I love lemon in desserts.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love that there is "glitter" in the title! that alone makes me want to try these cookies :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hah! My husband is out of town for 2 nights next week, and I've already planned on getting out my comfy gross old sweatpants that I love, watching chick flicks, and eating Thai takeout.
    The cookies look awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  7. These look amazing!! I may have to make these for my bestie...her bday is coming up and she LOVES lemon!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the name of this cookie. It sounds so pretty and I'm sure it taste just awesome. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I adore lemon desserts!!!! And nights where I can just chill and do my own thing. Sounds like a great combo. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. The name just cheers me up and is reminiscent of spring :) I happen to adore lemon these days and the name alone makes me smile.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh, how I <3 lemon! Ironically, I just posted a comment on Joy's lavender vanilla sugar entry about rolling lemon cookies in that stuff...I bet these would be great with it!

    It's been forever since I've watched Grey's. Mmm, McDreamy!

    ReplyDelete
  12. is it bad that i wear sweatpants (or PJ pants!) at home every night? my husband does it too so it's okay, right? :)

    ReplyDelete