Cherry Tea Cookies, Demands from Mom, & Niece Rowan

These are my mom’s favorite cookies and lately she’s been demanding them to be sent via care package to her home. Aren’t mother’s supposed to send their children care packages, not the other way around?

I never did mail a package to her, so instead I made them while I visited this weekend. It’s not quite the same as getting a box in the mail, but hopefully she’ll forgive me.

I also took a few photographs of my new niece Rowan while I was there. I’ve forgotten how small babies are! They're such cute little grumpy aliens. It took some time to get a photograph where she didn’t look like she wanted to protest this strange new world, but I was armed with my camera when she smiled a little in her sleep. I didn't even bother fighting for an open eye shot. Although mom did try to wake her for one.

I’ll try again when she’s a little happier with all of us. I figure I’ve got years to chase this kid around with a camera.


Cherry Tea Cookies
This recipe is simple, but the dough should rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and cure overnight after baking for the best cookies. So try to plan a day in advanced. But if you don't have extra time don't worry about waiting, just bake them right away.

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon maraschino cherry liquid
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 ¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour

½ cup drained maraschino cherries, chopped well

1. With an electric mixer beat together the sugar, butter, salt, maraschino cherry liquid, and almond extract. Once combined, add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Add the chopped maraschino cherries and mix together. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.

2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and set on the counter for 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

3. Scoop the dough with a standard (size 50) cookie scoop and roll into balls. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets and bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes or until very lightly brown on the bottom. Let rest on the cookie sheets for a few minutes and move to a cooling rack. Once cool, store in an airtight container to cure overnight before serving.

Recipe and Picture by Laura Flowers.

Lemon-Lavender Shortbread and a Giggle

This cookie was born from a special request. One day my husband came home from work and said that Randy, the city attorney, requested a cookie with lavender. After I giggled for awhile I got to work. As it turned out he was right. This cookie is so good I’ll never laugh at him again! Ok, maybe a little laugh.

This recipe uses a food processer to create these beautiful cookies with little fuss. They are so easy you might find yourself making them often to use up all that lavender you had to buy!

2/3 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of ½ a lemon
½ teaspoon lemon extract
½ teaspoon real vanilla extract
2 cup all-purpose flour
Raw sugar for rolling

Directions:
Add the butter and sugar to the food processer bowl and mix until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add the salt, lavender, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon extract, and vanilla extract and pulse until combined and the lavender is chopped scraping down the bowl as needed, about 20 seconds. Add the flour and pulse until just combined.

Turn dough out onto a clean surface and knead a couple of times to combine. Cut dough in half and form into rectangle logs about an inch long and 3/4th inches wide. Cut two pieces of wax paper to form around logs, pour raw sugar onto the wax papers and press the logs into the sugar forming the dough into shape as you press. Roll the wax paper around the logs and freeze until solid.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Let the logs rest on the counter for about 15 minutes before cutting. Take a sharp knife and slice ¼ inch thick. Place an inch apart on baking sheet and bake for 17 to 20 minutes until golden around the edges. Let set one minute and transfer to a cooling rack.

Think ahead: Shortbread logs can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw slightly before slicing. Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

Recipe by Laura Flowers