For years I think I mistakenly under appreciated the taste of lemon in my cuisine.
After discovering a few Italian dishes that incorporate lemon (chicken piccata, limoncello, sorbet, lemon spaghetti and more) I realize lemons are now a grateful staple in my home.
In walk these cookies. They are delightfully decadent combining the taste of goat cheese and lemon into one good-looking cookie that's sure to impress the eyes and the appetite. Let's get baking!
Time To Prepare:
About 1 hour (includes cooling)
Foodie Tips:
❤ You could substitute lemon juice for the limoncello, but if you've had limoncello before, you'll understand why this kind of substituting is not suggested. Making your own limoncello is a rewarding experience and you can score my family's recipe here at Home Style Austin.
❤ Culinary lavender is optional in this recipe. We've enjoyed these cookies with and without the lavender. My neighbors agree that with lavender is the way to go! If you need a resource for how to find culinary lavender we ordered ours from Lavessence on Etsy and it was a great experience (product and service).
This recipe will teach you how to fully use lemons (almost zero waste) for not just limoncello that can be enjoyed by itself or in this recipe, but you'll also learn how to use what's not used in limoncello - the juice - in Oprah's famous Lemon Drop Martinis.
Ingredients:
for the cookie dough 1 Cup | Plain Goat Cheese, Softened 1 Stick | Unsalted Butter, Softened (I suggest Falfurrias) 1 Cup | Sugar 2 | Cage Free Eggs 2 | Lemons, Zested Then Juiced (Set Both Aside) 2 ¼ Cups | Flour
for the glaze
½ Cup | Plain Goat Cheese, Softened
5 Tablespoons | Limoncello
2 Tablespoons | Whole Milk
3 ½ Cups | Powdered Sugar
To Garnish | Lemon Zest
To Garnish | Culinary Lavender (Optional)
What To Do:
1. In a large bowl cream together the goat cheese, butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy. 2. Beat-in the eggs one at a time.
3. Zest the lemon then juice it; add both to the cheese mixture.
4. Add the flour about a cup at a time and mix well. 5. Preheat your oven to 325°F. 6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Use a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon in size) and drop the cookie dough balls onto the prepared sheet.
7. Bake for about 10 minutes; they should not brown but will be "set" to the touch. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool - a cooling rack works great.
8. To make the glaze beat together the goat cheese, limoncello and milk until everything is nice and smooth. 9. In ½ cup increments add the powdered sugar and continue beating until well combined.
10. I placed my cookies on a cooling rack with a pan underneath to catch any wayward glaze... then used a large spoon to drizzle-pour the glaze on top of the each cookie, leaving some of the cookie exposed (see below).
11. Top each cookie with some lemon zest and a few lavender flowers and allow to set. Your end result will delight the senses!
Yield: About 20-24 cookies
These make amazing treats for a shower, birthday party or just because. I took several to neighbors and they loved them as much as I did.
Joe Paul Reider
Home Style Austin Founder Austin Realtor® Keller Williams Realty
Email: JoePaul@KW.com Mobile: 512-222-3302 Web: JoePaulReider.KW.com
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