chocolate dipped lemon sugar cookies

Here is another lovely recipe from my friend Tara, a stylist  based in Norway.  As you may remember, earlier I posted her recipe for chocolate dusted hazelnut sandwiches.  Thank you so much for sharing.  I also included a little holiday variation of my own below.  These beautiful photographs were taken by Norwegian photographer, Birgit Fauske.  

For more beautiful things check out her style blog.  

She is currently working on these lovely handmade necklaces.  

 Note: These sugar cookies are excellent for forming shapes of all kinds. The trick is to chill the dough before cutting shapes, and then chill again before baking. Imprint with antique stamps and dip in chocolate for a more sophisticated biscuit, or decorated with icing in every colour imaginable. For iced cookies, substitute vanilla for the lemon juice in this recipe, and omit the zest if you wish.  Yields 2 dozen medium sized cookies.

Variation: I love making eggnog sugar cookies for the holidays. To do so, just omit the lemon and lemon zest in the recipe below and instead add 1 tsp. rum or rum extract, 2 tsp. nutmeg and 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Voila, happy holidays.

You will need:

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. finely ground sea salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large organic egg

1 tsp lemon juice

Zest of 1 large organic lemon

1 Milk chocolate bar

……………………………………..

Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.

In a separate bowl with an electric mixer, cream together sugar and butter until fluffy; Beat in eggs.

Add flour mixture and stir on low speed until combined.

Mix in lemon juice and lemon zest.

Cover dough and chill for 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to and cut into desired shapes.

Place on baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes more.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 325 degrees removing just before edges begin to brown.  
Transfer to wire rack and let cool

In a double boiler, melt chocolate on low heat until smooth and dip cooled cookies into melted chocolate; set aside until chocolate is firm.

Food and Styling | Tara Ballantyne

Photography | Birgit Fauske