Lemon Snowball Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
confectioners’ sugar

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and egg until well blended. Add lemon juice, peel and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned (cookies will not brown on top).
Transfer immediately to wire racks and cool for 5 minutes, then roll in confectioners’ sugar.

Lemon Cream Cheese Danish

Ingredients:

Pastry:
A half-quantity of Processor Danish Pastry dough (recipe below), rolled out, and ready to use

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons ricotta
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt
Zest of 2 lemons

Egg Glaze:
1 large egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk

Clear Glaze:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Sugar Glaze:
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar mixed with 1-2 tablespoons warm water

Directions:
1. Line two baking sheets with parchment or Silpat®, and set aside.
2. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the egg yolk, ricotta, vanilla, salt and lemon zest, and mix until just combined.
3. Roll out the pastry into a big rectangle, and cut it in half. Divide each half into thirds, and place 1 heaping tablespoon of cream cheese filling on each piece of dough. (It’s tempting to add more filling, but don’t! The filling spreads, so it will seep out of the pasty if there’s too much.)
4. Fold the opposite corners up together, and seal them with a pinch.
5. Place the danishes on the baking sheets, and brush with the egg glaze.
6. Let them rise until they double in size, about 1 1/2 hours. They should feel like marshmallows.
7. About 30 minutes before they’re ready to be cooked, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. If the corners have become unsealed, pinch them back together.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown.
9. Transfer the danishes to a wire rack.
10. While the danishes cool, make the clear glaze by heating the granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.
11. Brush the danishes with the clear glaze.
12. When the danishes are a lot cooler, drizzle them with the sugar glaze.
Processor Danish Pastry
You’ll only need a half-batch of this dough for the danishes. Use the second half to experiment with another flavor or freeze it for later.

Pastry: (Makes about 2 pounds)
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups white bread flour
1 package (1/4 ounce) rapid-rise yeast or 1 tablespoon fresh yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into thin slices
1. Pour the water and milk into a measuring cup. Add the egg, beating with a fork to mix. Set aside.
2. Set a large bowl near your food processor.
3. Using your food processor, pulse the flour, yeast, salt and sugar just to combine.
4. Add the cold slices of butter. Process briefly so that the butter is cut up a little, though you still want visible chunks of at least 1/2 inch.
5. Transfer the mixture into the large bowl, and quickly add the contents of the cup.
6. Use your hands or a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together, but don’t overmix. Expect to have a gooey mess with some butter lumps pebbling it.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, put it in the refrigerator, and leave it overnight or up to 4 days.
8. To Turn the Dough Into Pastry: Remove the dough from the refrigerator, let it get to room temperature, and roll it out into a 20-inch square. Fold the dough square into thirds, like a business letter, turning it afterward so that the closed fold is on your left, like the spine of a book.
9. Roll the dough out again into a 20-inch square, repeating the steps above 3 times.
10. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, if you haven’t already done so at the earlier stage), or refrigerate half to use now and put the other half in the freezer to use later.

Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Cookies

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Zest of two large lemons
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. (3 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk
Fresh blueberries

Glaze:
Confectioners sugar
Fresh lemon juice
Lemon zest

Directions:
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Rub them together with your fingers until well mixed. This brings out the lemon flavor.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar/lemon mixture and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, and beat well to mix. Add the vanilla, and beat on low. Mix in the flour mixture and the buttermilk in batches at low speed, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Drop the dough by level tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leave about 1 ½ inches between each cookie. Tuck 4-5 blueberries into each cookie. Try to make sure they are hidden. Bake one sheet at a time for about 11 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes; then transfer them to a wire rack.

For the glaze, whisk together the sifted confectioners sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. I never measure, just guess until you get the right consistency and flavor. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies.

Lemon Cream Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 1 T. flour divided
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 c. butter
1 c. chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream, divided
3 T. lemon juice
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 1/2 c. flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken and shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook chicken in butter for 8-9 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove chicken and keep warm.Add broth to the drippings. Bring to a boil over medium heat; stir to loosen browned bits from the pan. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes or until broth is reduced approximately 1/3 cup. Sir in 3/4 c. cream, lemon juice and mushrooms. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.Combine remaining flour and cream until smooth; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Return chicken to skillet and heat through.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zestedInstructions:

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cookies:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated.
Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine.
Stir in the dry ingredients.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets.
Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges.
Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
Glaze:
Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread.
Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours.

Yogurt-Marmalade Cake

Ingredients:
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 cup (heaping) Plain, Lowfat Yogurt
1 cup Sugar
3 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 whole Zest Of Lemon
½ cups Canola Oil
_____
ORANGE GLAZE:
½ cups Prepared Orange Marmelade
¼ cups Yogurt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a loaf pan with non-stick baking spray (or grease and flour it if it makes your skirt fly up). Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix together 1 cup of yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and canola oil until just combined. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until just combined; do not over beat.
Pour into a loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Remove from pan. While cake is cooling, pour marmalade into a sauce pan. Heat it on low until melted, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup of yogurt to the pan and turn off heat. Stir to combine, then pour slowly over the top of the cake, allowing icing to pool around the sides.

Lemon Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients:
4 Potatoes, cut in 1 and 1/2 inch slices
1/3 cup Lemon Juice, fresh squeezed
1/4 cup Olive Oil
4 Garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon fresh Rosemary, chopped
Sea or Kosher salt and fresh Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Parmesan, shredded

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss the potatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and rosemary together in an oven-proof skillet. Season with salt and pepper.
Fill with water halfway up the sides of the potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Roast for 30-35 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle Parmesan over top.

Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 1/4 pounds)
3 T flour
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
1 3/4 C chicken broth
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
salt & pepper

Directions:
Pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet to a uniform 1/2" thickness. Dredge lightly in flour, reserving excess. In a large saute pan, over medium-high heat, melt butter with oil until it sizzles. Add chicken breasts and cook 4-5 minutes, turning over once, until juices run clear. Remove chicken to plate. Stir reserved flour into saute pan. Which in broth and lemon juice; heat to boiling. Boil 1 minute to thicken slightly. Return chicken to pan to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lovely Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

Lemon Bars Crust:

1 cup butter

1 3/4 cup flour

2/3 cup confectioner's sugar (plus more for dusting)

Topping:

1 1/2 cup plain sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degreesGrease and flour a 9 X 13 pan

To make crust:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and confectioner's sugar
Cut in butter until combined and crumbly.
Press mixture into bottom of pan.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

To make topping:
While crust is baking, prepare topping.
In a larger bowl, add sugar, flour, and baking powder.
Then add slightly beaten eggs and lemon juice.
Mix well and pour on top of warm baked crust.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar and refrigerate. Cut into bars and enjoy them cold!

Noodles With Mushrooms & Lemon Ginger Dressing

Ingredients:
Lemon Ginger Dressing:
3/4 teaspoon Asian chlli powder (or cayenne)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 inch section of ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons olive oil

The Noodles:
9 ounces dried noodles (spaghetti, linguine, udon, soba)
7 ounces fresh mushrooms (enoki, shimeji, sliced button, sliced shitake)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs (parsley, green onion, cilantro or basil)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions:
1) Make the dressing by combining all ingredients, except for the sesame oil and olive oil in a food processor or hand blender. Run the blender for a few seconds, until all ingredients are combined. With the machine running, drizzle in the oils.
2) In a pot, cook the dried noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
3) Heat a frying pan over high heat. Add the butter and when the butter starts bubbling, add the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms for 2 minutes.
4) In a large bowl, toss the cooked noodles with the mushrooms, fresh herbs, sesame seeds and some of the dressing (to taste.)
Serves 4.

Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 C. plain whole-milk yogurt or used low fat sour cream
1 1/3 C. sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 tsp. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 C. vegetable oil
3/4 cup fresh blueberries (coated with flour to stop them from sinking)
1/3 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Glaze:
1 C. confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Slowly fold in the blueberries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 C. lemon juice and remaining 1/3 C. sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Lemon Coolers

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 egg
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Mix together cake mix, whipped topping and egg. Drop by teaspoonfuls into bowl of confectioners' sugar and coat. Shape into balls.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not brown.

Lemon Snowball Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
confectioners' sugar

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and egg until well blended. Add lemon juice and peel. Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Add almonds. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Roll into 1-in. balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned (cookies will not brown on top).

Remove immediately to wire racks; cool for 5 minutes, then roll in confectioners' sugar.