This week in Twelve Weeks of Christmas Cookies I am presenting a gorgeous tangy lemon cookie! As good as these are on a plate they would be wonderful tied to the tree with festive ribbon! These can be a little tricky to twist at first and shape into a wreath but a little patience and refrigeration of the dough certainly helps! I hope you enjoy these elegant cookies!
Lemon-glazed Christmas Wreath Cookies
(adapted from Australian Women Weekly COOK)
Makes 40
450g self raising flour
125g butter, chopped coarsely
60ml milk
110g caster sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
Lemon Icing
480g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
lemon juice
Preheat oven to 180C. Line trays with baking paper.
Combine sugar and milk in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves.Add extract and cool for 5 minutes.
While you are waiting sift the flour and rub in the butter. I did this in the food processor. Stir in the warm milk mixture and the egg into the flour mixture.
Knead lightly until smooth.
Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Roll small teaspoons of dough into 13 cm sausages. Twist two sausages together, form into circles press edges together. Place 3 cm apart on oven trays. Bake 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
Meanwhile make the lemon icing. Sift the sugar into small heatproof bowl, stir in enough juice to make a firm paste. Stir over small saucepan of simmering water until pourable. Add more lemon juice if required.
Dip the tops of the cookies into the icing; set at room temperature.
I thought I'd met every Christmas cookie ever made. Not true! (Lasy year I did 24 days of Italian Christmas cookies – the family collectively gained ten pounds – I think the cat and dog gained a few ounces also.) These are new to me, so sweet with a little tang and I shall be making them.