Spawn of Good Cooker

The girl's got it!  My kids apparently inherited the cooking gene.  Today my oldest asked me if she could make cookies, and I said yes.  In fact, I decided to stand back and let her do it all by herself (short of zesting the lemon which I explained to her as I zipped off the fragrant, citrus oil filled yellow rind stopping just short of the bitter white pith - with my new Microplane grater - of course). 

While I have not actively taught her to cook, she is always hanging out in the kitchen watching me, so I thought I'd let her show me what she's got.    

She picked out her recipe from my Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook (a great book of basics and probably my first cookbook ever, purchased shortly after I married, with so many pages stuck together by a variety of samples - which is how I find my favorites), then laid out her ingredients and got to work.  After a brief struggle with the bulky green KitchenAid mixer, she was off.   

The result was probably one of the best lemon cookies I have ever tasted, and I consider myself a lemon connoisseur.  As a lemon lover, I often buy this tart fruit just because I like the smell.  There is nothing like a big bowl of plump, juicy lemons to both brighten up and freshen up a room.  Given a choice between a chocolate and lemon sweet, I will most certainly choose the lemon.  

What I liked best about her cooking endeavour and what leads me to believe she is a Good Cooker in the making is the fact that, after eating a few lemon cookies, she pondered making the same recipe but using limes or oranges or even a lemon-lime combination.  

I guess I should let her loose in the kitchen more often.  Who knows what she will come up with.  Oh, and I think I'll go get some limes!

Try the recipe.  It is quite yummy.  

Lemon Tea Cookies
1t lemon zest
2t fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 c milk  
1/2 c butter
1 3/4 c ap flour
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1t baking powder
1/4t baking soda

Glaze
1/4 c sugar
2T fresh squeezed lemon juice

Stir 2t lemon juice into milk. Let stand 5 minutes. Beat butter on medium high for 30 sec. Add 1/2 flour, 3/4 c sugar, egg, baking powder, soda, zest and milk mixture. Beat until thoroughly combined.  Beat in remaining flour.

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2" apart on parchment.  Bake 350 for 10-12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned.  Cool cookies on wire rack.  Stir together 1/4 c sugar and 2T lemon juice, brush on cookies.  Eat and enjoy!